---
title: "ES RDE 097 - Operationalising the UK Saltmarsh code - year 1"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Environment Agency"
published: "2026-10-15"
---

# ES RDE 097 - Operationalising the UK Saltmarsh code - year 1

Buyer: Environment Agency  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9

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## Summary

The Environment Agency commissioned research and development services to operationalise the UK Saltmarsh Code. This first-year work is a transition stage before a planned pilot: it is intended to finalise the code’s future governance arrangements and technical delivery. The requirement therefore centres on shaping how the code will be governed and putting in place the technical approach needed for its eventual piloting, rather than delivering the pilot itself. The procurement is for a single service requirement, with the Environment Agency as the buyer. The awarded provider is the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, based in Oxfordshire. No specific delivery location is stated, so the work should not be assumed to take place at a particular site.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. It was a below-threshold direct award under a framework, described as an Environment Agency self-service direct award; the process was selective and non-competitive. The contract was signed on 2 October 2026 and runs from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £58,796 excluding VAT (£70,555.20 including VAT). The award is for one lot. No separate award date is recorded. The requirement is described as year one of operationalising the code, with finalisation of governance and technical delivery ahead of the planned 2027 pilot. The procurement data does not set out an evaluation basis or supplier eligibility criteria.

For firms positioning for a comparable future requirement from the Environment Agency, this award signals demand for specialist research and development at the intersection of saltmarsh management, environmental policy and technical programme delivery. A credible competitor would need to help shape a workable governance model for the UK Saltmarsh Code and translate its requirements into a deliverable technical approach, with the ability to prepare the code for piloting. The selected organisation is the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, indicating that an established ecology and environmental research capability is relevant to this type of work. The scale is a focused, single-lot professional services commission, rather than a large multi-supplier delivery programme. The route used was a framework-based, non-competitive award; suppliers seeking related work should consider whether they can access and meet the terms of the relevant framework.

## Notice

Environment Agency Self-Service Direct Award. We are currently in a transition year before the saltmarsh code can be piloted in 2027. This year, the future governance structure and technical delivery of the saltmarsh code need to be finalised.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097627-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - award under framework |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 7 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £58,796 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Environment Agency |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 4DF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 15 Oct 2026 at 16:15 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097627-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097627-2026
  15th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h6vhtk-04ef64
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788d9.json.