---
title: "ES RDE 101 - Biodiversity Policy Analysis Tool: Freshwater Module Development"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS"
published: "2026-10-15"
---

# ES RDE 101 - Biodiversity Policy Analysis Tool: Freshwater Module Development

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5.json)

## Summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned development of a freshwater module for its Biodiversity Policy Analysis Tool. The tool models how different combinations and scales of actions to mitigate biodiversity loss could affect the trajectory of England’s D4 relative species abundance indicator. It also estimates the financial costs of action packages, so alternative policy scenarios can be compared in terms of cost and species outcomes. This is research and development and related consultancy work, rather than a supply of equipment or a construction project. The work supports Defra’s analysis of biodiversity policy in England. The procurement concerns one module of the wider modelling platform; no delivery location is stated beyond the tool’s England-wide policy context.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to APEM Ltd. Defra used a selective, non-competitive direct award under a framework, described as below threshold. The contract was signed on 13 October 2026 and runs from 19 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £97,109 excluding VAT, or £116,530.80 including VAT. The procurement was handled as a single lot. No award date or evaluation criteria are recorded in the available process details, so the basis for selecting the supplier cannot be described beyond the direct award route. The contract is active.

For a future requirement of this kind, credible suppliers would need to combine freshwater biodiversity expertise with the ability to develop or adapt analytical models for policy use. The work calls for understanding how interventions to reduce biodiversity loss translate into changes in species outcomes, and for estimating the costs of different action packages so scenarios can be compared. Experience producing decision-support analysis for central government or environmental policy would be relevant to demonstrating that the work can inform practical policy choices. Suppliers would also need research and development capability and consultancy skills suited to developing a defined module within a wider modelling platform. This award shows demand for specialist freshwater modelling and biodiversity policy analysis, rather than general environmental services.

## Notice

Defra Self-Service Direct Award. The Biodiversity Policy Analysis Tool (BPAT) is a modelling platform that aims to provide insight into how different actions to mitigate biodiversity loss will impact biodiversity change in England. Specifically, it seeks to take a set of actions and then evaluate how the scale and combinations of these actions will affect the trajectory of the D4 relative species abundance indicator. It also estimates the financial costs of the defined packages of action, potentially enabling the costs of alternative policy scenarios and their effects on species outcomes to be compared.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097679-2026 |
| 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 | 19 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 | £97,109 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS |
| 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 | APEM Ltd |

## 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 18:29 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097679-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097679-2026
  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-0788f5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0788f5.json.