--- title: "ECS6 Framework" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078e53" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078e53" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078e53.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078e53.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Natural England" published: "2026-10-22" --- # ECS6 Framework Buyer: Natural England Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078e53 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078e53) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078e53.json) ## Summary Natural England plans to establish the ECS6 framework for advisory, facilitation and training services supporting environmental and land-management projects across Natural England and the wider Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs group. Services span water and air quality, environmental management, farming and forestry prosperity, agricultural regulation, natural capital and nature recovery, climate change and carbon accounting, soil management, training and accreditation, freshwater resources and flood risk, and programme delivery support. The framework is intended to provide integrated, consistent and targeted support. It will be organised by geographical requirements to cover England. Natural England is the buyer; Defra Group Commercial is leading the procurement on its behalf. This is at the planning stage: the buyer has stated its intention to procure, but has not yet invited tenders. The buyer expects a framework agreement, with the next notice anticipated by 30 November 2026. A supplier webinar is planned for 5 November 2026; the date is provisional and may change before the tender is issued. The framework is due to start on 1 August 2027 and run for seven years, with a one-year extension option. It is described as a nil-value contract, while the stated estimated value is £100 million excluding VAT (£120 million including VAT). The procurement is planned as one lot, with the framework covering England. No evaluation criteria or participation requirements are set out at this stage. The framework is intended to appoint a broad range of suppliers able to deliver services across one or more of its ten subject areas, rather than a single provider covering every service. It is explicitly considered suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the buyer expects geographical requirements to be handled at lot level. Relevant providers may include environmental and land-management advisers, facilitators, training and accreditation organisations, and specialists in water, air, farming, forestry, regulation, nature recovery, carbon, soils and flood risk. The buyer is seeking high-quality, targeted and cost-effective support that can work consistently across Natural England and other Defra group bodies. Suppliers can use the planned market-engagement webinar to understand the emerging requirements and prepare for the later tender. ## Notice The ECS6 Framework is a flexible procurement tool used by Natural England and other Defra group bodies to contract in services from vetted and approved Suppliers. The Framework is due to launch on 1st August 2027 and will operate over a 7-year period, with a 1-year option to extend. ECS6 will follow on from the current Environment, Training, Advice and Facilitation (ETAF) Framework and will support projects across Natural England and the wider Defra Group. The main objectives of the Framework are to provide a range of advisory support, facilitation activities, and training services through an integrated, consistent, targeted, high quality, and cost-effective framework. We are looking for Suppliers who are able to provide these services in one or more of the following topic areas: 1. Water Quality and Protection, & Air Quality and Ammonia Reduction 2. Environmental Management 3. Farming and Forestry Prosperity and Investment 4. Agricultural Regulatory Baseline 5. Natural Capital and Nature Recovery 6. Climate Change adaptation and mitigation and Carbon Accounting 7. Soil Management and Protection 8. Training and Accreditation 9. Freshwater Resources and Flood Risk Management 10. Natural England Programme Delivery Support The ECS6 framework is designed to be a NIL value contract and will include a wide range of Suppliers who will be able to provide the range of services required, covering the whole of England at a Lot level basis to meet agreed geographical requirements and objectives. ### Planning Information A webinar will be held for prospective bidders at 13:30 on Thursday 5th November 2026. Supplier's wishing to attend can do so via the link below https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b3dbda08-0086-45b8-9b38-4ace397830c0@770a2450-0227-4c62-90c7-4e38537f1102?source=copyLinkOneEventsShareDialog A copy of the specification can also be provided on request. This is provisional and may be subject to change prior to the tender being issued. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100186-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 22 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 30 Nov 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Aug 2027 - 31 Jul 2034 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £100,000,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Natural England | | 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 | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services ### Codes - 90710000 - Environmental management ## Release History - 22 Oct 2026 at 17:08 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100186-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100186-2026 22nd October 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome - https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b3dbda08-0086-45b8-9b38-4ace397830c0@770a2450-0227-4c62-90c7-4e38537f1102?source=copyLinkOneEventsShareDialog - 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-078e53. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078e53.json.