---
title: "Purchase & Installation of Echosounder System"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-079368"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-079368"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079368.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079368.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Scottish Government"
published: "2026-10-29"
---

# Purchase & Installation of Echosounder System

Buyer: Scottish Government  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-079368

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## Summary

The Scottish Ministers’ Marine Directorate sought a scientific, multi-frequency wideband echosounder system to replace the ageing Simrad EK60 aboard the marine research vessel Alba Na Mara. The supply includes installation and an echosounder system compatible with the vessel’s existing retractable sonar pod and newly fitted ES 38-7 transducer. The equipment measures water depth, productivity and seabed type, and supports population surveys of pelagic fish including herring, mackerel, sprat and blue whiting. The resulting data contributes to stock assessments in the North East Atlantic, the North Sea and Scotland’s sea lochs, helping inform fisheries quota advice. The work is for the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate, with delivery and installation associated with the vessel’s operations around Scotland and offshore.

The buyer invited tenders through an open procedure. The submission deadline was 30 November 2026 at 12:00, and the stated contract period runs from 6 January to 31 March 2027. The estimated value is £150,000. Bids had to be submitted electronically in English, and alternatives were not permitted. Evaluation combined quality and price: quality criteria covered technical solution and delivery, key staff and resource planning, contract management and quality assurance, corporate and social responsibilities, and Fair Work First. The tender description assigns weights of 50, 25, 15, 5 and 5 respectively, with price weighted at 30. The SPD was assessed pass/fail; scored answers used a four-point scale from unacceptable to excellent. Suppliers had to keep bids valid for 180 days.

This opportunity suits suppliers able to provide and install specialist scientific echosounder equipment for a working marine research vessel, including a system compatible with the vessel’s sonar installation. The buyer sought three relevant supply or service examples from the previous five years, details of available technicians, staff, facilities, technical equipment and tools, plus supply-chain tracking and environmental management arrangements. Bidders also had to explain quality controls and permit assessment of technical capacity and quality measures. They needed either an independently accredited UKAS (or equivalent) ISO 9001 quality certificate, or a documented, senior-authorised quality management policy appropriate to the organisation and work. Financial qualification included specific annual turnover of at least £150,000 in each of the previous two years, public liability insurance of £1 million, a current ratio above 0.8 and positive net profit over the two-year cycle. The buyer required staff names and qualifications.

## Notice

The Scottish Ministers, Marine Directorate invites tenders for the purchase and installation of a scientific, multi-frequency, wideband, echosounder system to replace the existing Simrad EK60 echosounder system on our Marine Research Vessel (MRV) Alba Na Mara.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The MRV Alba Na Mara, is currently equipped with an aging, ( ~20 years), scientific echosounder system operating at 3 individual frequencies (38, 120 and 200 kHz). The current system is now unsupported in terms of replacement components. Recently, the existing 38 kHz ES38B transducer was damaged beyond repair. A new ES 38-7 transducer was fitted in dry dock but is not supported by the current EK60 system. The transducers are mounted on a retractable sonar pod. As well as continually providing water column depth, productivity and information on seabed type these acoustic devices are the primary tools used in the creation of population indices for pelagic species including herring, mackerel, sprat and blue whiting. Data which is vital in producing accurate stock assessments for the respective species throughout the North East Atlantic, the North Sea and in Scotland's sea lochs. In co-operation with ICES partners, stock assessments, along with landing and discard data, allow Marine Directorate colleagues to provide advice around the setting of quotas for these important fish stocks.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/102561-2026 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 30 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 6 Jan 2027 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £150,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Scottish Government |
| Locality | ABERDEEN |
| Postcode area | Aberdeen |
| Postcode | AB11 9DB |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM5 North Eastern Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM50 Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire |
| Local authority | Aberdeen City |
| Electoral ward | Torry/Ferryhill |
| Westminster constituency | Aberdeen South |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 38100000 - Navigational and meteorological instruments
- 38110000 - Navigational instruments
- 38114000 - Echo sounders

## Release History

- 29 Oct 2026 at 12:09 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/102561-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.gov.scot
- http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000847010
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=847010
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=538689
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=847010
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx

## 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-079368. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079368.json.