---
title: "Opportunity Mapping for Open Mosaic Habitat at the Tees Estuary"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Natural England"
published: "2026-10-30"
---

# Opportunity Mapping for Open Mosaic Habitat at the Tees Estuary

Buyer: Natural England  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1

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## Summary

Natural England is commissioning environmental research consultancy to map Open Mosaic Habitat (OMH) across the Tees Estuary. OMH is a high-distinctiveness priority habitat that is difficult to recreate or replace, and development affecting it can require mitigation. The work is intended to improve understanding of habitat types and extent, find areas not currently mapped, and assess changes over time. It also includes collating species records, identifying important species and characteristic habitat communities, and pinpointing ways to maintain and enhance the habitat, with a prioritised list of actions. The delivery area is the Tees Estuary, England. The requirement is a single research project rather than a purchase of physical goods or construction works.

Natural England invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. The tender deadline set for quotations was 12 noon on 23 November 2026, and clarification questions were due by 12 noon on 11 November 2026. The contract period is 7 December 2026 to 31 March 2027. The estimated value is £20,330 excluding VAT (£25,000 including VAT). The procurement is arranged as one lot. The award criteria are described as being in the Request for Quotation, which suppliers are asked to meet in their quotation. Responses are to be submitted by email. The tender is recorded as active; this describes its procurement status rather than a confirmed award.

This opportunity is suited to environmental research and ecological consultancy businesses with the capability to survey and map habitat across a defined estuary area, analyse changes in habitat extent, and identify unmapped areas. Relevant expertise includes Open Mosaic Habitat ecology, habitat classification, species-record collation and interpretation, and recognising characteristic ecological communities. Suppliers should be able to assess practical opportunities to maintain or enhance habitat and turn findings into a clear, prioritised programme of actions. The tender identifies small and medium-sized enterprises as suitable. The work is a focused, short-term research commission, so it is likely to suit a specialist team able to deliver mapping, ecological analysis and actionable recommendations within a single project. The detailed evaluation basis is set out in the RFQ.

## Notice

Open Mosaic Habitat (OMH) is recognised as a high distinctiveness Priority Habitat; which is very difficult to recreate or replace if destroyed. Under S41 NERC Act OMH is protected and Local Planning Authorities require rigorous mitigation if impacted via development. The demand for OMH mitigation opportunities is also intrinsically linked to the planning process and decision-making. This research project will map OMH resource across the Tees Estuary to develop an understanding of the types of OMH across the area, identify areas of OMH not currently mapped and identify whether there have been changes in OMH resource over time. The research project will also collate species records to identify important species using the OMH resource and determine whether there are any characteristic OMH communities. Finally, this work will identify opportunities to maintain and enhance the OMG resource and produce a prioritised list of actions.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103201-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 23 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 7 Dec 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £20,330 |
| Lots value | £20,330 |
| 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 | 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

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 30 Oct 2026 at 13:02 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103201-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103201-2026
  30th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-24932
  RFQ
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-24933
  Order form
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-24934
  Commercial Response Template

## Notice URLs

- 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-0794a1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0794a1.json.