---
title: "CivTech Challenge 10.3 - How can technology help improve the monitoring and protection of seabirds in various environments, focussing initially on the challenge of monitoring puffins above and below ground?"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE"
published: "2026-02-02"
---

# CivTech Challenge 10.3 - How can technology help improve the monitoring and protection of seabirds in various environments, focussing initially on the challenge of monitoring puffins above and below ground?

Buyer: SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711

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## Summary

Scottish Natural Heritage, located at Great Glen House in Inverness, recently completed a procurement process titled "CivTech Challenge 10.3," aiming to improve the monitoring and protection of seabirds, such as puffins, both above and below ground. This initiative falls under the general public services category and predominantly encompasses locations in Edinburgh, indicated by the CPV classification 72000000. The procurement process, managed through an open procedure, transitioned from the tender phase, which was active in July 2024, to the award and contract stage, completed by February 2026. Notably, the contract was signed on 7th August 2025, with a total value of £1,021,057.69, targeting primarily service-based solutions.

This tender presents lucrative opportunities for growth, especially for businesses focused on technological innovation and environmental services. Given the tender's focus on progressive technologies for monitoring wildlife, companies specialising in digital solutions, particularly those capable of innovative data collection and analysis methods, are well-positioned to benefit. With an emphasis also on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this project encourages participation by businesses that provide agile and creative approaches to problem-solving. The collaboration between the public sector and private industry under the CivTech programme showcases a concerted effort by the Scottish Government to integrate technology-driven methodologies while fostering sustainable economic growth in the regional tech sector.

## Notice

You would think that with a bird as iconic as the puffin, we would know how many of them we have in the UK and how successful a breeding colony is in any year. Yet, of all the seabirds we are internationally responsible for, the puffin is one of the hardest to count because they breed in burrows underground. Traditional methods are either extremely labour intensive, with specialised fieldworkers required for counts, or can only give us an indication of how many puffins there are on land or on sea. It is also hard to tell how successfully they are managing to breed.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

CivTech's mission is to drive daring and innovation in the public sector by collaboratively solving Challenges that make people's lives better - and in doing so create generations of sustainable, high growth businesses. CivTech brings together public sector expertise and private sector innovation to solve real problems, develop new products, and deliver better, faster and easier services for everyone. Central to the approach is co-production with the citizen. Part of the Scottish Government's Digital Directorate, CivTech's approach is helping transform public sector engagement with tech and innovation, delivering significant benefits to public services, producing genuine uplifts for the Scottish economy - and along the way, making lives better. Across the country there are problems public sector organisations would like to solve and in the current environment the need for smart, efficient and effective products has never been greater. The Scottish Government is aware innovation is a good way to create them and is committed to ensuring a large part of its tech spend goes to smaller, innovative businesses. This is where CivTech comes in. The CivTech Innovation Flow is designed to create products as quickly and effectively as possible, and uses a true Accelerator model at the heart of its Innovation Flow model. For you - whether you're an individual, team or company - it's an opportunity to take on a Challenge, solve it, and win contracts with a blue-chip public sector organisation. You'll build a product, and a business to take it as far as possible. Because here's the kicker: the Challenges we issue aren't 'single organisation' problems - most exist worldwide. In short: Open Challenges are set. Any organisation, team or individual can respond. Applications are assessed, and shortlisted proposals go into an Exploration Stage where they're developed further [for which participating applicants are paid]. The best go through to the Accelerator - a period of intensive work to create the solution, and through CivTech's unique business workshop system, a business capable of taking the product to the world. Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved: https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply-civtech-10 https://www.civtech.scot/civtech-10-challenge-3-monitoring-and-protecting-seabirds-in-various-environments

Renewal: May require extensions to complete work

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB548499 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 2 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 10 Sep 2024 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Aug 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £650,000 |
| Lots value | £650,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,021,057 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE |
| Locality | INVERNESS |
| Post town | Inverness |
| Postcode | IV3 8NW |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands |
| ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Electoral ward | Inverness West |
| Westminster constituency | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | ARCTECH INNOVATION; EOLAS INSIGHT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages
- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

### Codes

- 30236200 - Data-processing equipment
- 32260000 - Data-transmission equipment
- 32580000 - Data equipment
- 33120000 - Recording systems and exploration devices
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 90712300 - Marine conservation strategy planning
- 92534000 - Wildlife preservation services

## Release History

- 2 Feb 2026 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB548499
- 30 Jul 2024 at 00:00 - Tender - OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL510899

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=9
  12th August 2024 - CivTech 10 - Challenge 10.3 - Q&A Recording Information
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=4
  2nd August 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 4 - Grounds for Mandatory Exclusion - Criminal Convictions - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=8
  2nd August 2024 - UPDATED VERSION Please disregard Previous version and use this version when applying
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=2
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 2 - Instructions for Submitting Proposals - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=3
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 3 - Application Form - Challenge number - Participant name - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=5
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 5 - Application Scorecard - Sample - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=6
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 6 - Accelerator Terms and Conditions Template - Single Sponsor - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=7
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 7 - Exploration Terms and Conditions Template - Single Sponsor - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=JUL510899&idx=1
  30th July 2024 - CivTech 10.3 - PCS - 1 - Advert Final - Word Document - Challenge 10.3 - NatureScot - 30 July 2024
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL510899
  CivTech Challenge 10.3 - How can technology help improve the monitoring and protection of seabirds in various environments, focussing initially on the challenge of monitoring puffins above and below ground? - You would think that with a bird as iconic as the puffin, we would know how many of them we have in the UK and how successful a breeding colony is in any year. Yet, of all the seabirds we are internationally responsible for, the puffin is one of the hardest to count because they breed in burrows underground. Traditional methods are either extremely labour intensive, with specialised fieldworkers required for counts, or can only give us an indication of how many puffins there are on land or on sea. It is also hard to tell how successfully they are managing to breed.
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB548499
  CivTech Challenge 10.3 - How can technology help improve the monitoring and protection of seabirds in various environments, focussing initially on the challenge of monitoring puffins above and below ground? - You would think that with a bird as iconic as the puffin, we would know how many of them we have in the UK and how successful a breeding colony is in any year. Yet, of all the seabirds we are internationally responsible for, the puffin is one of the hardest to count because they breed in burrows underground. Traditional methods are either extremely labour intensive, with specialised fieldworkers required for counts, or can only give us an indication of how many puffins there are on land or on sea. It is also hard to tell how successfully they are managing to breed.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.nature.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711
- https://www.civtech.scot/civtech-10-challenge-3-monitoring-and-protecting-seabirds-in-various-environments
- https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply-civtech-10
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00383
- https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/courts-and-tribunals/courts-tribunals-and-office-locations/find-us/edinburgh-sheriff-court-and-justice-of-the-peace-court/

## 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-r6ebe6-0000773711. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000773711.json.