---
title: "Lifting & Storage Crates"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND"
published: "2025-04-29"
---

# Lifting & Storage Crates

Buyer: FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351

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## Summary

Forestry and Land Scotland, based in Inverness, has concluded a procurement process for the supply of galvanised storage and lifting crates, as part of a redevelopment project at Newton Nursery, Elgin. The contract pertains to the transportation of tree seedlings following significant upgrades at the nursery, including the construction of a state-of-the-art glasshouse. This procurement falls under the 'Environmental protection' industry category and was conducted using a limited procurement method without prior publication, due to the inability to award a contract from a previous competition. The process has reached the award stage, with the contract signed on 24th April 2025 and completion expected by 31st March 2029.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses involved in manufacturing or supplying specialised goods for the environmental sector, particularly in innovative storage and logistics solutions for the forestry industry. The appointment of Avatan Handling Equipment Ltd, a small to medium-sized enterprise, as the supplier highlights the potential for similar-sized businesses to compete successfully. Companies with expertise in ecological infrastructure or those aiming to expand their presence in the environmental protection industry will find such procurement engagements advantageous for business growth.

## Notice

Forestry and Land Scotland have appointed a Framework Agreement for the Supply of galvanised storage & lifting crates for the transportation of tree seedlings following the redevelopment project at our Newton Nursery, Elgin. Newton Nursery was established by the Forestry Commission in 1931, and it has not seen significant investment since the early 1980s, when the facilities were developed to service a growing programme of three (3) to four (4) million trees per year. The annual requirement has doubled since then, and will need to double again in the coming years. The redevelopment project is seeking to utilise innovative technology alongside developing the physical estate to meet these needs, now and into the future. Part of the redevelopment is the construction of a new state-of-the-art 12,000m2 Glasshouse, which will be around the size of two (2) football pitches and capable of growing up to nineteen (19) million trees per year. This modern addition will revolutionise our approach by providing a controlled environment to nurture our seedlings. By shielding them from invasive weeds and curious critters, the Authority anticipate a significant boost in our germination success rate, aiming to achieve an impressive 80% germination rate for our seeds. Now that the redevelopment is complete, Newton could have up to twenty-five (25) million trees growing on site in any one year, a significant increase from the seven (7) million trees FLS are currently able to produce.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Forestry and Land Scotland have appointed a Framework Agreement for the Supply of galvanised storage and lifting crates for the transportation of tree seedilngs following the redevelopment project at our Newton Nursery, Elgin. Newton Nursery was established by the Forestry Commission in 1931, and it has not seen significant investment since the early 1980s, when the facilities were developed to service a growing programme of three (3) to four (4) million trees per year. The annual requirement has doubled since then, and will need to double again in the coming years. The redevelopment project is seeking to utilise innovative technology alongside developing the physical estate to meet these needs, now and into the future. Part of the redevelopment is the construction of a new state-of-the-art 12,000m2 Glasshouse, which will be around the size of two (2) football pitches and capable of growing up to nineteen (19) million trees per year. This modern addition will revolutionise our approach by providing a controlled environment to nurture our seedlings. By shielding them from invasive weeds and curious critters, the Authority anticipate a significant boost in our germination success rate, aiming to achieve an impressive 80% germination rate for our seeds. Now that the redevelopment is complete, Newton could have up to twenty-five (25) million trees growing on site in any one year, a significant increase from the seven (7) million trees FLS are currently able to produce.

### Procurement Information

No contract could be awarded following the competition in the contract notice: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JAN522071 Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) therefore negotiated with interested bidders to deliver this framework agreement based on the initial conditions set out in the contract notice, any changes are not considered to be substantial.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR529165 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Apr 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Apr 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £640,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND |
| 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 | 1 |
| Supplier names | AVATAN HANDLING EQUIPMENT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 03 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
- 44 - Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)

### Codes

- 03440000 - Forestry products
- 44619300 - Crates

## Release History

- 29 Apr 2025 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR529165

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR529165
  Lifting & Storage Crates - Forestry and Land Scotland have appointed a Framework Agreement for the Supply of galvanised storage & lifting crates for the transportation of tree seedlings following the redevelopment project at our Newton Nursery, Elgin. Newton Nursery was established by the Forestry Commission in 1931, and it has not seen significant investment since the early 1980s, when the facilities were developed to service a growing programme of three (3) to four (4) million trees per year. The annual requirement has doubled since then, and will need to double again in the coming years. The redevelopment project is seeking to utilise innovative technology alongside developing the physical estate to meet these needs, now and into the future. Part of the redevelopment is the construction of a new state-of-the-art 12,000m2 Glasshouse, which will be around the size of two (2) football pitches and capable of growing up to nineteen (19) million trees per year. This modern addition will revolutionise our approach by providing a controlled environment to nurture our seedlings. By shielding them from invasive weeds and curious critters, the Authority anticipate a significant boost in our germination success rate, aiming to achieve an impressive 80% germination rate for our seeds. Now that the redevelopment is complete, Newton could have up to twenty-five (25) million trees growing on site in any one year, a significant increase from the seven (7) million trees FLS are currently able to produce.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351
- https://forestryandland.gov.scot
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JAN522071

## 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-r6ebe6-0000797351. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000797351.json.