---
title: "Environmental Impact of Harvesting Marram"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Historic Environment Scotland"
published: "2026-09-30"
---

# Environmental Impact of Harvesting Marram

Buyer: Historic Environment Scotland  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042

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## Summary

Historic Environment Scotland commissioned specialist ecological research into the environmental and coastal effects of harvesting marram grass in the Western Isles. The work assesses whether, and how, marram can be harvested sustainably for traditional thatching. It continues an existing multi-year study, building on desktop research, baseline surveys, site selection, permissions, trial-method development and initial cutting trials. The remaining research requires consistent methods, knowledge of the study sites, interpretation of data and relationships with stakeholders throughout the programme. This is ecological research and consultancy services, delivered in the Western Isles of Scotland. The buyer is Historic Environment Scotland, which is responsible for the historic environment and heritage across Scotland.

The procurement is complete and the contract is active. Historic Environment Scotland used a limited award without a prior competition, relying on the absence of competition for technical reasons: the specialist had gathered research and data over several years and was considered critical to completing the work. Boreas Ecology was selected for the single lot, and the contract was signed on 29 September 2026. Its value is £81,100. The research programme began in 2022 and is due to conclude in 2030; the procurement covers the remaining work in that programme. The stated basis for the decision was the need to preserve continuity in methods, site knowledge, data interpretation and stakeholder relationships across the study.

For a future requirement of this kind, a credible ecological research supplier would need to demonstrate relevant marram and coastal ecology expertise, and the ability to investigate harvesting effects and sustainable practices for traditional thatching. The work calls for more than field surveys: it depends on carrying research through from baseline evidence and site selection to trial design, cutting trials, data interpretation and stakeholder engagement. Experience maintaining a consistent approach across a long-running, multi-year study would be particularly valuable. Suppliers would also need the capacity to work across Western Isles coastal sites and to build on existing permissions, methods and evidence. The award shows that continuity and established project knowledge mattered strongly to this buyer.

## Notice

Research examining the environmental impacts of harvesting marram in key coastel areas of the Western Isles

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) intends to award this contract under the conditions of regulation 33.4.b(ii) of the Public Contracts (Scotland) regulations. HES requires a specialist ecological consultant to continue delivery of an existing multi-year research project assessing the environmental and coastal implications of harvesting marram grass in the Western Isles, and determining whether, and how, marram grass can be harvested sustainably for traditional thatching. The project began in 2022 and is due to conclude in 2030. Four years of the eight-year programme have now been completed, including desktop research, baseline survey work, site selection, permissions, development of the trial methodology and initiation of the first year of cutting trials. The remaining work depends on maintaining consistency in methodology, site knowledge, data interpretation and stakeholder relationships across the full study period. The intention is to put in place a contract to allow completion of the research.

### Procurement Information

HES intends to award to the supplier on the basis that competition is absent for technical reasons. Research and data have been gathered over the past 4-5 years by a specialist who is critical in finishing this work based on their research so far.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565565 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| 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 | 30 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £81,100 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Postcode area | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH9 1SH |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | Southside/Newington |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh South |
| Delivery location | TLM64 Na h-Eileanan Siar |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Boreas Ecology |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 30 Sep 2026 at 01:00 - Award - OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565565

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565565
  Environmental Impact of Harvesting Marram - Research examining the environmental impacts of harvesting marram in key coastel areas of the Western Isles

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://historicenvironment.scot
- http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=844042
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042

## 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-r6ebe6-0000844042. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042.json.