Published date: 27 July 2023

Last edited date: 27 July 2023

This notice was replaced on 19 December 2023

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 19 December 2023)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73000000

Location of contract

South East

Value of contract

£300,000

Procurement reference

RFX1000411

Published date

27 July 2023

Closing date

28 August 2023

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

18 September 2023

Contract end date

17 September 2024

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (below threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements below the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The Environment Act (2021) includes the requirement for most developments requiring planning consent in England to achieve a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Furthermore, Surrey County Council (SCC) will be the 'responsible authority' for production of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Surrey, which is another mandatory requirement from the Environment Act. The Council also has new biodiversity reporting requirements as well as strengthened legal duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity. As a result, the Council have ambitious plans for nature recovery in Surrey. In relation to BNG, SCC has four distinct roles:

- County Planning Authority (CPA): regulator of BNG in relation to Minerals and Waste development and for SCC's own development.

- Developer: delivering BNG following mitigation hierarchy in projects such as new builds and extension of schools i.e., avoid losses, deliver gains on-site as far as possible, compensate with off-site gains if required.

- Landowner: potential provider of biodiversity units (to be used as BNG offsets for third parties).

- Responsible authority for production of the LNRS.

In addition, boroughs and districts in Surrey are Local Planning Authorities for the vast majority of planning applications and are similarly both landowners and scheme promoters /developers.

The County Council and borough and district councils across Surrey, wish to:

i. Understand the potential supply of Biodiversity units on public sector owned land, with the view to establishing a portfolio of Biodiversity gain sites (BNG habitat banks) and

ii. Identify locations and measures that will deliver multiple environmental benefits, in particular restoring/enhancing habitats in combination with increasing carbon storage and/or in combination with natural flood management.

SCC wishes to appoint a consultant to undertake an assessment of the baseline biodiversity units, at a range of public sector owned sites, and an appraisal of potential biodiversity unit gains (by enhancing, restoring or creating habitats).

The opportunity for BNG uplift should take into account the current / future land use of the site and be realistic to achieve. The uplifts should also be based on ecological best practice and take account of existing local biodiversity policies, principally including Surrey Nature Partnership's Biodiversity Opportunity Area (BOA) Policy statements (where relevant) and the National Character Area profiles for sites outside of BOA boundaries.

More information

Links

About the buyer

Address

Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill
Reigate
RH2 8EF
UNITED KINGDOM

Email

Melisa.Suleyman@surreycc.gov.uk