Published date: 4 October 2019

Last edited date: 4 October 2019

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.


Closing: 16 October 2019

Contract summary

Industry

  • Research consultancy services - 73210000

  • Consulting services for water-supply and waste-water other than for construction - 90713100

Location of contract

Any region

Value of contract

£35,000 to £50,000

Procurement reference

SC190002

Published date

4 October 2019

Closing date

16 October 2019

Contract start date

1 November 2019

Contract end date

31 March 2020

Contract type

Supply 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?

Yes

Description

The Environment Agency wants to ensure that catchments in England are resilient to a range of pressures, both now and in the future. It is currently exploring how it could define and use resilience in a practical way. Stress testing is a way to find out how a system performs when it is subjected to pressures beyond those normally experienced. The results of a stress test are useful in helping system managers understand the risks they face and whether they need to intervene to make the system perform differently. It has therefore been proposed that stress testing may help to elucidate resilience in systems. The Environment Agency wishes to explore this using real world example catchments.

The Environment Agency drought planning process includes the implementation of a range of actions, varying from enhanced monitoring to restrictions on spray irrigation (sometimes referred to as Section 57 restrictions relating to the relevant section of the Water Resources Act 1991) and water company drought permits and orders. Past research has looked at how water company supply systems and drought plans perform on their own but there has been no equivalent assessment that includes EA drought plan actions. Building on the previous research with the water companies, this proposal aims to use stress testing methods to test the performance of catchment drought management actions at mitigating the impacts of drought both in present day and under climate change and what discoveries and implications there are for the resilience of catchments.

More information

Attachments

Additional text

To apply please respond to the attached Request for Quotation and associated documents. Email your response to ralph.ledbetter@environment-agency.gov.uk. Tenders to be received no later than midday on Wednesday 16 October 2019.

About the buyer

Contact name

Dr Ralph Ledbetter

Address

Environment Agency
Manley House, Kestrel Way, Sowton Industrial Estate
Exeter
EX2 7LQ
England

Telephone

07464 923389

Email

ralph.ledbetter@environment-agency.gov.uk