Published date: 1 August 2023

Last edited date: 21 August 2023

This notice was replaced on 20 November 2023

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

Awarded contract (published 20 November 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

  • Environmental services - 90700000

Location of contract

United Kingdom

Value of contract

£8,000 to £20,000

Procurement reference

NEPW_010823_TDNAM

Published date

1 August 2023

Closing date

28 August 2023

Closing time

5pm

Contract start date

1 September 2023

Contract end date

31 March 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

This project is part of the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) Programme which is a three-year Defra-funded programme that looks to deliver evidence on the extent and condition of marine natural capital assets, along with tools and guidance to support decision-making using the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) approach.

This particular project is testing DNA metabarcoding as a technique for tracking sedimentary ecosystem asset condition. DNA metabarcoding will be used alongside traditional morphological infauna ID to understand how eDNA of benthic fauna responds to anthropogenic pressure (such as pollution, contaminants, disturbance, etc.). The outputs will be used to assess if these metabarcoding techniques can be used in future monitoring scenarios that will enable more effective and efficient monitoring of impacts on the seabed at greater spatial scales, and with greater ease, than is currently possible.

Natural England is collecting traditional benthic infauna grab samples and eDNA sediment samples along pressure gradients in up to two sites, including the Solent and the Thames Estuary. The surveys will be conducted in September-October 2023.

The aim of this contract is to produce DNA metabarcoding data for benthic eDNA sediment samples, and examine this data in the context of pressure gradients and associated infauna data. Metabarcoding and traditional taxonomic output will be evaluated for their respective potential to be used as a method for determining the condition of marine sediments and therefore as a driver of their ecosystem service delivery potential. The primary interest is to see if there is a change in community composition in response to known pressure gradients. As such we are particularly interested in bacterial and meiofaunal diversity as well as wider community diversity (fish, invertebrates etc).

The timeline for this work will be from October 2023 - March 2024.

More information

Attachments

Additional text

To apply for this opportunity you must submit your quotation meeting the requirements detailed in the Request for Quotation (RFQ) attached.

Your response must be sent to Louise.Whatley@naturalengland.org.uk by 17:00 on Monday 28th August 2023.

If you have any clarification questions linked to this opportunity or the procurement process please submit these via email to Louise.Whatley@naturalengland.org.uk. The deadline for clarifications is Friday 11th August 2023. Please note that, unless commercially sensitive, both the question and the response will be circulated to all tenderers.

About the buyer

Contact name

Louise Whatley

Address

Foss House, 1 - 2 Peaseholme Green, Kings Pool
York
YO1 7PX
England

Email

Louise.whatley@naturalengland.org.uk