Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Defra Network eTendering Portal
17 Nobel House
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone
+44 2072385921
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from another address:
UK Government
London
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-seafood-fund-fisheries-industry-science-partnerships-scheme
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
UK Seafood Fund – Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) (Part B - Procurement) Round 3
Reference number
36818
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The tenderer will provide research in order to collect data that improves the knowledge of UK fisheries and aquaculture and their interaction with the marine environment and other marine species to support sustainable fisheries management. The data to be collected and subsequent analysis will be proposed by the UK fishing/seafood industry in collaboration with an appropriate research organisation. Defra requires data to be collected in established ways, as set out in the appropriate MEDIN data collection standards (Marine Environmental Data and Information Network), openly published on the appropriate MEDIN data archive centre, and to publish a scientific report that sets out the data collected, the methodology used and analysis of that data.
The increase in available data and the improvement of knowledge will benefit the UK Government and the UK seafood industry by providing a greater understanding of UK fish stocks and the interaction with other species and the marine environment, which can be used to support UK fisheries policy development and management.
The tender is divided into three Lots as described below, Tenderers may bid for contracts under more than one of the Lots, as applicable.
Lot 1 Fisheries Data Collection - Will address key knowledge gaps to develop assessment and management approaches, including on biological processes such as growth and maturity, ecological processes such as predator-prey relationships, habitat availability/change, mixed-usage water space and stock definition. Projects on data-limited stocks and species are particularly required.
Lot 2 Mixed Fisheries, Selectivity and Environmental Impacts of Fishing - Will support developing and evaluating new measures that improve the protection of vulnerable stocks while maintaining viable fisheries. The Fishery Fund can support the development and implementation of a UK catch and discard policy, ensuring it is evidence-based and developed with input from the fishing industry.
Lot 3 Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture - Focuses on two areas:
1) better understanding the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture
2) how the environmental impacts of existing systems can be minimised.
Lot 4 Other Impacts on Fisheries and Adaptations
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 1 Fisheries Data Collection
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 03000000 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Enhanced data collection is required to ensure UK fisheries policy, management and negotiation decisions are based on the best possible science and evidence. There are challenges around implementing the sustainable management of stocks; some of these are data limited stocks and species which have complex life-histories that affect our ability to assess their status.
Contracts awarded under this Lot will be expected to address key data and knowledge gaps to develop monitoring, assessment and management approaches, particularly for data-limited stocks. These aspects form a key component of the Fisheries Management Plans that will guide our future management of fisheries.
These types of projects would include:
Stock assessments and understanding life history parameters such as growth and maturity.
Establishing sustainable harvest limits for data poor stocks, including appropriate metrics.
Ecological processes such as predator-prey relationships.
Stock definition.
Rates of discards and impact of selectivity measures.
Projects on data-limited stocks and non-quota species are particularly encouraged. This includes, but is not limited to, deep sea stocks, cuttlefish, squid, skates, rays, shellfish and other data poor species.
Improved data could lead to increased opportunities for the UK fishing industry and seafood sector by supporting operational flexibility and, by supporting improvements in traceability (tracking seafood supply chains and limiting mislabelling of products by location or species), to demonstrating environmental credentials and provide improved market access.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
14 November 2022
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 2 Mixed Fisheries, Selectivity and Environmental Impacts of Fishing
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 03000000 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Mixed Fisheries, Selectivity and Environmental Impacts of Fishing (Lot 2):
The main UK fisheries catch a mix of commercial species and stocks. A key challenge remains in exploiting the fishing opportunities from healthy commercial stocks whilst simultaneously protecting vulnerable stocks and other protected marine species and habitats. There is a need to identify and develop new technical measures in selectivity that significantly reduce environmental impacts, bycatches and discards whilst maintaining fishing opportunities within advised limits. The UK remains fully committed to ending the wasteful discarding of fish and minimising catches of sensitive and protected marine species.
This FISP lot will fund data collection and research on measures, methods and gear which aim to address these challenges, to support policy and decisions on future fisheries management measure.
Proposals for projects under this section should focus on collecting data on:
Discards and bycatch that would support the development and implementation of a UK catch and discards policy;
Ecosystem impacts of fishing practices/gear to achieve the environmental objectives of the Fisheries Act;
Marine litter and ghost gear.
Gear modifications to achieve reduced environmental impact or less damaging fishing gear innovations
Improved data could lead to increased opportunities for the UK fishing and seafood industry by supporting operational improvements in sustainable catching, and including reducing discards, demonstrating and better evidencing environmental practices which reduce the damage to the marine environment and help to improve fishing opportunities
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
14 November 2022
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 3 Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture
Lot No
3
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 03000000 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This area of funding is specifically for research into aquaculture.
This area of funding will be focussed on improving our understanding of the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture, for example aquaculture as a nature-based solution to ecological contaminants and improving our understanding of how the environmental impacts of existing aquaculture systems can be minimised.
Proposals for funding under this section should focus on research in the following areas:
Understanding the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture e.g. seaweed, bivalves, integrated multi-trophic;
Practical proposals of aquaculture as a nature-based solution and the identification of areas that could benefit from this.
Minimising the environmental impacts of existing aquaculture systems, including escapees; disease & parasite management; recirculation, control and reduction of discharges.
Ecological impacts and benefits of seaweed farming, offshore aquaculture, and recirculation to generate additional evidence on ecological impacts and benefits.
Improved data and knowledge could lead to increased opportunities for the aquaculture sector by supporting the development of fish farming as a nature-based solution towards sustainable fisheries management. Minimising environmental impacts and increasing our understanding of the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture will increase the accessibility of seafood whilst sustainably using marine resources towards the development of healthy stocks.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
14 November 2022
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 4 Other Impacts on Fisheries and Adaptations
Lot No
4
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 03000000 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
In addition to fishing pressure there are a number of other factors and activities which may impact fish stocks. This lot focuses on research and data collection to increase our understanding of these impacts and on potential adaptions which could be made to improve fisheries outcomes. Research on social and economic impacts is not in scope.
This lot can include research in the following areas:
• Understanding the ecological impacts of marine renewables installation and operation on fish stocks of commercial importance and/or essential fish habitat for commercially important species (e.g. understanding the impact of electromagnetic fields from buried and dynamic cables on commercially important fish and shellfish species; carrying out pre- and post- construction monitoring of commercial fisheries in relation to offshore wind farms – looking at changes in fishing distribution, activity, effort and catch rates)
• Understanding how fishing practices can be adapted to support co-location within wind farms or other marine renewable developments.
• Understanding how wind farms and other marine renewable developments can be designed to be inclusive of fishing activities (e.g. turbine spacing and ‘fishing corridors’)
• Understanding the impacts of climate change (including spatial distribution) on fish stocks of commercial importance
• Understanding the impact of underwater noise generated by marine renewables installation and operation on commercial important fish stocks (e.g. impacts from piling and UXO clearance)
• Understanding the impacts of disease on commercial important fish stocks
• Understanding cumulative ecological impacts on commercial fisheries from offshore renewables, other marine users/activities (including aquaculture) and fishery management measures (e.g. MPAs).
Whilst this Lot can fund commercial trials of existing adaptations, it will not fund innovation and technology development projects which look to develop wholly new equipment or gear – projects of this type are considered under the Seafood Innovation Fund.
Improved data and understanding should lead to a better understanding of how non-fishing factors are impacting fish stocks. This data should be able to be incorporated into future iterations of fisheries management plans, leading to more informed future management decisions which will promote long-term sustainability of UK fisheries. Gathering data on, and trailing, adaptations may help the industry to find better ways to co-exist with other marine uses, particularly marine renewables.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
14 November 2022
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
2 September 2022
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
3 August 2022
Local time
2:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 3 months
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Defra
London
Country
United Kingdom