Wintering bird surveys on the Humber Estuary, January 2027 to March 2027

Natural England is soliciting bids for project HSM2026/2027 to conduct wintering bird surveys in agricultural fields and open habitats within 10 km of the Humber Estuary SPA. The primary objective is to collect data to support a Habitat Suitability Modelling project to better understand the distribution of wintering waterbirds and wading bird species. The scope requires surveying 38 primary sample locations once each between January 1, 2027, and March 19, 2027, with 40 reserve points available if primary access is not secured. The contractor must provide a final electronic dataset recording the permission status of each sample point, and payment via BACS transfer will be issued once the final data is supplied and signed off by Natural England. The contract will be awarded based on the most advantageous tender, with a weighting of 70% for commercial whole-life cost and 30% for technical responses. Technical evaluation focuses on methodology, personnel expertise, project and risk management, health and safety, and environmental sustainability. The agreement includes a contractor liability cap of 5 million pounds and follows Natural England's standard goods and services terms and conditions. Tenders must be submitted electronically by November 23, 2026, and must include a commercial response and detailed technical answers to specific quality and management questions.