Pipeline Framework: England Ecosystem Survey

A pipeline has been launched for England Ecosystem Survey.The contract start Date is 1 March 2024. Approach to market date is 27 November 2023.An element of the NCEA programme is the England Ecosystem Survey (EES) which is an ambitious new method of collecting environmental data. The aim of the EES is to get a true understanding of the condition of England’s terrestrial environment and natural capital assets. To achieve this the survey will collect data on attributes of extent condition and connectivity relating to habitats, vegetation and landscape features and landscape character, as well as soil physical and chemical properties and soil and water biota eDNA. It will also collect data to support Natural England’s earth observation programme. Change will be assessed through repeat surveys on a five-year cycleThe basic survey unit is a 1km2 area based on Ordnance Survey National Grid squares, or monads. Each year a new sample of monads will be surveyed through a combined sampling approach of randomly selected squares stratified by ITE land classes, and a proportion targeted to increase the likelihood of covering certain habitat, soil and landscape character types. The baseline sample will be established over the first five-year period.Following a period of method development, piloting and refinement, the first full field survey took place in 2023, aiming to scale this up in 2024.Planning and delivery of quality field surveys of a range of vegetation and landscape elements at targeted areas within a monad. The aim for 2024-25 is to carry out the surveys in 750 monads in total with an anticipated 150-400 monads contracted via the open tender route. However, this is subject to change.This is a potential opportunity from the government, and the pipeline gives advance notice of an opportunity that might be offered by the public sector in the future – allowing potential suppliers to plan accordingly. When a public sector organisation publishes a pipeline notice, it does not necessarily mean that an opportunity will be offered in the future.For more information contact: Natural England, Guildbourne House, Chatsworth Road, Worthing BN11 1LD. Email: heather.thomas@naturalengland.org.uk (Heather Thomas)