CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Marine planning for nature

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

A healthy ocean plays a crucial role in addressing many of challenges we face – from reducing climate change impacts, to reversing nature’s decline, to food and energy security. However Wales’ marine environment is under pressure from a range of impacts, and we must take steps to protect and enhance it. With new pressures being added, and with Welsh Government having to deliver on a range of environmental commitments, marine spatial planning must play a key role in advancing marine protection, recovery, restoration and enhancement.

Welsh waters contain a wide range of habitats, benthic invertebrates, fish, extensive algal communities, and important populations of marine mammals and birds. 69% of inshore waters are designated as part of the network of 139 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These ecosystems have the potential to support and deliver a range of benefits and services, such as aquaculture and fishing; renewable energy; carbon sequestration; natural flood defence; tourism; and health and well-being opportunities.

However, Wales’ marine environment is suffering from a growing range of pressures including some human activities, climate change, pollution and non-native species. This can be seen through a range of indicators, such as MPA assessments, water quality monitoring, and species monitoring. For example, in 2018 Natural Resources Wales (NRW) published indicative feature condition assessments for European Marine Sites (SACs and SPAs) which showed that 54% of features are in unfavourable or unknown condition.

Much of marine management focuses on pressure management and removal. Marine planning is central to this. The publication of the Welsh National Marine Plan in 2019 was a significant step, and meant that decisions relating to the marine environment had to take the bigger picture into account. However since its publication, an increased interest in offshore renewable energy in particular has brought into focus the need to manage activities in an increasingly busy sea.

Following a Ministerial announcement in 2022 , Welsh Government are currently exploring ways in which to take marine planning forwards. It is crucial that the marine planning framework in Wales develops in a way which drives the protection, recovery, restoration and enhancement of the marine environment, and ensures that all human activities operate within environmental limits.

Welsh Government has a growing range of commitments and targets to fulfil in relation to delivering an ecosystem-based approach to managing the marine environment. However more work is needed to explore how marine planning can assist in their delivery. These include:

• The duty to take measures to achieve the good environmental status of marine waters as set out in the Marine Strategy Regulations (2010);

• The 30x30 target agreed as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and which is also a focus of the Welsh Government’s Biodiversity Deep Dive;

• The responsibility for Marine Protected Area management and designation of an ecologically-coherent network as set out in the Marine and Coastal Access Act, Section 123 (2009);

• Fisheries objectives under the UK Fisheries Act (2020);

• Forthcoming biodiversity targets as proposed in the Environmental Principles, Governance and Biodiversity targets for a Greener Wales White Paper.

The Marine Conservation Society is commissioning an external consultant or consultancy to produce a technical report , containing recommendations on how marine planning in Wales can be developed in order to best protect, recover, restore and enhance the marine environment, and support the delivery of environmental commitments and targets.

This contract should be delivered by the end of September 2024.

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=141809.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

Contract value: £22,000 (to include VAT)

To be completed by the end of September 2024.

Expected outputs/deliverables

1) Technical policy and legislation review, for a civil service audience, covering:

• A summary of commitments and targets which Welsh Government has in relation to the marine environment.

• Identification of evidence and policy gaps which currently exist in relation to effectively planning for Wales’ marine environment.

• Recommendations for how marine planning in Wales can be developed to deliver against Welsh Government commitments, such as those contained in the Biodiversity Deep Dive, the Environment Act (Wales), the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act, the UK Marine Strategy Regulations and the Marine and Coastal Access Act (as well as upcoming statutory biodiversity targets).

• The report should consider and provide examples of innovative models such as Other Effective Conservation Measures and the use of natural capital approaches in marine planning.

2) Executive summary containing clear recommendations.

Please provide the following:

As part of your tender, you must provide (on a separate sheet) full contact details for the legal entity we would be contracting with including the name, registered address (and any alternative address for accounts etc), contact name and numbers, payment and banking details and email and website addresses. This sheet will be removed as part of the tender assessment process- suppliers should ensure that no identifying information is included anywhere else on the tender

• Total cost.

• A breakdown in costs including day rate and number of days by work package/staff involved, and for any equipment required.

• A detailed methodology for undertaking the work with an explanation of why these methods have been selected.

• Evidence of your successful track record on projects of a similar nature and scale.

• Details of staff allocated to the project (including CVs and evidence of qualifications and or competencies required) together with their experience of carrying out similar projects. The project manager/lead contact should be identified. If there are a number of people delivering the contract, please indicate who will be doing each task and the allocation of days for each member of the team, the cost of any evaluation software, and any out-of-pocket expenses such as travel.

• Timescales including any specific milestones that must be met. e.g. in the form of a Gantt chart, for carrying out the project and an estimated invoice schedule.

• Confirmation of professional indemnity and public liability insurance of all those who will be delivering the work.

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

Qualifications and competencies required:

• Significant knowledge of policy and legislation relating to Wales’ marine environment.

• Significant knowledge of marine planning mechanisms and how they relate to the marine environment.

Equality and diversity

MCS will always consider equality, diversity and inclusion when conducting procurement activities. MCS requires all its suppliers to meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and may ask for evidence that they are aware of and operate in accordance with those requirements.

All contractors are encouraged to be aware of MCS’ Equality and Diversity Policy when providing services to the public on behalf of MCS (Annex 2).

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

N/a

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

Submitting your tender

The process for submitting tenders is very tightly controlled to make sure everyone is treated equally. Tenders and questions should be submitted through Sell2Wales.

Proposals submitted will be assessed by the Marine Conservation Society. Questions used to assess your proposal will adhere to MCS’ procurement policy.

(WA Ref:141809)

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice