Ecological Services Framework (EcoSF4)

Lot 1 - Specialist Macroinvertebrate Services

This Lot covers services relating to all freshwater macroinvertebrate work in both rivers and lakes, needed to cover monitoring required for international, national and local drivers, as well as local investigatory and regulatory needs.

Lot 2 - Habitat and Species (including Invasive, Non-Native Species) Surveys, Evaluation and Report Writing Services

This Lot will be used to procure ecological surveys, reports and advice for a range of activities that will enable nature recovery as envisaged under the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2023. This will include habitat creation and restoration of protected and priority habitats and contributions to EIP species abundance and extinction risk targets for a range of threatened, protected and priority species.

Lot 3 - Geomorphology, river restoration and habitat creation services

Lot 3 is designed to allow the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE) staff to supplement their in-house expertise around this work area, with the additional resource and expertise that external suppliers can offer. In particular, lot 3 focuses upon the supply of river restoration and habitat creation expertise to inform design and feasibility studies (ecological survey and monitoring work associated with such schemes is included in lot 2). The EA/NE seek bids from suppliers who can use these skills to help them understand the natural functioning of the water environment through assessment work, and to collaborate in the design of projects that improve natural geomorphological, hydrological and ecological processes for the purposes of reducing flood risk, restoring habitats and improving the movement of fish through catchments (specific fish pass design is covered in lot 4). The EA/NE require suppliers to demonstrate the ability to work at the strategic catchment scale as well as the local scale.

Lot 4 - Fish passage design services

This lot covers the design of fish passes that prioritise the use of nature-based solutions. The EA seeks bids from suppliers that have skills to help the EA identify the best solutions that can meet the needs of internal EA departments delivering their outcomes. The information below details the core service under this lot, i.e. fish passage design, including feasibility, options appraisal and detailed design. However, the EA may offer you the opportunity, on occasion, to participate in projects that are beyond those scoped below, but still within the area of fish passage design that works with natural processes and uses minimal engineering solutions.