Drone Technology for Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Response

{
  "id": "063017-2025",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2025-10-07T16:28:09+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a9e6",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PPGC-1434-MQPJ",
    "name": "Somerset Council"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a9e6",
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        "status": "planning",
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "suitability": {
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        },
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2028-02-15T23:59:59Z",
          "startDate": "2026-02-16T00:00:00Z",
          "maxExtentDate": "2030-02-15T23:59:59Z"
        }
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    "items": [
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        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKK23",
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "35613000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Unmanned aerial vehicles"
          },
          {
            "id": "60400000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Air transport services"
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          {
            "id": "71351500",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Ground investigation services"
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          {
            "id": "71351720",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Geophysical surveys of archaeological sites"
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          {
            "id": "71510000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Site-investigation services"
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          {
            "id": "79961200",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Aerial photography services"
          }
        ]
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    ],
    "title": "Drone Technology for Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Response",
    "value": {
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amountGross": 498000
    },
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "Somerset Council is inviting suppliers to participate in a pre-market engagement exercise to explore innovative drone-based-and potentially other-technological solutions that can enhance environmental monitoring and disaster response across the region.\nThis engagement will inform the procurement. The Council anticipates a multi-stage procurement approach, beginning with a pilot delivered by selected supplier(s), followed by further testing and potential scaling of the solution(s) that demonstrate cost-effective impact and alignment with the challenge requirements.",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2025-11-21T23:59:59Z"
    },
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PPGC-1434-MQPJ",
      "name": "Somerset Council",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKK23",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Taunton",
        "postalCode": "TA1 4DY",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "County Hall, The Crescent"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.somerset.gov.uk",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PPGC-1434-MQPJ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "commercialandprocurement@somerset.gov.uk",
        "telephone": "0300 123 2224"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "063017-2025",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063017-2025",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2025-10-07T16:28:09+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2025-11-07T23:59:59Z",
        "description": "Purpose of Engagement\nSomerset Council is inviting suppliers to participate in a pre-market engagement exercise to explore innovative drone-based-and potentially other-technological solutions that can enhance environmental monitoring and disaster response across the region.\nThis engagement will inform the procurement. The Council anticipates a multi-stage procurement approach, beginning with a pilot delivered by selected supplier(s), followed by further testing and potential scaling of the solution(s) that demonstrate cost-effective impact and alignment with the challenge requirements.\nChallenge Statement\n\"Somerset Council is seeking innovative solutions that harness drone technology to enhance environmental monitoring, asset management, and disaster response across the county.\nWhile drones offer powerful capabilities for collecting high-resolution, real-time data in remote and sensitive locations, their full potential is currently limited by a range of technical, operational, analytical, and ethical challenges.\nWe invite proposals that address these barriers and unlock the transformative potential of drones or other methods to support climate resilience, ecological stewardship, and evidence-based decision-making. Solutions should be scalable, adaptable to diverse environments, and capable of integrating with existing data systems to deliver actionable insights.\"\nBackground\nAs part of our commitment to sustainable land management and climate resilience, Somerset Council is investigating the use of drone technology to:\n•\tMonitor coastal erosion and river dynamics\n•\tMap habitats and assess biodiversity\n•\tDetect pollution in terrestrial and aquatic environments\n•\tSupport rapid response to environmental hazards (e.g. flooding, landslides)\nFocus areas include River Parrett, Minehead Harbour, Watchet Harbour, and Doniford Beach.\nChallenges to Address\nWe are particularly interested in solutions that overcome:\n•\tTechnical barriers: battery life, payload limits, weather sensitivity, data processing\n•\tOperational constraints: flight regulations, pilot skills, maintenance\n•\tData & privacy concerns: secure data handling, ethical surveillance\n•\tEnvironmental impact: wildlife disturbance, e-waste\n•\tAnalytical complexity: data interpretation and integration with other source\nDesired Outcomes\n•\tScalable, cost-effective surveying in remote areas\n•\tAdaptability to varied environmental contexts\n•\tIntegrated data management and analysis\n•\tEnhanced disaster preparedness and response\n•\tUse of AI for predictive modelling and planning\nEvaluation Criteria\nResponses will be assessed based on:\n•\tTechnical feasibility and innovation\n•\tCost-effectiveness and sustainability\n•\tScalability and integration potential\n•\tEnvironmental impact\nEngagement deadline\n16:00 on 07 November 2025\nHow to Participate\nInterested suppliers are invited to:\n•\tTo register your interest, please email corinne.matthews@somerset.gov.uk including your organisation's name and main contact details. \n•\tUpon receipt of your expression of interest, the team will provide you with a pre-market engagement questionnaire for completion.\n•\tAll completed questionnaires must be submitted to corinne.matthews@somerset.gov.uk by 16:00 on Friday 7th November 2025.\n•\tResponses will help shape future requirements and inform potential market solutions.\n**Please note that this market engagement exercise is for information-gathering purposes and does not constitute a commitment to initiate a procurement process or award any contract.**"
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}