Estate Management Services 2023

FLS has an ongoing requirement for professional Building Surveying, Architectural and Project Services. This includes:

• Buildings Surveys;
• Design studies;
• Specification of required works;
• Project delivery and contract administration from inception to completion;
• Feasibility studies; and
• The organisation and management of reactive works.

The Services required relate to Maintenance; Rationalisation; Refurbishment; Improvements; and New builds.

The Services may apply to any of FLS' buildings and will include offices, farms, deer larders, workshops, stores, houses, visitor centres and historic buildings. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

As managers of the extensive and diverse national forest estate, comprising a broad range of land and built assets and legal interests, FLS has an ongoing requirement for professional Land Agency Services relating to the following work areas:

Disposals (excluding woodland disposals);

Acquisitions;

Excambions;

Servitudes;

Wayleaves;

Leases;

Agreements;

Valuations linked to these Services;

Visitor centres and services; and

Other general estate management related advice and negotiations. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

FLS has an ongoing requirement for professional Valuation Services. The specific services pertaining to this Lot, includes:

• To agree valuation methodology annually with FLS staff and auditors.
• To provide compliant valuation report encompassing the valuations below to the nominated FLS Contract Manager and other FLS staff as requested, engaging with FLS staff, undertaking site visits throughout Scotland as required by the agreed methodology and meeting milestones agreed at the beginning each annual valuation.
• Annual Forest and Land Valuations
• The valuation of productive woodland and solum, having regard to management data provided by FLS (growing timber is categorised as a biological asset for agricultural produce per IAS 41). These valuations are currently grouped as a) broadleaves b) confers and c) solum and reported as GBP/ha for each group, separately stated across the 5 FLS Regional areas. (FLS calculates actual values for the Annual Financial Statements by applying the given GBP/ha rate to area figures per FLS end of year data.)
• Site visits to around 20 sample forest blocks across Scotland to check accuracy of forest management data held in FLS systems
• Valuation of remainder of land in line with FLS’ management data. This is grouped according to various land use classifications and the Service Provider will be required to determine the average values (GBP/ha), currently in the following headings: Specialist Crop, Subsidiary Plantable Crop, Subsidiary Unplantable Crop, Agricultural Land and Car Parks.
• Annual Lease Valuations
• The valuation of renewable energy leases for wind, hydro and battery schemes based on data provided by FLS.
• The valuation of a variety of leases for general commercial activities.
• Expressly excluded from this Lot is the valuation of telecommunication masts and mineral leases that are valued by others.
• Annual Building Valuations
• The valuation of a wide range of buildings. The buildings are grouped into five FLS Regional areas. One area will be considered in detail each year, with an indexation applied to the buildings in the other four Regions. The Region being reviewed will be rotated each year, ensuring a full revaluation of every building every five years.
• Site visits and inspections are expected to be carried out as required.
• Providing valuation expertise, advice, support and/or guidance in relation to methodology and values of land, buildings or others associated assets as requested by FLS, their auditors or other parties on behalf of FLS from time to time. This will include attending meetings with FLS staff, auditors and others as relevant.

Facilitating the transition of valuation services to any successor Service Provider, this may include transfer of valuation documents.

Retaining all documents in secure storage for a period of 7 years. (As the valuation is for financial accounting purposes, all documents relating to the contract and its performance may be subject to audit review and must be kept for 7 years.) Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The Service Provider will act in the capacity of consultants and shall advise FLS on the value of the land, the best route to market for the identified land and shall market and sell the land on behalf of FLS. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages approximately 640,000ha across Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, which includes extensive rights to the minerals under the surface. Currently various sites with mineral interests are leased to minerals operators and worked as hardrock, sand and gravel quarries. In addition, a number of shorter term extraction licences and exploration agreements are granted to interested parties.

FLS seeks to obtain best value from the management of the assets under their control and to develop new income streams where possible. In order to assist them in this process FLS are seeking to appoint a minerals agent who is well engaged within the minerals industry to recommend and deliver potential new income streams. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

FLS requires additional support to provide technical advice, data and information on open cast coaling and vacant and derelict land sites (VDL sites) with regards to woodland restoration on these sites. The sites include those within direct FLS ownership and those where FLS are working in Partnership with other landowners with the aim to acquire these sites once remediation work has completed. In addition the winning bidder will be required to provide input into guidance documents and technical discussions with regulatory bodies such as SEPA.

FLS requires technical advice on commercial forest soil restoration and planting on former open cast coaling sites, in particular the design of drainage and soil creation to set specifications for these sites. In addition technical input may be required in relation to the creation of FLS VDL remediation guidance documents and to aid discussions with regulatory bodies such as SEPA Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) hosts a large and expanding portfolio of telecom masts by all the main telecom Operators and broadcast/transmission enablers who provide commercial and emergency (“blue light”) communication services. The portfolio comprises 175 exiting leases and this will increase substantially with the deployment of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme across Scotland.

FLS has an ongoing requirement for a suitably experienced Service Provider to act on behalf of, and advise, FLS on all landlord focused matters relating to the management of the existing portfolio of telecom leases and grant of new leases. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has an ongoing requirement for a suitably experienced Service Provider to act on behalf of, and advise, FLS on all matters relating to its planning and development matters on FLS landholding as required. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) have procured a ready-reckoner (RR) to aid in the calculation of appropriate restoration amounts for windfarms, and some reviews have been successfully undertaken. However, these are now several years old, and advances have been made in both technology, and market understanding of the costs involved with such restorations. FLS staff have limited expertise for calculating these amounts and need expert professional advice.

FLS is therefore seeking a suitably experienced Service Provider to calculate appropriate restoration valuations for several schemes, and to assist in negotiations with operators to agree these amounts. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is exploring opportunities for delivering Nature-Based Solutions on national land, funded through blended finance.

FLS has identified a significant pipeline of projects eligible for the UK Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code across our landholding. FLS is now exploring options for financing and delivering this pipeline over the next 5 years in line with the Scottish Government’s Interim Principles of Responsible Investment in Natural Capital. Beyond this identified pipeline of carbon projects, there is potential to develop further additional Nature-Based Solutions focussing on biodiversity enhancement or climate adaptation if appropriate funding models and mechanisms can be developed. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.