Official UK procurement notice
National Focal Centre (NFC) to Model and Map Air Pollution Impacts on UK habitat
Authority: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionDefra is seeking to contract with supplier(s) possessing the scientific, technical and analytical expertise required to maintain and develop the UK National Focal Centre (NFC). The successful supplier(s) will deliver annual UK-wide modelling and mapping of pollutant deposition (ammonia, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide) and assess against critical loads for acidity and nitrogen. They will also map ammonia concentrations and assess against critical levels. The assessments will be reported for the UK as a whole and broken down by country. In addition, the data will be reported for specific habitat types, Special Areas for Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Areas/Sites of Special Scientific Interest (A/SSSIs). The modelled outputs will support annual reporting, evidence generation, biodiversity protection, environmental policy development and the UK's domestic and international reporting obligations.
We are envisaging that the new contract will start on the 01 May 27 with a one (1) month handover, from 01 May to 31 May, with full responsibility being transferred to the successful contractor on 01 June 2027. These handover periods are to allow the new Contractor time to get ready to take over the full operation of the contract requirement. We estimate the contract value to be between the range of £680,000 - £720,000.
CPV: Air pollution monitoring or measurement services · Environmental monitoring other than for construction
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Planned
- Economic & financial standing
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
- Technical & professional ability
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Economic & financial standing
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
- Technical & professional ability
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS buys Environmental management (CPV 9071), and who usually turns up
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Environmental management (CPV 9071) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
No winner locations published for this authority. Local means a registered address in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 26 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid0% / 26%
2–340% / 30%
4–620% / 21%
7+40% / 22%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate0% / 51%
Within ±2%33% / 42%
Above estimate67% / 8%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 90No real estimate
This lot lists more than one class in CPV 90. The comparison uses that group.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 1,570 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid17%
2–328%
4–634%
7+22%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 17 Sept 2026, 11:22 BST
- Last source update
- 29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 2 Apr 2027
- Authority reference
P-38781 / C33357- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-102397- Latest notice
- Planned procurement notice (UK3)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-07742cFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
- Risks
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 4 Feb 2027, 10:00 GMT
- Accepted languages
- en
To be available at the Tender Stage of this procurement.
Timeline
17 Sept 2026 → 1 May 2027 · 7 dates- Planning notice published42 days ago17 Sept 2026, 11:22 BST
- Market engagement26 days ago2 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
We will be holding a Supplier Engagement Session as we prepare to commence the procurement for this requirement.
This session will provide interested suppliers with an opportunity to gain insight into the requirement and the proposed procurement approach. We are also keen to engage with the market to better understand supplier capabilities and explore innovative solutions that can enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. The event will provide an opportunity to learn more about the requirement and how your organisation may be able to support its delivery.
The engagement session will be held virtually via MS Teams on 7 October 2026 at 2:00pm.
Suppliers wishing to attend should email alison.dyson@defra.gov.uk no later than 5:00pm on 2 October 2026, providing the following details for attendees (maximum of two representatives per organisation):
- Contact name
- Job title
- Organisation name
- Email address
Please use the subject line - P-38781 / C33357 Supplier Engagement Event – 07 October 2026
If you have any questions prior to the event, please email alison.dyson@defra.gov.uk using the subject line - Supplier Engagement Event – Question
There will be an opportunity during the session for suppliers to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed requirement.
MS Teams invites will be sent out and should be received no later than 5pm on Monday 5 October.
Suppliers who are unable to attend, or who miss the registration deadline, may request a copy of the presentation slides, which will summarise the information shared during the event.
- Latest notice published2h ago29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMT
- Today29 Oct 2026
- Tender notice expectedin 42 days10 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 97 days4 Feb 2027, 10:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 155 days2 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 183 days1 May 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 17 Sept 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published17 Sept 2026, 11:22 BSTUK2
- Planned procurement notice published29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMTUK3
- Status changed to planned29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMT
- Procurement method changed29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMT
- Deadline published: 4 Feb 2027, 10:00 GMT29 Oct 2026, 09:40 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender