AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Crown Estate has published a contract award notice naming APEM LIMITED for its Leasing Round 6 Digital Aerial Survey programme. The award remains pending, with a standstill ending on 16 October 2026 and a future signature milestone scheduled for 2 November 2026; the published data does not confirm that a contract has been signed.
Published outcomePending award to APEM LIMITED for lot 1, with a published net award value of £2.6 million (£3.12 million gross).
Market significanceThe requirement covers recurring manned aerial environmental surveys across offshore-wind project development areas, supporting EIA, HRA and Marine Conservation Zone assessments.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
APEM LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 2600000 GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 identifies APEM LIMITED as supplier, relates to lot 1, has status pending, and reports amount £2,600,000.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract award notice published 7 October 2026
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Award document 094941-2026 is described as a Contract award notice and dated 2026-10-07.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status 'pending'.
Standstill
99% confidenceScheduled to end 16 October 2026, 23:59:59 +01:00
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-16T23:59:59+01:00.
Signature milestone
99% confidenceFuture signature scheduled for 2 November 2026
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Award 1 milestone type futureSignatureDate has dueDate 2026-11-02T23:59:59Z and status scheduled.
VALUES
Published values explained
Published award value (net)
99% confidence£2,600,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 2600000 GBP.
Published award value (gross)
99% confidence£3,120,000
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 3120000 GBP.
Published process maximum
95% confidence£4,000,000
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Process value_max is 4000000 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Preliminary market engagement notice
99% confidence27 May 2026
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Release history records notice 049576-2026 on 2026-05-27.
Tender notice published
99% confidence10 July 2026
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Release history records tender notice 065346-2026 on 2026-07-10.
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence20 August 2026, 12:00 +01:00
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-08-20T12:00:00+01:00.
Award decision date
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-07.
Published contract period
98% confidence2 November 2026 to 30 September 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod specifies startDate 2026-11-02 and endDate 2029-09-30.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Service requirement
98% confidenceDigital aerial surveys for birds, marine mammals and megafauna across Leasing Round 6 project development areas and associated buffer zones.
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Process description specifies the survey subjects and geographic coverage.
Survey approach
99% confidenceMonthly flights using manned aircraft only, including data capture, processing, species identification, analysis and reporting.
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Process description explicitly lists these requirements.
Intended assessment use
99% confidenceOutputs are intended for EIA, HRA and Marine Conservation Zone assessments for offshore wind development.
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Process description states these intended uses.
Classifications
99% confidenceEngineering-related scientific and technical services; offshore services; environmental services.
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Award item lists CPV 71350000, 76520000 and 90700000.
Delivery coverage
99% confidenceUK regions UKC, UKD, UKE, UKF, UKG, UKH, UKI, UKJ and UKK.
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Award item deliveryAddresses lists these regions.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure; competitive flexible procedure.
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Tender data states procurementMethod 'open' and procurementMethodDetails 'Competitive flexible procedure'.
Lot structure
99% confidenceOne published lot (lot 1).
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Tender data contains one lot, id 1; award 1 relates to lot 1.
Competition information
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied notice data.
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No bid or tenderer counts, scores, or evaluation results are supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published contract period
98% confidence2 November 2026 to 30 September 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives these dates.
Contract execution
99% confidenceNot confirmed; a future signature date is scheduled.
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The award is pending and its futureSignatureDate milestone is scheduled for 2 November 2026.
Extensions or renewal terms
99% confidenceNot published in the supplied notice data.
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No extension or renewal provisions are provided.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Awarded commercial position
96% confidenceThe published pending award value is £2.6 million net, below the published £4 million process maximum.
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Award 1 amount is £2,600,000 and process value_max is £4,000,000.
Value attribution
98% confidenceThe £2.6 million net value is attributable to the single published award to APEM LIMITED for lot 1.
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There is one award, one named supplier, and award 1 relates to lot 1.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Status clarity
99% confidenceThe notice is an award notice, but the award remains pending and signature is only scheduled.
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Award status is pending and futureSignatureDate is scheduled.
Duration inconsistency
99% confidenceThe description calls for a 24-month programme, while the published contract period spans from 2 November 2026 to 30 September 2029.
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Process description states '24-month'; award contractPeriod provides the stated start and end dates.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or individual lot value in the supplied data.
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Lot record has null title, description and value_amount.
Evaluation transparency
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice: bid counts, bidder identities, evaluation criteria, scores and award rationale.
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No such fields are present in the supplied data.
Contract terms
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice: signed-contract confirmation, pricing breakdown and extension or renewal provisions.
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The data provides a pending award and scheduled signature milestone, but no signed-contract record or such terms.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- No bid count, evaluation criteria, scores, ranking, award rationale or pricing breakdown is supplied.
- No confirmation that a contract has been signed or started is supplied.
- No extension or renewal terms are supplied.
- The award is explicitly pending, with a standstill period and future signature milestone; publication requires an administrator decision on how to present an unconfirmed award.
- The source describes a 24-month programme but publishes a contract period from 2 November 2026 to 30 September 2029; the material duration discrepancy requires administrator review.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
The Crown EstateAPEM LIMITEDDigital Aerial SurveyLeasing Round 6offshore windenvironmental surveys
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is named in the award notice?
APEM LIMITED is the sole supplier named for award 1, relating to lot 1.
Has the contract been signed?
No signed contract is confirmed in the supplied data. The award is pending and a future signature date is scheduled for 2 November 2026.
What is the published award value?
£2.6 million net, with £3.12 million reported as the gross amount.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.