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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Contract for the Supply of Hydroacoustic River Flow Instrumentation

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 11:56.

Opportunity overview

The Authority previously undertook preliminary market engagement in relation to this requirement under notice reference (2025/S 000-084584). Following the cancellation of the previous procurement due to a publishing issue, the Authority is undertaking further market engagement to update suppliers and validate current market conditions prior to recommencing the procurement. The Environment Agency’s Hydrometry teams monitor water quantity across rivers, streams, lakes, and groundwater aquifers. Hydroacoustic instruments are used to measure water discharge in these environments. A hydroacoustic contract is required to secure specialist services and equipment that utilise sound in water to achieve objectives not feasible with other technologies. Area Hydrometry and Telemetry teams purchase and operate these instruments, with technical support and procurement guidance provided by the National Hydrometry team. The Environment Agency has selected hydroacoustic instruments as a highly accurate, long-term, and cost-effective solution for measuring water. These instruments support both routine measurements and long-term monitoring programmes, which are critical for: Trend Analysis – Tracking changes in river flows, lake levels, and groundwater over time to understand hydrological patterns. Flood Risk Management – Providing accurate discharge data to improve flood forecasting and early warning systems. Climate Resilience – Assessing the impact of climate change on water resources and informing adaptation strategies. Regulatory Compliance – Meeting statutory obligations for water quantity reporting and supporting environmental legislation. Infrastructure Planning – Supplying data for water resource management, reservoir operations, and sustainable development. The instruments fall into three main categories: Mobile profiling instruments Waded point-velocity instruments Fixed-deployment profiling instruments To facilitate procurement and ensure continuity of long-term monitoring, the Environment Agency intends to establish commercial agreements for a fixed two-year period with an optional 1 year extension covering the following lots: Lot 1. Mobile acoustic profiling instrument 0-20m depth Lot 2. Mobile acoustic multipoint velocity waded instrument 0-1m depth Lot 3. Short range fixed velocity profiling instrument 0-5m Lot 4. Long range fixed velocity profiling instrument 0-100m The following UK public sector bodies are authorised and enabled to use the contract, The Environment Agency (EA), Natural Resource Wales (NRW) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Classification

  • CPV31682210 — Instrumentation and control equipment

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
ocds-h6vhtk-077d01
Main Procurement Category
goods
Above Threshold
Yes
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Communication

Future Notice Date
12 Oct 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Has Renewal
Yes
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Jan 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Dec 2029, 23:59
Max Extent Date
31 Dec 2030, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
31682210
Description
Instrumentation and control equipment

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
The Authority welcomes expressions of interest from both suppliers that participated in the previous procurement and suppliers that have not previously engaged with this requirement. Suppliers wishing to express interest for this requirement, please register your interest by emailing DGC-LAWW-Buyer@defra.gov.uk, including your name and organisation by the 6th October 2026. It should be noted that this notice invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this exercise only and participation in this engagement exercise does not guarantee participation in any future procurement process and does not constitute a call for competition or a commitment by the Authority to proceed with a procurement. Any subsequent procurement opportunity will be advertised separately in accordance with the Authority's procurement obligations.
Due
6 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
092117-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
30 Sept 2026, 08:30
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Id
GB-PPON-PNWW-1475-NYLN

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PNWW-1475-NYLN

Address

Street Address
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P 4DF
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI32

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government
Organisation 2
Name
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Id
GB-PPON-PNBD-3289-CDGX
Role Details
Procurement facilitated by Defra group Commercial

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PNBD-3289-CDGX

Address

Street Address
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P 4DF
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI32

Contact

Roles

procuringEntity

Details

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI32 · SW1P 4DF · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS
  1. 092117-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 092123-2026Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ·