AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Natural England has signed a direct-award contract with FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST for identifying, mapping and verifying priority freshwater habitats in England, focused on ponds and headwater streams.
Published outcomeOne active award and contract (ID 2) cover lot 1. The signed contract value is £331,500 excluding VAT (£397,800 including VAT).
Market significanceThe buyer cited technical reasons and no reasonable alternative supplier, specifically FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST’s PSYM and PASS methodologies, datasets, systems and volunteer networks. This indicates a specialist, continuity-dependent environmental data requirement rather than an openly competed opportunity.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST
99% confidenceAward 2 · Lots 1 · £331,500 excluding VAT; £397,800 including VAT (contract-level value) GBP · Verified legal supplier; active award and signed active contract
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Verified company name is FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST (company number 05317683). Award 2 names Freshwater Habitats Trust as supplier and contract 2, linked to award 2, states £331,500 net and £397,800 gross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
98% confidenceContract details notice published; tender status complete
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The process is labelled "Contract details notice on Find a Tender"; tender status is "complete".
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 2 has status "active".
Contract status
99% confidenceActive and signed
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Contract 2 has status "active" and dateSigned of 16 October 2026.
Earlier award record
98% confidencePending award record exists
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Separate award record 1 is marked "pending" and dated 6 October 2026.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£331,500
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Contract 2 value.amount is 331500 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£397,800
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Contract 2 value.amountGross is 397800 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceContract-level; no separate lot value published
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The contract states a value, while lot 1 has no value amount.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Contract 2 dateSigned is 2026-10-16.
Initial contract start
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Contract 2 period.startDate is 2026-10-16.
Initial contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 2 period.endDate is 2027-03-31.
Maximum potential end date
99% confidence31 March 2029
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Contract 2 period.maxExtentDate is 2029-03-31.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence20 October 2026
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Contract document 098805-2026 has datePublished 2026-10-20.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceIdentify, map and verify priority freshwater habitats
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Tender title and description state this requirement.
Priority focus
99% confidencePonds and headwater streams underrepresented in existing habitat inventories
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Tender description identifies ponds and headwater streams as the particular focus.
Delivery approaches
99% confidenceHabitat modelling, remote sensing, field surveys, citizen science and specialist ecological expertise
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Tender description lists these approaches.
Intended use
98% confidenceImprove freshwater habitat data to support Natural England’s evidence base, conservation priorities, and protection and restoration activity across England
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Tender description states these intended outputs and uses.
Service classification
99% confidenceEnvironmental issues consultancy services (CPV 90713000)
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Award item lists CPV 90713000.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Direct award".
Direct-award rationale
99% confidenceTechnical reasons and absence of a reasonable alternative supplier
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The published rationale expressly states this basis.
Buyer-stated dependency
99% confidenceCompatibility with FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST’s PSYM and PASS methodologies, datasets, systems, data pathways and volunteer networks
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The direct-award rationale identifies these assets and networks as underpinning the work.
Competition information
98% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No bid count, bidder list, evaluation scores or comparative pricing information is provided.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Initial term
99% confidence16 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract period startDate and endDate state these dates.
Extension options
99% confidenceUp to two optional 12-month extensions
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Contract renewal description states two optional 12-month extensions.
Extension conditions
99% confidenceSubject to satisfactory performance, funding availability, business need and Authority approval
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These conditions are stated in the contract renewal description.
Maximum term
99% confidencePotentially through 31 March 2029 if both options are exercised
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The renewal description and maxExtentDate support this maximum only; exercise is not confirmed.
Above-threshold flag
98% confidenceNo
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Contract 2 states aboveThreshold: false.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Market access implication
95% confidenceThe direct award was justified by technical continuity and specialist proprietary or established capability, creating a high barrier to substitution for this specific requirement.
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The buyer’s rationale cites established methodologies, systems, data pathways, training arrangements and stakeholder networks, and says replacement would introduce cost, delay and delivery risk.
Delivery-window sensitivity
96% confidenceThe buyer identified available survey windows as a delivery constraint.
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The direct-award rationale refers to significant delivery risk within the available survey windows.
Value interpretation
90% confidenceThe published £331,500 net value applies to the signed contract as a whole, including the stated extension structure; no annual or extension-period pricing is published.
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A single contract value is supplied alongside an initial period, renewal options and maxExtentDate, without a price breakdown.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award-record inconsistency
98% confidenceAn earlier pending award record (ID 1) and an active award/contract record (ID 2) both relate to lot 1 and the same supplier; the signed active contract is linked only to award 2.
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Award 1 is pending with a £331,500 value, while award 2 is active and contract 2 is linked by awardID 2.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
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Lot 1 is marked complete but its title, description and value fields are null.
Competition detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No tender deadline, bid count, other bidders, scores or evaluation detail is present.
Pricing detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No pricing schedule, annual split or allocation between initial and optional extension periods is provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The record contains both a pending award ID 1 and an active award ID 2 for the same lot and supplier. The analysis reports both without treating the pending record as a signed or active contract.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individually allocated value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: competing suppliers, bid count, tender deadline, evaluation scores, award decision date, pricing breakdown and performance measures.
- The published contract value is not broken down between the initial term and optional extension periods.
- No extension exercise, renewal decision date or future procurement plan is published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Natural EnglandFRESHWATER HABITATS TRUSTfreshwater habitat mappingpriority pondsheadwater streamsdirect awardenvironmental consultancyFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Natural England freshwater habitats contract?
FRESHWATER HABITATS TRUST, verified as company number 05317683, is the supplier on the active award and signed contract.
What is the contract value?
The contract value is £331,500 excluding VAT and £397,800 including VAT. This is a contract-level value, not a separately published lot value.
When does the contract run?
The initial term runs from 16 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Two optional 12-month extensions could extend it to 31 March 2029.
Why was the contract directly awarded?
Natural England cited technical reasons and no reasonable alternative supplier, referring to the supplier’s established methodologies, datasets, systems and volunteer networks.
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.