AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Natural England awarded a below-threshold framework call-off for research and development services to The University of Plymouth. The contract supports scoping a cost-effective, permanent estuarine acoustic-telemetry array and partnership-led monitoring model.
Published outcomeAward 1 is active and is linked to an active contract. The source explicitly records the contract as signed on 20 August 2026, running from 26 August 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Market significanceThe £31,449 gross contract concerns long-term estuarine and inshore monitoring capability, combining telemetry infrastructure, data management and regional partnership working.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
The University of Plymouth
97% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £31,449 gross contract value; award-level allocation to the supplier is implied by the single-supplier award and contract but no separate award value is published. GBP · Active award; linked active contract
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Award 1 names The University of Plymouth as its sole supplier. Contract 1 links to award 1 and states a GBP value of £31,449 gross (£26,207.50 net).
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Contract details notice published at 2026-10-13T17:33:27+01:00.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status 'active'.
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 has status 'active'.
Contract signed
99% confidence20 August 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-08-20T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract period
99% confidence26 August 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-08-26 and endDate is 2027-03-31.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value, gross
99% confidence£31,449
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 31449 GBP.
Contract value, net
99% confidence£26,207.50
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Contract 1 value.amount is 26207.5 GBP.
Value basis
98% confidenceContract-level value
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The value is supplied within contract 1, linked to award 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signature
99% confidence20 August 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-08-20.
Contract start
99% confidence26 August 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-08-26.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-03-31.
Notice publication
99% confidence13 October 2026
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The contract details notice datePublished is 2026-10-13.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices: research and development services and related consultancy services
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Award item classification is CPV 73000000, described as 'Research and development services and related consultancy services'.
Project purpose
96% confidenceScope a low-cost, permanent estuarine telemetry approach for long-term monitoring.
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The published description states that the project aims to embed acoustic telemetry into long-term monitoring through a permanent array.
Expected activity
96% confidenceTest a cost-effective, semi-autonomous, partnership-run estuarine and inshore array; develop regional partner arrangements for equipment maintenance and data management.
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The description states these objectives, including creation of a coastal collective and exploration of a centrally funded, regionally delivered UK model.
Lot
99% confidenceLot 1; no lot title or separate description published.
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The tender, award and contract link to lot 1; lot metadata contains no title or description.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceSelective
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Tender procurementMethod is 'selective'.
Award route
99% confidenceBelow-threshold award under framework
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states 'Below threshold - award under framework'.
Competitive status
99% confidenceNot competitive
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Tender competitive is false.
Framework reference
98% confidenceFind a Tender related process ocds-h6vhtk-04ef64, related lot a2XTu000000WlNBMA0
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relatedProcesses identifies a framework relationship and the referenced process and related lot.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
98% confidence218 days (approximately 7 months and 6 days)
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Calculated from the explicit contract period of 26 August 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Call-off structure
99% confidenceThis is a below-threshold, non-competitive framework award rather than an open competition.
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The notice states 'Below threshold - award under framework' and competitive is false.
Commercial scale
99% confidenceThe published gross contract value is £31,449 for the stated contract period.
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Contract 1 records £31,449 gross and runs from 26 August 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Capability signal
94% confidenceThe scope combines environmental research, acoustic-telemetry monitoring design, equipment/data stewardship and regional partnership coordination.
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These activities are described in the published project description.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Notice timing
99% confidenceThe contract details notice was published after the recorded signature and start dates.
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Signature is 20 August 2026, start is 26 August 2026, and publication is 13 October 2026.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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The supplied lot record contains null title, description and value fields.
Competition information
99% confidenceBidder count, evaluation method, scores and award rationale were not supplied in the published notice.
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
Supplier identity
98% confidenceThe supplier is identified by its published organisation name and GB-PPON identifier; no Companies House verification was applicable in the supplied supplier-verification data.
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Supplier identity status is not_applicable and identifier is GB-PPON-PQCM-4775-BCGP.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- No lot title, lot description or individual lot value was published.
- Bid count, bidder identities, evaluation criteria, scores and award rationale were not supplied in the published notice.
- No extension, renewal or pricing-breakdown terms were published.
- The supplier has a published GB-PPON identity, but no Companies House verification was applicable in the supplied data.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Natural EnglandUniversity of Plymouthestuarine telemetryacoustic telemetryresearch and development servicesframework awardmarine monitoring
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Natural England estuarine telemetry contract?
The University of Plymouth is the sole supplier named for award 1.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is £31,449 gross (£26,207.50 net), in GBP.
When does the contract run?
The source records a term from 26 August 2026 to 31 March 2027, with signature on 20 August 2026.
Was this an open competition?
No. The notice describes a below-threshold award under a framework and records the procurement as non-competitive.
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.