AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Environment Agency has awarded and signed a below-threshold framework call-off to UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY for year-one work to finalise governance and technical delivery arrangements for the UK Saltmarsh Code ahead of a planned 2027 pilot.
Published outcomeOne active award and active contract are reported for UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY. The contract was signed on 2 October 2026 and runs from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Market significanceThis is a £58,796 net research and consultancy services engagement under a framework, focused on preparatory work for the Saltmarsh Code rather than its 2027 pilot.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £58,796 net; £70,555.20 gross GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Verified company name supplied for award 1. Contract 1 linked to award 1 reports GBP 58,796 amount and GBP 70,555.20 amountGross. The contract covers the sole awarded lot; no separate lot value is published.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Process notice type and contract document description.
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is "complete"; process source status is "complete".
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 status is "active".
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 status is "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned on 2 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned: 2026-10-02.
Contract commencement
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate: 2026-10-07.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value, excluding VAT
99% confidence£58,796
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Contract 1 value.amount is 58796 GBP.
Contract value, including VAT
99% confidence£70,555.20
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 70555.2 GBP.
Value allocation
93% confidenceContract-level value for the sole contract and award; no separate lot value published
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One contract is linked to award 1 and lot 1; the lot record has no value.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence2 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned.
Contract start
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period endDate.
Notice published
99% confidence15 October 2026
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Contract details notice datePublished and process published_at.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceOperationalising the UK Saltmarsh Code — year 1
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Tender and contract title.
Published purpose
98% confidenceFinalise the future governance structure and technical delivery of the Saltmarsh Code during a transition year before a planned 2027 pilot.
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Tender description.
Service category
98% confidenceResearch and development services and related consultancy services (CPV 73000000)
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Award item additional classification.
Lots
99% confidenceOne lot (lot 1)
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Tender lots contains lot 1; award 1 relates to lot 1.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
98% confidenceSelective
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Tender procurementMethod is "selective".
Award route
99% confidenceBelow-threshold award under framework
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Tender procurementMethodDetails.
Competition
98% confidenceNot competitive
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Tender competitive is false.
Framework reference
98% confidenceRelated framework process: ocds-h6vhtk-04ef64
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Related process with relationship "framework" and identifier ocds-h6vhtk-04ef64.
Bid and evaluation information
99% confidenceNot published
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No bid count, tenderer list, scores or evaluation rationale is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate and endDate.
Duration
95% confidenceApproximately 176 days
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Calculated from the published contract period dates.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension or renewal provisions are supplied.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract aboveThreshold is false; procurement method details also state below-threshold award.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial route
99% confidenceThe Environment Agency used a non-competitive, below-threshold framework award.
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states below-threshold award under framework; competitive is false.
Delivery focus
98% confidenceThe engagement is preparatory: governance and technical delivery arrangements are to be finalised before the stated 2027 pilot.
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Tender description.
Pricing visibility
98% confidenceA total net and gross contract value is published, but no pricing breakdown, milestones or individual lot price is published.
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Contract value is supplied; no further pricing fields or lot value are supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and contract linkage
99% confidenceClear
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Contract 1 explicitly references awardID 1; award 1 relates to sole lot 1.
Supplier identity quality
99% confidenceVerified
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Exact-name verification resolved to UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY, company number 11314957.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot title, description and individual value are not supplied in the published notice.
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Lot 1 record contains no title, description or value.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice beyond the non-competitive framework route.
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No bid counts, bidder identities, scores, evaluation rationale or award rationale is supplied.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, participating suppliers, evaluation scores, award rationale and savings.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: extension options, renewal terms, pricing breakdown, milestones and performance measures.
- The notice mentions a planned 2027 Saltmarsh Code pilot but does not establish a future procurement, extension or supplier commitment.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Environment AgencyUK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGYSaltmarsh Coderesearch and development servicesframework awardpublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Environment Agency Saltmarsh Code contract?
UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY was the verified supplier for the sole active award.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is £58,796 excluding VAT and £70,555.20 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published term runs from 7 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; it was signed on 2 October 2026.
Was this a competitive procurement?
The notice records a non-competitive, below-threshold award under a framework.
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.