Bird Aware Solent - Visitor Surveys

Portsmouth City Council ('the council') on behalf of Bird Aware Solent, is inviting quotations from suitably qualified suppliers to conduct visitor surveys at 5 key locations across the Solent region.

The Solent is internationally important for wildlife.

There are various protective designations including three Special Protection Areas (SPA) which have been designated predominantly for the protection of the large numbers of waders and wildfowl which spend the winter on the Solent.

A substantial amount of housebuilding is planned around the Solent and this new housing has potential impacts on the SPA.

One of these potential impacts is increased recreational activity at the coast from population increases associated with new homes.

Bird Aware Solent, made up of the Solent Local Authorities and other key stakeholders, have implemented a long term mitigation strategy to ensure that the additional recreational activity did not result in additional bird disturbance and thus harm to the SPA.

Mitigation strategies includes a team of rangers to reduce disturbance by influencing the behaviour of visitors and initiatives to encourage responsible dog walking.

Bird Aware Solent has agreed a range of data collection and analysis which will be undertaken over the coming years to monitor the effectiveness of the individual mitigation measures and the mitigation strategy as a whole.

This commission forms part of this monitoring.

The scope of the commission will comprise of but may not be limited to conducting visitor surveys at 5 key locations across the Solent region during the winter season (1st October 2021 - 31st March 2022).

Interviews will be conducted at each location for a period of 16 hours, split over week days and weekend days.

Bidders will be asked to provide a provisional survey schedules within their responses.

The outputs from this commission include a report or set or reports provided to Bird Aware Solent.

The draft version of the report will be due by May 2022 with the final version by July 2022.

The estimated value of the contract is in the region of £15,000 per annum of monitoring.

The initial contract term will be for 1 year.

The contract will include the option to extend the term by a further 2 years to a maximum of 3 years in increments to be agreed, subject to the agreement and performance of both parties.

This is in the event that further monitoring is required.

Please note that as the Partnership is not a legal entity and cannot enter into contract itself, the commission will be procured via and therefore in contract with Portsmouth City Council.

The closing date for receipt of your expression of interest is given against the heading entitled - Date documents can be requested until.