CP1720-19 Connecting the Culm

Devon County Council (DCC), working with the Blackdown Hills AONB, is seeking the thoughts and opinions of the supply market around the procurement of services in connection with the Connecting the Culm Project.

DCC has arranged a supplier event to explore with the market the opportunities that this procurementwill offer and to inform DCC's future approach to the procurement.

The event will be take place on Thursday 21st March 2019, at a venue in Hemyock, Devon, commencing at: 13:00 hrs.

To register interest in attending, suppliers should contact Alan Palmer at alan.palmer@devon.gov.uk Registration of interest in attending the supplier day must be received no later than: 17:00hrs on Friday 15th March 2019.

Connecting the Culm is a 3-year, 1 000 000 GBP partnership project, part of a 7 000 000 GBP Co-Adapt Programme led by Somerset County Council.

The Co-Adapt Programme has received funding from the Interreg 2 Seas Programme 2014-2020 co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The Connecting the Culm project will tackle some significant challenges posed by the River Culm and its catchment.

The project will employ a multi-agency team working across the catchment to deliver the project, comprising specialists in natural flood management, community engagement and biodiversity.

The Procurement will consist of seven lots (the estimated / indicative values of which are given in brackets): Lot 1: Co-creation Specialist- this 1 FTE contract role will engage communities and stakeholders to foster collaboration and embed co-creation throughout the project lifecycle (£138,000).

Lot 2: Whole river catchment study- develop a robust nature-based solution modelling tool to enable sound decision making, adopting adaptive planning principles.

The tool needs to encompass and interrogate: scenario planning (climate change), ecological networks, catchment based mapping tools and floodplain reconnection feasibility (£75,000).

Lot 3: Hydrological monitoring- install equipment and undertake (via a PhD) hydrological monitoring (including flow and water quality) of nature based solution interventions in order to measure change (£70,000).

Lot 4: Co-creation evaluation- establish a baseline to assess current levels of community engagement and undertake on-going evaluation and monitoring of key audiences/ stakeholders in order to measure collaborative change (£20,000).

Lot 5: Nature Based Solutions Specialist- this 1 FTE contract role will work with landowners, farmers and other stakeholders to co-create, develop and oversee installation of nature based solutions in priority sub-catchments(£138,000).

Lot 6: Education specialist- undertake curriculum based activity with 3 catchment schools (primary and secondary) (£9,000).

Lot 7: Habitat restoration monitoring- to undertake baseline surveys of priority habitat extent/ condition, author restoration plans and monitor habitat restored/ re-created.

In addition, undertake targeted species surveys(£20,000).