The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is seeking to establish a monitoring and evaluation programme for habitats and biodiversity.
The department is currently inviting tenders for an eight-year contract worth €2.08 million, excluding VAT, for the project.
The department said that the tenderers will likely be a consortium already “working at the cutting edge of this area” in terms of research and technology.
The programme, due to run until 2031, will see to establish the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on biodiversity and habitat in the Irish landscape.
The tenderer will be expected to complete four “core tasks”, as follows:
- Develop a detailed spatial map using a stratified sampling approach;
- Conduct a desk-based habitat quantity assessment, including an assessment of habitat connectivity and change;
- Conduct field-based habitat quality assessments;
- A baseline, mid-term, and final report should be produced in 2025, 2028, and 2031 respectively.
According to the tender documents, the contract is expected to begin in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.
The closing date for the receipt of tenders or requests to participate in the programme is 5:00p.m on Thursday, December 21.
DAFM
DAFM is also currently inviting tenders for a contract to undertake an evaluation of the impact of schemes in the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air quality and soil carbon levels.
The contract, which is expected to begin in Q1 2024, is worth an estimated €100,000, excluding VAT.
The project will assign values to actions within the CSP interventions and build a profile of CAP beneficiaries using data from the Irish agricultural sector.
It will also produce three reports on modelling and forecasted emissions reductions in line with the timing of the CAP 2023-2027 cycle.
The final report will include recommendations and suggestions on future CAP interventions.