Research vessel project: tender notice issued

News release ref: 06/07
Date: 31 May 2007

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), a UK government agency, is seeking to place a contract for research vessel capabilities from April 2008.

A contract notice was issued on 30 May 2007 in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), Document 2007-124973-EN:

http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:124973-2007:TEXT:EN:HTML

Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and consultancy centre, which aims to be the prime source of high-quality science used by government and others in the UK and internationally to conserve and enhance the aquatic environment, promote rational management of its natural resources, and protect the public from aquatic contaminants.

The agency currently owns and operates a sophisticated, purpose-built ocean-going research vessel, the RV Cefas Endeavour. It also charters other vessels to undertake estuarine, shelf seas and deep-water oceanographic, environmental and fisheries surveys.

Cefas believe that their offshore and inshore research needs could be better met by contracting for research vessel capabilities rather than through vessel ownership. This is just one of the options Cefas is open to considering to ensure better value-for-money for taxpayers whilst providing the high-quality science delivery that is a core aim of the agency.

By using the Competitive Dialogue procurement procedure Cefas hopes to work with shortlisted suppliers to define an innovative solution to meet its needs. The procedure will provide the agency with a range of potential options, including continuing with contracting for vessel management services only, that will enable it to gauge and develop the best value-for-money solution.

Cefas' assessment process will be based on a multi-stage approach. The first stage invites potential candidates to express an interest and complete and return a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) response by midday on 4 July 2007.

Notes for editors

Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For more details visit www.cefas.co.uk.
Further details about the RV Cefas Endeavour can be obtained from the official notice and from the Cefas website: www.cefas.co.uk/about/Researchvessels.htm. The official notice can be found at the address in the main text above, or by navigating the notices posted on 30 May 2007 (UK-London: Shipping Operations) at http://ted.europa.eu/
All commercial enquiries should be directed to the project's procurement adviser, David Ng at david.ng@defra.gsi.gov.uk