Environmental services

Tender description

The EPA Catchments Unit is establishing a multi-operator framework agreement for the procurement of provision of support and services for integrated catchment science and management to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This will be a 4-year multi-party framework tender covering 2019-2023 and the EPA envisage that a minimum of two operators will be assigned. The EPA Catchments Unit is establishing a multi-operator framework agreement for the procurement of provision of support and services for integrated catchment science and management to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This will be a 4-year multi-party framework tender covering 2019-2023 and the EPA envisage that a minimum of 2 operators will be assigned. The framework will cover support and services related to, but not limited to, the following between 2019 and 2023: — supporting technical implementation of the 2nd Cycle River Basin Management Plan, — 3rd Cycle Initial Characterisation, i.e. the assessment of the impacts of human activities on waters of all types, including high status waters, groundwaters, rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters, — assessment of protected areas including assessments of whether their protected area objectives have been met, — update and review of the significant pressure types as outlined in the 2nd Cycle River Basin Management Plan, including management and assessment of GIS and other datasets, — hydromorphology assessments including the review of hydromorphological quality standards and key hydromorphological indicators, the implementation of the national hydromorphological condition assessment tool and the identification of hydromorphological pressures and measures, — assessment of urban and rural diffuse and point source pollution and impacts on water quality, — analysis of the linkages between water and land-use planning, — assessment of the role of natural water retention measures in implementing the WFD, including linkages with the Floods Directive, — investigation of factors contributing to the significant number of declines and improvements in water body status, — determination of draft environmental objectives and exemptions, — assessment of appropriation mitigation measures and actions, — assessment of multiple benefits/disbenefits of measures for water quality, climate, air quality and biodiversity.