Prior Information Notice - Circular Bioeconomy Research and Analysis Services

Tender description

Zero Waste Scotland intends to procure services for the provision of targeted research, analysis and scoping in support of circular bioeconomy and food systems projects on a call off basis. Lot 1: One of the most immediate and urgent societal challenges is to achieve food security through sustainable agriculture whilst adapting to a changing climate. The Scottish food system comprises activities including production, processing, retailing, and consumption that are governed by laws, regulations, certifications, and market trends, which are in turn driven by public awareness, scientific research, and government policy at multiple levels across national and international jurisdictions. In combination with a similarly diverse range of bio-physical drivers and constraints, understanding these inter-related factors, and the potential trade-offs of change, is critical to enabling better outcomes across future food and nutrition security, social and economic equality and wellbeing, and future environmental sustainability supporting Scotland’s ambitious net zero and waste reduction targets. Understanding of the wider circular bioeconomy is critical as it describes resource efficiency and circularity across the whole system and considers non-food and feed applications for biomass such as energy crops which also have relevance. As such, an accurate and comprehensive understanding of Scotland’s bioresources including location, technical and valorisation potential, temporal variability, and benefits/consequences of intervention is essential. To support development in this areas, Zero Waste Scotland intends to procure a new Circular Bioeconomy Research and Analysis framework agreement that will enable access to specialist skills, knowledge, and experience to facilitate and deliver targeted research, analysis and scoping of future circular bioeconomy projects, with a particular focus on food systems, including the linkages and interdependencies within and between sub-systems, stakeholders, and drivers. These services will be provided on a call off basis to help Zero Waste Scotland develop a systems model that delivers evidence led, actionable, high impact recommendations to guide policy and activity and contribute to sustainable change and a thriving Scottish bioeconomy. Zero Waste Scotland intends to undertake a Restricted Procedure to procure this framework agreement, in accordance with regulation 29 (restricted procedure) of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Zero Waste Scotland anticipates that the Circular Bioeconomy Research and Analysis framework agreement will be for a maximum period of four (4) years, including all optional extension periods, and will have a maximum value of 600 thousand GBP, exclusive of VAT. We anticipate that this will be a single Lot, single Supplier agreement to ensure consistency between inter-related outputs from the various call off projects over the term of the agreement, but we will consider a multi-Supplier agreement where this would increase capacity / capability without causing issues in terms of technical feasibility or duplication of effort. Zero Waste Scotland intends to host two online Supplier Engagement Events, on 26th and 31st August 2021 respectively. These events – which will be about ninety (90) minutes in duration – will provide interested parties with further information on: the anticipated aims, objectives, and requirements of the framework agreement; the skills, knowledge and experience we are seeking; and the procurement process that will be followed. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the anticipated service requirements and / or the procurement process, and to provide further input and insight into the delivery mechanism that may help shape the final service provision. To register your interest in attending one of these events, please follow this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=y72tjiPZdUu8YBPMGioFV2gJwTy0241GshIsMKSGLUFUMTdFWEQ3WlhDSzlLRFo3UEpZQUZDNDNZWC4u Further details will be emailed to you prior to the event.