Call for Tender for the Provision of Services in Trialling the Co-Use of Seaweed Infrastructure for Mussel Seed Collection

Tender description

BIM wishes to invite tenders for Provision of Services in Trialling the Co-Use of Seaweed Infrastructure for Mussel Seed Collection. The primary purpose of this tender is to investigate additional uses of seaweed farming infrastructure. While Ireland’s seaweed sector remains at an early stage of development, it is demonstrating growth potential, with increasing production units, expanding cultivated species, and a growing licenced footprint. However, structural and technical constraints continue to limit scale, including underutilisation of existing infrastructure. Addressing these constraints is essential to align national sector development with EU policy objectives. This project will directly address these challenges by demonstrating the co-use of seaweed cultivation infrastructure for mussel spat collection outside the primary seaweed growing season. Seaweed longlines are typically utilised between October and April, leaving infrastructure idle for significant periods of the year. Investigating the feasibility of using this infrastructure for mussel seed collection offers a clear opportunity to maximise asset utilisation, reduce capital costs, and improve farm-level viability. For the mussel sector, this approach has the potential to increase access to spat collection sites, reduce pressure on traditional collection areas, and improve resilience of seed supply. For the seaweed sector, co-use models can generate additional income streams, support earlier site activation, and improve overall economic sustainability. By trialling and evaluating these systems alongside direct seeding and new culture methods, the project will provide evidence-based guidance to support integrated aquaculture development and long-term sectoral growth. The project timeframe is 2026 until the end of 2027. This will facilitate the trialling and data capture of a number of seaweed and mussel growing seasons. For further information on this tender, please see the accompanying tender documents.