Modification notice

Modification of a contract/concession during its term

Section I: Contracting entity

I.1) Name and addresses

Section II: Object

II.1) Scope of the procurement

II.2) Description

Section IV: Procedure

IV.2) Administrative information

Section V: Award of contract/concession

Contract No: con_16545

Title: SCCU National Education Nature Park (Park and Award Scheme)

V.2 Award of contract/concession

V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession

13/05/2026

V.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: /concession: 9 072 600.00  GBP

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.4) Procedures for review

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice

20/05/2026

Section VII: Modifications to the contract/concession

VII.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications

VII.1.1) Main CPV code

80000000

VII.1.2) Additional CPV code(s)

80100000

80110000

80200000

80300000

80310000

VII.1.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UK

Main site or place of performance:

The service provided is an online presence targeted at a national level but accessible to a wider audience.

VII.1.4) Description of the procurement

The Department is looking for a successful lead provider, or consortia, to successfully deliver the following key areas of activity:

A prestigious National Education Nature Park that will drive and increase in engagement with nature for all children and young people whilst also developing their scientific, analytical and biodiversity skills for future studies and careers alongside driving an improvement in the biodiversity of the education estate. It will have an engaging digital presence that will inspire children, young people and teachers to participate with the range of activities it has developed and curated from various stakeholders. It will have a credible, high profile and prestigious presence amongst education and children’s services providers and biodiversity stakeholders. Over time, it will become the main portal through which the education system looks for advice, guidance and learning resources on this important issue and on climate change more broadly. It will be important that the successful provider has a lead public facing figure for the programme.

A well-respected Climate Leaders Award recognised by employers and further and higher education providers that will increase and recognise the efforts of young people in improving the biodiversity of the education estate and their communities, as well as helping to develop their analytical, scientific, biodiversity and sustainable technology skills through a structured, accredited programme of activity in conjunction with the development of the Nature Park.

Alongside the two main programme initiatives listed above, the successful provider and/or consortia, will also be required to:

Develop climate education resources for each of the key stages, from early years through to further education. Resources to either be produced from new and/or quality assuring existing materials. Resources to then be made available and accessible to educational institutions on a Nature Park online hub, at least in the short-term (note: a medium to longer term online presence may be considered and the Department will work collaboratively with the successful provider as and when more strategic decisions are made on material hosting).

Be able to administer grants on behalf of the Department to support participation and engagement in the Nature Park – activity is subject to the Department securing additional funding. The costing matrix template asks bidding organisations to define the percentage management fee charge which the provider (or sub-contractor within their consortia) would charge should such funding grants be made available. All grant funding will need to be managed and assured in line with government requirements which would be clearly outlined by the Department.

TO NOTE: The Climate Leaders Award aspect of the work has been terminated since this contract was awarded.

VII.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession

End: 30/09/2027

VII.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the procurement: 180 938.34 GBP

The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

VII.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

VII.2) Information about modifications

VII.2.1) Description of the modifications

The Department is extending the grant administration period for the RHS and allowing the supplier to appoint a GIS community science specialist with the intent to improve the programme's user journey in the final year of the contract.

VII.2.2) Reasons for modification

Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire

Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor:

The grant administration period extension is more of the same and the grant spend is attached. The GIS community science specialist inclusion is a minor change in ‘how’ the work is done but the scope of the work remains the same.

To reprocure just this aspect of the work separately, there would be a significant cost increase and difficulty in co-ordinating the work around the existing service. We anticipate that the disruption caused from potentially introducing a new supplier into the project for this small aspect of the work would outweigh the benefits brought on by the change and would not extract the same value.

VII.2.3) Increase in price

Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications and price adaptions and, in the case of Directive 2014/23/EU, average inflation in the Member State concerned)

Value excluding VAT: 8 891 661.67 Currency: GBP

Total contract value after the modifications

Value excluding VAT: 9 072 600.00 Currency: GBP