Public Procurement and Property

Peatland ACTION – opportunities in peatland restoration procurement

September 1, 2023 by Melissa Reilly No Comments | Category climate change, Guest Blog

Ahead of Scot Climate Week 2023, we welcome a guest blog from the Peatland ACTION project to tell us about the variety of supply chain opportunities and wider peatland restoration work.

Through NatureScot’s membership, Peatland ACTION recently joined the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) recognising the additional support this would bring to SMEs looking to enter into peatland restoration work. As well as the range of benefits and assistance SDP provides to SMEs, our membership also helps raise awareness of the opportunities available across peatland restoration to new audiences looking to diversify into the sector.

Peatlands are the largest natural store of carbon on land with peatlands in Scotland estimated to hold the equivalent of 185 years’ worth of the country’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. But 80% of the UK’s peatlands – the majority of which are in Scotland – are damaged and in need of restoration.

When peat is exposed or its hydrology modified, it emits carbon, contributing to climate change but peatland restoration helps to create conditions which turn a peatland that is emitting carbon to one which acts as a carbon sink which is a crucial aspect of Scotland’s efforts to address the climate emergency.

An orange digger operative works to reprofile a peat hag at Beinn Dhuand Mid Hill restoration site. Image credit: ©Lorne Gill/NatureScot

Peatland ACTION is a national programme to restore peatlands across Scotland for the many benefits to both people and nature. We provide funding, support and advice to deliver on-the-ground peatland restoration through a network of partner organisations.

The Peatland ACTION delivery partners alongside NatureScot are Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority; Cairngorms National Park Authority; Forestry and Land Scotland; and Scottish Water – Sustainable Land Management Team. Our funding comes through the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan for net zero, with a commitment to invest £250 million to support the restoration of 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030.

Peatland restoration is a key component in the suite of nature-based solutions to the twin crises of climate change and nature loss and is helping deliver a just transition to net-zero by supporting the rural economy through the creation and development of land-based jobs and skills across Scotland.

It is also a rapidly expanding area of work across Scotland. Restoring and maintaining healthy peatlands requires an increasing number of skilled people, including machine operators, ecologists, hydrologists and scheme designers meaning there are a wide range of opportunities for individuals to work with Peatland ACTION and businesses and suppliers to submit tenders for our projects and wider peatland restoration work.

We have opportunities across the supply chain and offer support and dedicated training to those considering diversifying into peatland restoration work. We also use the Public Contract Scotland (PCS) portal to promote available contracts with previous example contracts covering feasibility studies, hydrology work and our restoration groundworks covering ditch blocking, slope reprofiling or scrub clearance to name a few.

Restoration work is tendered on behalf of the landowner who is the client, but increasingly, these opportunities will appear on PCS as Prior Information Notices. We tender feasibility studies for the assessment of peatland sites and a plan for their restoration directly and have three current opportunities listed in August 2023. More will follow later in September 2023. These are ideal for SMEs and potentially even sole traders looking to make a start in the peatland restoration sector.

Individual takes a sample from Peatland ACTION and Galloway Fisheries Trust Water Quality Monitoring Point at Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve. Image credit: ©Peatland ACTION/NatureScot

If you’re interested in finding out more about the opportunities to work on Peatland ACTION funded restoration, why not speak to us at an upcoming supplier-focused event? For those interested in our current contracts including our live feasibility study contract, NatureScot Peatland ACTION will be sharing more details during the Restoration Plan & Design contracts Aligned Tender Training webinar hosted by Supplier Development Programme Scotland.

The online event on 6 September 2023, will also feature a Supplier Development Programme Scotland expert to talk individuals though a tender document on the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

We will also be in person at the Meet the Buyer North event taking place on 12 September 2023 at Aberdeen Music Hall. Our team will be ready to talk to businesses about the contracts and supply chain opportunities available through peatland restoration project.

To find out more about Peatland ACTION, visit nature.scot/peatlandaction

Register as a Supplier on Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and search for opportunities

For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

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Tags: climate, climate change, environment, naturescot, net zero, scot climate week, Supplier Development Programme, Sustainability, sustainable procurement

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