CP1720-19 Connecting the Culm

Connecting the Culm is a 3-year, 1 000 000 GBP partnership project, part of a 7 000 000 GBP Co-Adapt Programme led by Somerset County Council. The Co-Adapt Programme has received funding from the Interreg 2 Seas Programme 2014-2020 co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The Connecting the Culm project will tackle some significant challenges posed by the River Culm and its catchment.The project will employ a multi-agency team working across the catchment to deliver the project, comprising specialists in natural flood management, community engagement and biodiversity.
The Procurement will consist of seven lots (the estimated / indicative values of which are given in brackets):
Lot 1: Co-creation Specialist- this 1 FTE contract role will engage communities and stakeholders to foster collaboration and embed co-creation throughout the project lifecycle (£138,000).
Lot 2: Whole river catchment study- develop a robust nature-based solution modelling tool to enable sound decision making, adopting adaptive planning principles. The tool needs to encompass and interrogate: scenario planning (climate change), ecological networks, catchment based mapping tools and floodplain reconnection feasibility (£75,000).
Lot 3: Hydrological monitoring- install equipment and undertake (via a PhD) hydrological monitoring (including flow and water quality) of nature based solution interventions in order to measure change (£70,000).
Lot 4: Co-creation evaluation- establish a baseline to assess current levels of community engagement and undertake on-going evaluation and monitoring of key audiences/ stakeholders in order to measure collaborative change (£20,000).
Lot 5: Nature Based Solutions Specialist- this 1 FTE contract role will work with landowners, farmers and other stakeholders to co-create, develop and oversee installation of nature based solutions in priority sub-catchments(£138,000).
Lot 6: Education specialist- undertake curriculum based activity with 3 catchment schools (primary and secondary) (£9,000).
Lot 7: Habitat restoration monitoring- to undertake baseline surveys of priority habitat extent/ condition, author restoration plans and monitor habitat restored/ re-created. In addition, undertake targeted species surveys(£20,000).