Nature Scotland – previously known as Scottish Natural Heritage -has gone out to tender with a contract for the Peatland ACTION FW02 Field Ecologists Framework with an estimated total value of £450,000 excluding VAT.

Peatland ACTION funding - from the Scottish Government - primarily supports on-the-ground peatland restoration activities and is open for applications from eligible land managers who have peatlands that would benefit from restoration. There are no geographical restrictions or target areas for Peatland ACTION funding.
Peatland ACTION is led and funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with NatureScot, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, and Scottish Water.
Since 2012, Peatland ACTION has set over 66,000 hectares of degraded peatland on the road to recovery, but this effort needs to accelerate rapidly in the coming years to help address the twin crises of the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.
The appointed Field Ecologists will work with the Peatland ACTION Technical Team and Project Officers located across Scotland to help support species and ecological survey requirements for Peatland ACTION restoration sites.
Under the procurement, the primary role for the appointed Field Ecologists will be to carry out protected species surveys on request, which may include surveys for breeding birds (including Schedule 1 species), raptor roosts, mammals, freshwater pearl mussel, reptiles, or plants.
The appointed Field Ecologists must be suitably skilled and experienced in carrying out a range of species surveys of this nature. Surveys conducted prior to peatland restoration work commencing on site will be used to plan the restoration work and ensure all project personnel (agents, contractors / workers) are aware of the presence of any protected species on site and any mitigation and licensing requirements.
Surveys conducted during restoration works will also be used to provide continued ecological support to project personnel, including mitigation requirements, safe working distances/buffer zones, preparation of species protection plans and may include giving toolbox talks.
Contract start date is 18 January 2027 and end date is 31 March 2027, with a potential annual extension available until 31 March 2031.
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 12:00pm on 6 November 2026.
Click here for additional information and to register interest
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