This call for tenders was launched in response to the following. The contracting authority's Nature and Water cluster will have to carry out many nature studies in the coming years in order to determine the right measures to preserve nature and achieve the Natura 2000 targets.

A framework agreement is tendered to carry out the above-mentioned nature studies.

The intended start date of the framework agreement is: 17 July 2023.

The framework agreement has an initial duration of two years and a few days and will continue until: 31 July 2025.

The Client has the option to extend the framework agreement twice for the period of one year each.

The General Purchasing Conditions for Supplies and Services of the Province of Limburg 2020 (Annex AIV 2020 Province of Limburg) apply to the framework agreement, except insofar as this is deviated from in this Procurement Guideline or in the Programme of Requirements.

The (to be concluded) agreement between the client and the successful tenderer shall be regarded as a framework agreement within the meaning of Article 1.1. Aw 2012. With regard to this framework agreement, the following shall apply:

The purpose of this tender is to conclude a framework agreement with a maximum of 3 contractors for the execution of nature studies. The contracting authority cannot give an exact indication of the number of applications and possible contracts that are set out within the framework agreement.

As an indication of a contract value for the studies to be carried out under the Natura 2000 management plans, a rough estimate of €3.3 million is used for 106 studies.

As an indication of a contract value for the studies to be carried out that may fall under the Specific Nature Allowance Scheme of the State, a rough estimate of € 3.4 is used for 38 studies.

As an indication, the contracting authority can indicate that approximately 90% of the size estimates are in category 1 (up to and including €100,000 excluding VAT) and about 10% of the size estimates are in category 2 (from €100,000 up to and including the European threshold of now €215,000 excluding VAT).

In the initial consultation, the intention is that the contracting authority will submit the internally prepared and available research questions (of the individual studies for 2023) to the contractors with the request to address them. The contractors are expected to address these research questions (see Annex Work process execution nature studies regarding framework agreement).

The maximum purchase amount during the entire term of the framework agreement, including any extensions) is € 6.7 million, excluding VAT. In the very unexpected event that the aforementioned maximum purchase amount is reached, the framework agreement ends by operation of law even if the end date has not yet been reached at that time. The limiting factor here is the available capacity for the studies at the provincial ecologists, which means that the maximum size will certainly not be reduced. An internal prioritization based on necessity and capacity will lead to a number of studies that can be started in 2023 (1st priority; all in category 1 (estimate/contract value up to and including € 100,000 (excluding VAT)) and this can be submitted via the notes of information. The aim is to carry out the same exercise every year and to communicate it to the contractors (preferably around the turn of the year).