The Crown Estate is seeking supplier feedback for a future procurement of a Digital Aerial Survey to support the Leasing Round 6 Ecological Surveys Programme, focusing on technical requirements, commercial arrangements, and legal considerations through a structured market engagement process.
The Crown Estate (TCE) is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of a future procurement for a Digital Aerial Survey (DAS) supplier to support the Leasing Round 6 (LR6) Ecological Surveys Programme. The requirement is expected to include: A 24‑month offshore digital aerial survey campaign commencing March 2027 Monthly surveys across multiple Project Development Areas (PDAs) (including buffer) Data acquisition via aerial still imagery and/or digital video Identification and analysis of: Ornithology abundance and distribution Marine mammals and other megafauna abundance and distribution Other related services that may be required include: Flight heights acquired through LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Flight heights acquired through photogrammetry
CHANGES: Description: n/a
The Crown Estate intends to undertake a structured programme of preliminary market engagement to inform the design of the forthcoming procurement for a Digital Aerial Survey (DAS) supplier as part of Leasing Round 6. The scope of this engagement will cover technical delivery requirements (including survey methodology, aircraft and data acquisition approaches), commercial arrangements (including pricing models and contract duration), and legal considerations (including liability and third‑party reliance on survey data). Feedback is sought from suppliers with relevant experience and capability in offshore aerial survey and environmental monitoring. Engagement will be conducted through a combination of: A written Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) issued to interested suppliers Optional 1:1 supplier engagement sessions (virtual, via Microsoft Teams) to explore responses in further detail The anticipated engagement period is May to June 2026, with 1:1 sessions expected to take place during this period at mutually agreed times. No in-person events are currently planned. Suppliers wishing to participate should submit an expression of interest by contacting: