Specification Tender: Unlocking a Just Transition for the UK Catching Sector

Company: Marine Conservation Society (MCS)

Link: https://www.mcsuk.org/work-for-us/current-vacancies/

Phase 1: Research: A review of the existing literature specific to a ‘Just Transition’ of UK fisheries, supported by examples of relevant case studies identifying key work areas.

Phase 2: Sectoral Engagement: Design and conduct semi-structured interviews with sectoral stakeholders to gather views and evidence of the barriers to, and opportunities for, a just transition for the UK fishing industry. Produce a report summarizing these barriers, opportunities and recommendations.

Contract Value: Up to £30,000 total inclusive of travel, expenses, and VAT to deliver both phase 1 and phase 2.

Lead Contact: Nicola Cusack, Future Fisheries Manager

Introduction and background

For over 30 years, the Marine Conservation Society (www.mcsuk.org) has been the UK’s leading charity dedicated to protecting UK seas, shores, and wildlife. Our vision is for seas full of life – where nature flourishes and people thrive. We work to secure:

Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture – ensuring there are more fish in healthier seas, improving the way wild fisheries and fish farms are managed, and influencing consumers and seafood businesses to be more responsible in their seafood buying choices.
Clean seas – ensuring our seas are cleaner, identifying key sources of pollution and developing innovative solutions for preventing it and cleaning it up.
Ocean recovery – ensuring our seas are better protected, improving marine management, securing well-managed marine protected areas, recovering, nurturing and protecting marine species and habitats.

Our flagship seafood sustainability initiative, the Good Fish Guide, is an innovative and well-established tool that enables consumers and businesses to make informed decisions about the seafood they buy. It rates the sustainability of seafood caught, farmed, or sold in the UK using a traffic light system, with green being the Best Choice, and red being Fish to Avoid. The Good Fish Guide is used by over 100,000 people each year and influences the seafood sourcing decisions of businesses selling 20% of the UK’s seafood.

Project Description

The concept of ‘Just Transition’ within the context of fisheries and ocean management is a growing, but poorly defined term. It describes a gradual and equitable transition from current unsustainable practices towards a more environmentally compatible future. MCS aims to explore the theory of Just Transition, leveraging our relationships and expertise to drive change in the fishing and seafood sectors. This project will focus on delivering a comprehensive literature review to identify the gaps, barriers and opportunities for implementing climate-smart and sustainable fisheries in the UK.

We are seeking an independent contractor to deliver a review of the existing literature, including evidence of best practice and existing and current projects relating to a just transition in UK fisheries, primarily focusing on the catching sector.

The literature review will be used to develop an MCS agreed working definition of a ‘Just Transition for the UK catching sector’. We require a sectoral stakeholder interview programme to be designed and subsequently delivered by the successful contractor which will aim to gather industry and sectoral views of the barriers and opportunities to delivering a just transition and identify practical solutions for further exploration. A summary report from the interviews should be provided.

Outputs and deliverables

Phase 1 – Literature Review

1.1 Content

Analysis of current literature relevant to a Just Transition in a fisheries context, and identifying existing projects and opportunities, and barriers within the UK fishing sector.
A comprehensive analysis (e.g. a PESTLE analysis) of the opportunities and barriers for a Just Transition towards low-impact, high-sustainability, and climate-friendly fisheries.

1.2 Case studies

Summary of successful transitions from high-impact, low-sustainability fisheries to low-impact, high-sustainability fisheries or climate-smart fisheries, including global examples that are relevant to the UK catching sector.
Best practice recommendations and lessons learned, including both successes and failures.
Identify case studies that highlight the barriers and opportunities that have hindered or supported a just transition, e.g. gear trials, financial considerations, unconventionally powered vessels, Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras.

1.3 Review of the Good Fish Guide

Reviewing existing Good Fish Guide ratings to identify key wild capture fisheries that could improve from a red or amber rating via a Just Transition.

1.4 Final Output

The final output will be a fully referenced written report that includes the information above and referenced literature. We do not anticipate making the findings of the report publicly available, but we will use the report to identify key areas of impact and to engage and build relationships with sectoral stakeholders to gather views and evidence of the barriers and opportunities for a just transition of the UK fishing industry.

1. Phase 2 – Sectoral Engagement

Following the production of the literature review and using it to inform sectoral engagement with relevant parties, successful contractors will develop a stakeholder map, an interview template and deliver a programme of stakeholder interviews with the aim of producing a report summarising responses.

Interested contractors should provide details on:

Approach to engaging with industry to gather information on views regarding Just Transition.
Proposed approach to mapping and identifying a range of key stakeholders to approach for interviews with details on how you will achieve proportional representation.
Proposed approach to conduct interviews.
Number of proposed interviews based on contract value.
Approach to qualitative analysis and reporting.
Consent forms for sharing participant responses and contacts between the contractor and MCS.

Note: MCS will own all intellectual property rights to all outputs. The contractor may not share or distribute outputs without prior consent from MCS.

Criteria for assessment

Essential:

Proven experience of similar work.
Sectoral work experience and a comprehensive understanding of the UK catching sector.
Demonstrable environmental and ethical credentials.
Full compliance with GDPR requirements.
Value for money.
Experience engaging with industry stakeholders, including fishers, producer organisations.
Good connections with the industry, particularly the wild capture sector.

Maximum budget of £30,000 to deliver Phase 1 and 2, a literature review and sectoral engagement. We are interested in receiving applications covering both or either.

The application for undertaking this work should include the following details:

Applicants must provide (on a separate sheet) full contact details for the legal entity we would be contracting with including the name, registered address (and any alternative address for accounts etc), contact name and numbers, payment and banking details and email and website addresses. This sheet will be removed as part of the tender assessment process- suppliers should ensure that no identifying information is included anywhere else on the tender.

Which phase(s) are you applying for
How would you propose to go about delivering this project(s)
Total estimated cost (max. budget, £30,000)
Breakdown of costs, including expense, staff allocation and daily charge rate for each of the phases you are tendering for.
Please cite explicitly your experience in each work area and detail the process of delivery.
Evidence of your successful track record on projects of a similar nature and scale.
Details of staff allocated to the project (including CVs and evidence of qualifications and or competencies required) together with their experience of carrying out similar projects. The project manager/lead contact should be identified. If there are a number of people delivering the contract, please indicate who will be doing each task and the allocation of days for each member of the team, the cost of any evaluation software, and any out-of-pocket expenses such as travel.
Timescales including any specific milestones that must be met. e.g. in the form of a Gantt chart, for carrying out the project and an estimated invoice schedule.
Details on how frequently you would report on progress and by what means.
Confirmation of professional indemnity and public liability insurance of all those who will be delivering the work.
Confirm VAT registration.

All procurement will be accomplished by MCS in alignment with procurement policy.

Equality and diversity

MCS will always consider equality, diversity and inclusion when conducting procurement activities. MCS requires all its suppliers to meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and may ask for evidence that they are aware of and operate in accordance with those requirements.

All contractors are encouraged to be aware of MCS’ Equality and Diversity Policy when providing services to the public on behalf of MCS.

Health and Safety

The health, safety and wellbeing of MCS’ employees, suppliers/contractors, volunteers, and people who use its resources is of the utmost importance to MCS. MCS will ensure arrangements are in place so that everyone remains healthy, well and injury free.

Suppliers may be excluded for proven non-compliance with relevant health and safety legislation, or for a poor track record on previous contracts involving health and safety requirements.

Intellectual Property ownership and IP licencing arrangements

Data protection

Quotes are submitted on the condition that the appointed supplier will only process personal data (as may be defined under any relevant data protection laws) that it gains access to in performance of this Contract in accordance with MCS’ written instructions and will not use such personal data for any other purpose.

The contracted supplier will undertake to process any personal data on MCS’ behalf in accordance with the relevant provisions of any relevant data protection laws and to ensure all consents required under such laws are obtained.

Timetable

The contractor will ideally be able to complete the project no later than the end of October 2025.

Question Procedure: Please note all questions should be sent to hr@mcsuk.org before 15 September 2024. We will not be available to answer any questions thereafter. Responses to all questions will be published and circulated to all applicants on 16 September 2024

Closing date for submissions: Applications should be sent to hr@mcsuk.org email no later than 12:00 on 30 September 2024

Contract Notification: The Marine Conservation Society will notify applicants via email in October 2024

Contract Duration: November 2024 – October 2025 (12 months)

Contract Deadlines: Literature Review Report – 1 March 2025 | Stakeholder Interviews and summary report – 30 October 2025