Seed Collection & Associated Services

Description

Forestry and Land Scotland (the Authority) look after the national forests and land to enhance biodiversity, support tourism, and increase access to the green spaces that will help improve Scotland’s physical and mental health and well-being. The Authority also continues to provide vital timber supplies to support a sustainable rural economy. Further information on who the Authority is and what it does can be found here: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/. The Authority has a requirement to place a Framework Agreement with external Contractors for the provision of Seed Collection and Associated Services (including, Processing and Testing and Seed Supply). The Authority plants an estimated 25 million trees per annum across the National Forest Estate. Presently 28% of these trees are grown at the Authority’s owned Newton Nursery with the remaining 72% currently contract grown or purchased within the private nursery sector. The Authority also purchases a proportion of seed externally to support the production of stock from its Newton Nursery operation. However, the Authority also sells a proportion of the seed it collects and that is surplus to requirements in support of the wider UK forestry sector. Purchased seed typically includes; Scots pine, Norway spruce, Douglas fir and Alaskan Lodgepole pine, with seed sold to the sector being mainly improved Sitka spruce. Seed availability and plant demand however is subject to change due to the impact of multiple unpredictable variables; e.g., unpredictable mast years or changes in felling/restocking sites, disease etc. Purchased and sold seed may also require chemical treatment to ensure protection from pests, or indeed for seed primed or coated using new innovation technologies which can help to increase germination rates. Within this Framework Agreement specification, the Authority has a requirement for the provision of the following services: - Aerial Seed Collection; - Ground Seed Collection; - Rope Access Seed Collection; - Seed Processing, Testing and Storage; and - Seed Supply. Lot 1: Aerial Seed Collection - North Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Works - Aerial Seed Collection (Lots 1 to 5) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works by way of tree climbing using ropes or using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s) where ground conditions are suitable to permit this. This work would relate mainly to Native Pinewood seed collections, but could also extend to other alternative seed collections such as Douglas Fir/Noble Fir, Omorika Spruce, etc. The work may also include crown reduction of Sitka Seed Orchard trees relating directly to subsequent ground seed collection operations.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 2: Aerial Seed Collection - East Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Works - Aerial Seed Collection (Lots 1 to 5) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works by way of tree climbing using ropes or using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s) where ground conditions are suitable to permit this. This work would relate mainly to Native Pinewood seed collections, but could also extend to other alternative seed collections such as Douglas Fir/Noble Fir, Omorika Spruce, etc. The work may also include crown reduction of Sitka Seed Orchard trees relating directly to subsequent ground seed collection operations.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 3: Aerial Seed Collection - West Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Works - Aerial Seed Collection (Lots 1 to 5) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works by way of tree climbing using ropes or using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s) where ground conditions are suitable to permit this. This work would relate mainly to Native Pinewood seed collections, but could also extend to other alternative seed collections such as Douglas Fir/Noble Fir, Omorika Spruce, etc. The work may also include crown reduction of Sitka Seed Orchard trees relating directly to subsequent ground seed collection operations.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 4: Aerial Seed Collection - Central Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Works - Aerial Seed Collection (Lots 1 to 5) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works by way of tree climbing using ropes or using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s) where ground conditions are suitable to permit this. This work would relate mainly to Native Pinewood seed collections, but could also extend to other alternative seed collections such as Douglas Fir/Noble Fir, Omorika Spruce, etc. The work may also include crown reduction of Sitka Seed Orchard trees relating directly to subsequent ground seed collection operations.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 5: Aerial Seed Collection - South Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Works - Aerial Seed Collection (Lots 1 to 5) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works by way of tree climbing using ropes or using Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s) where ground conditions are suitable to permit this. This work would relate mainly to Native Pinewood seed collections, but could also extend to other alternative seed collections such as Douglas Fir/Noble Fir, Omorika Spruce, etc. The work may also include crown reduction of Sitka Seed Orchard trees relating directly to subsequent ground seed collection operations.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 6: Ground Seed Collection - North Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Work - Ground Seed Collection (Lots 6 to 10) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works which are ground based only. Such collections may be made from previously cut branches that have been made available from aerial arboriculture operations or through the use of pull sticks to collect cones from low level branches. The use of ground cover sheets can also be used for the collection of e.g. acorns or beech mast. Ground seed collection works can relate to a wide range of both conifer and broadleaf species.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 7: Ground Seed Collection - East Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Work - Ground Seed Collection (Lots 6 to 10) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works which are ground based only. Such collections may be made from previously cut branches that have been made available from aerial arboriculture operations or through the use of pull sticks to collect cones from low level branches. The use of ground cover sheets can also be used for the collection of e.g. acorns or beech mast. Ground seed collection works can relate to a wide range of both conifer and broadleaf species.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 8: Ground Seed Collection - West Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Work - Ground Seed Collection (Lots 6 to 10) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works which are ground based only. Such collections may be made from previously cut branches that have been made available from aerial arboriculture operations or through the use of pull sticks to collect cones from low level branches. The use of ground cover sheets can also be used for the collection of e.g. acorns or beech mast. Ground seed collection works can relate to a wide range of both conifer and broadleaf species.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 9: Ground Seed Collection - Central Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Work - Ground Seed Collection (Lots 6 to 10) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works which are ground based only. Such collections may be made from previously cut branches that have been made available from aerial arboriculture operations or through the use of pull sticks to collect cones from low level branches. The use of ground cover sheets can also be used for the collection of e.g. acorns or beech mast. Ground seed collection works can relate to a wide range of both conifer and broadleaf species.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 10: Ground Seed Collection - South Region Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. Planned Work - Ground Seed Collection (Lots 6 to 10) The purpose of this requirement is to carry out seed collection works which are ground based only. Such collections may be made from previously cut branches that have been made available from aerial arboriculture operations or through the use of pull sticks to collect cones from low level branches. The use of ground cover sheets can also be used for the collection of e.g. acorns or beech mast. Ground seed collection works can relate to a wide range of both conifer and broadleaf species.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 11: Rope Access Seed Collection - National Seed Collection Seed collection is a necessary and fundamental part of growing trees. It is, however, subject to the vagaries of multiple natural factors affecting success in producing viable seed. The Authority do not fully understand all the factors or their inter-relationships which go towards successful production of seed and therefore predicting when a species will produce seed is not an exact science and local knowledge and intelligence can be extremely useful. Each species can have very different types of seed, some produce seed every year in collectable quantities, but some may not seed for decades. Each species’ seeds can also be very different in how and when they can be collected, handled, and stored to ensure germination is optimised. Some species such as willows and poplars cannot be stored easily and must be collected at the precise moment of seed release and then sown within days of collection, therefore it is vital that collectors have or are given the requisite knowledge to maximise the collection of viable seed. Planned Work - Rope Access Seed Collection (Lot 11) The Authority are happy to accept keen but inexperienced collectors as well as experienced collectors to ensure maximum coverage and capacity. These works reflect the difference between traditional arboriculture operations and the type of operations where IRATA/Mountain Climbing Instructor (MCI)/ Winter Mountain Climbing Instructor (WMCI) or equivalent certified climbers could be used. The Authority have determined where operations to gather seed from trees or shrubs on dangerously steep ground, crags from below or above, then the certification gained for IRATA/Mountain Climbing Instructor (MCI), Winter Mountain Climbing Instructor (WMCI) or equivalent will be the required certification where roped access is deemed necessary to ensure safe collection.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 12: Seed Processing, Testing & Storage - National Planned Work – Seed Processing, Testing & Storage (Lot 12) Seed Processing Seed processing timings are crucial in order to ensure the highest possible seed germination is achieved. Seed Testing Seed testing of all extracted seed is also required prior to either direct sowing or intended storage. This work requires to be completed under controlled laboratory conditions and requires the use of some fairly specialist equipment. Seed Storage Seed storage should be appropriate to the particular species of tree. It is paramount that the required seed moisture content is attained for all seed capable of being stored for long periods in deep cold conditions. Recalcitrant seed such as Oak must be kept in conditions which maximise their germination percentage and longevity as far as reasonably practicable. Given the wide range of papers available with very different prescriptions for the proper storage of individual species, FLS are open to experimentation with small samples to test some of these hypotheses.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Lot 13: Seed Supply - National Planned Works - Seed Supply (Lot 13) The Authority have an ongoing annual requirement for the purchase of both conifer and broadleaf seed under this Framework Agreement. All seed purchases made will support annual plant production programmes at Newton Nursery and subsequently wider Authority Restocking and New Woodland creation programmes. The supply of appropriate plants to the forestry sector relies on a suitable supply of seed to the nurseries. The provenance of seed is an important factor, as forests planted in the area from which the seed is collected tend to be better adapted to local conditions. There is little predictability as to the quality of seed that will be produced in any given year and so, when a good seed production year occurs, the seed must be stored and used judiciously until another good seed year occurs. The Contractor will at all times be responsible for ensuring that it instructs and directs its staff, sub-contractors, and/or consortia members in order to meet the requirements of the Authority in relation to this Framework Agreement. The Authority will not be responsible for instructing and/or directing Contractor’s operational staff, their sub-contractors, and/or their consortia members.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.