Technical services for fish genetic analysis, river connectivity assessment and Arctic char detection

Summary

The procurement is for technical services to genetically study fish populations and assess river connectivity in the Xares River Fluvial Nature Reserve in Ourense, and to survey fish, including detecting Arctic char, in the La Baña Lakes Nature Reserve in León. The work includes non-invasive fish sampling in at least five representative sections of the Xares, laboratory DNA analysis, and assessment of population structure and genetic fragmentation. The contractor must also inventory river barriers and pressures, calculate passability, river fragmentation and longitudinal connectivity indices, and develop a model for prioritising river reconnection measures. At La Baña, the contractor must survey the entire water body, sample the fish populations and establish the presence or absence of brown trout and Arctic char. Deliverables comprise two separate final reports, georeferenced spatial data and photographic records. The contract is not divided into lots. The bid must cover all three work items and quote each unit price. The budget is €23,446 excluding VAT and €28,369.66 including 21% VAT; zero-priced, partial or over-budget bids will not be accepted. Bids must be submitted electronically by 12:00 on 19 October 2026. The work must be completed within six months; the contract runs for seven months. Price is worth 49 points and additional qualifying team experience up to 51 points. Bidders must meet the turnover, previous environmental-services experience and qualified, experienced three-person team requirements. The successful bidder must provide a final guarantee of 5%, rising to 10% if the winning bid is deemed abnormally low.