Provision of the Early Bird Survey of Plantings and Planting Intentions

AHDB are looking for a tenderer to undertake a survey on behalf of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). AHDB wishes to commission research to signify the first snapshot of United Kingdom (UK) crop areas some 10-11 months ahead of official June survey data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The data collected will be made freely and publically available by AHDB, and the information will be used to inform business planning across the arable industry. The core requirement of this survey is to generate a projected area of cereals, oilseeds and other crops for the upcoming crop year. A regional breakdown of the predominant UK crops is required, with responses covering an agreed nominal area within each region being a key requirement. The fundamental objective of the 'Early Bird Survey' (EBS) is to establish cropping changes on individual farms as a representation for the national and regional change in cropping. The results from the survey in previous years have represented a reliable indicative forecast of actual crop areas later in the year. The survey asks agronomists to submit year-on-year changes in arable crop areas in the UK to the successful tenderer. This information is derived from a combination of actual plantings and intentions (for late winter and spring plantings). This must be based on farms that haven't seen a year-on-year change in the total arable area. The AHDB is seeking the services of a suitably skilled and experienced individual/organisation to carry out an Early Bird Survey, through provision of support as set out in this tender. We are looking to secure a single supplier for this service; and while consortia bids are welcome, they must be managed by a lead supplier who will be the point of contact for the AHDB.

Additional information: Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender and respond to the opportunity

1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once) Browse to the eSourcing Portal: https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to register Accept the terms and conditions and click 'continue' Enter your correct business and user details - Note the username you chose and click 'Save' when complete You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure)

2. Express an Interest in the tender Login to the portal with the username/password Click the ITTs Open To All Suppliers' link. (These Invitations to Tender open to any registered supplier) - Click on the relevant ITT to access the content. Click the 'Express Interest' button at the top of the page. This will move the ITT into your 'My ITTs' page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only) You can now access any attachments by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'ITT Details' box

3. Responding to the tender Click 'My Response' under 'ITT Details', you can choose to 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond' (please give a reason if declining) You can now use the 'Messages' function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification - Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the ITT There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available) You must then submit your reply using the 'Submit Response' button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help.