Scottish Government Centres of Expertise x 4 Lots

Description

The Scottish Government has a requirement to place 4 separate, lotted contracts with external service providers for the following services: - Lot 1. Centre of Expertise for Climate Change Lot 2. Centre of Expertise for Animal Disease Outbreaks Lot 3. Centre of Expertise for Nature, Water and Environment Lot 4. Centre of Expertise for Plant Health Lot 1: Centre of Expertise for Climate Change Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is commissioning a Centre of Expertise for Climate Change. This is required to support Scotland’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals by providing accessible, timely and high quality interdisciplinary evidence. This will be delivered through both rapid outputs and longer term research projects, commissioned and completed within timescales proportionate to policy need. The Centre will enhance the impact of Scottish funded science and translate wider UK and international research into a Scottish context, ensuring that robust external evidence is effectively applied to meeting Scotland’s climate mitigation and adaptation ambitions. This includes: - Developing and managing a rolling, policy driven programme of evidence, balancing mitigation, adaptation and just transition needs, and delivering both rapid evidence outputs and longer term research within timescales proportionate to policy need. - Providing integrated, systems level analysis across sectors such as climate, environment, energy, land use, agriculture and socio economics, recognising the cross cutting nature of climate issues. - Translating UK and international research into a Scottish context, and ensuring clear, policy ready communication and effective knowledge exchange to maximise impact and uptake of evidence. - Horizon scanning to identify emerging climate risks, opportunities and priority evidence needs across mitigation and adaptation. Lot 2: Centre of Expertise for Animal Disease Outbreaks Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is recommissioning a Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks. RESAS supports a small number of Centres of Expertise in key areas which brigade the best available expertise from a consortium of partners into virtual centres; to simplify access by policy officials to expertise from across Scotland, to enhance synergy of effort and to stimulate innovative thinking in support of policy. The suppliers of the Centre will have the following aims: - To deliver high-quality research-based evidence and advice on the prevention and control of animal disease outbreaks to the Scottish Government. - To provide expert scientific advice to the Scottish Government at short notice in the event of an outbreak of notifiable, zoonotic or newly emerging animal disease in the UK. - To stimulate innovative thinking in support of animal health policy development and delivery. - To further enhance the coordination of research, analysis and interpretation across the subject area, leading to high quality, world leading interdisciplinary research and the production of policy-relevant outputs. - To develop a programme of knowledge exchange to ensure the effective underpinning of policy and the wider dissemination of best practice amongst stakeholders. Lot 3: Centre of Expertise for Nature, Environment and Water Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) is commissioning a new Centre of Expertise for Nature, Environment and Water. The objective is to brigade the best available expertise on nature restoration, environmental quality and protection and the management of water from across Scotland and the wider UK into a virtual centre, to simplify access to scientific advice and evidence by policy colleagues and their delivery partners, and to enhance synergy of effort and stimulate innovative thinking in support of these areas. The Centre’s purpose is to: - Deliver timely and high-quality advice and research-based evidence on nature restoration, environmental quality and protection and the management of water to the Scottish Government and its delivery partners. - Stimulate innovative thinking in support of policy development and implementation in the research area. - Enhance the coordination of research, analysis and interpretation across the subject areas, leading to high quality research and policy-relevant outputs. - Deliver an effective programme of knowledge exchange and communication with Scottish Government and its stakeholders. Lot 4: Centre of Expertise for Plant Health Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is recommissioning a Centre of Expertise on Plant Health. This is required to bring the best available plant health expertise relevant to Scotland’s crops, horticulture, forestry, and natural environment into a virtual centre, to coordinate access, by policy colleagues and the Chief Plant Health Officer, to expertise, to enhance synergy of effort and to stimulate innovative thinking in support of plant health policy. This includes: - Horizon scanning to identify potential future threats and evidence needs, advising on implications for pest and disease prevention. Enhancing Scotland’s capacity and capability to respond to emerging threats. - Strengthening resilience and emergency response plans and contributing to improved surveillance and detection to ensure robust contingency measures are operational across sectors. Providing scientific evidence to support policy decisions on outbreak management, including strategies to minimise impact where eradication is not viable. - Delivering timely and accurate research-based evidence on the mitigation of plant health risks, including management strategies, improved biosecurity, and an understanding of how new technologies and innovations can be used to help address these threats, to policy divisions, delivery agencies, and wider stakeholders. - Reducing the plant pest and disease risks associated with the movements of plants, trade, and people.