P2108375: Assessment and analysis at AHDB Strategic Cereal Farm South

Background

AHDB Farm Excellence is a collaboration between farmers and AHDB Research and Knowledge Exchange (KE). Across AHDB sectors, we work with an extensive scope of inspirational farmers. These businesses are opening their doors to others to learn, share and create new ideas to drive innovation and increase productivity.

Strategic Cereal Farms show new ways of working in a commercial setting. The six-year programme demonstrates relevant research through a series of trials and demonstrations. Knowledge exchange events share the results with the wider industry. We work with farmers to design and analyse trials to help other farmers consider making changes on their own farms.

You can find out more about AHDB Farm Excellence by visiting: ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence.

Currently there are four Strategic Cereal Farms. More information on AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Strategic Cereal Farms is available at: ahdb.org.uk/strategic-cereal-farms

Aim

AHDB wish to commission assessments at Strategic Cereal Farm South for harvest 2022. There is the potential to renew the contract subject to review of milestones and deliverables. The focus for the Strategic Cereal Farm South over the next 6 years is growing food and growing the environment by good practice farming. Through a programme of on-farm trials and monitoring, the group want to create a roadmap to help other farmers make informed decisions. The roadmap will allow farmers to measure and quantify improvements on their own farms.

Research partnership approach

Applicants can respond to individual work packages in this call. Joint proposals from two or more contractors are acceptable and encouraged where there is added value. AHDB may, if it is deemed desirable, request applicants to form a consortium to work together. There should be one organisation designated as the lead organisation for the Partnership that is responsible for project management and delivery. The group size should be manageable. Prospective partnerships can comprise both research institutes and industrial partners, be multi-disciplinary, and draw on a range of research experience for a number of crops. Therefore, the group does not necessarily need to have a history of working together previously. Priority will be given to the applicants with joint proposals demonstrating added value and with in-kind and or cash funding from the industry.

Project duration and budget

AHDB has set aside a maximum total budget of £40,000 per farm over 12 months. Proposals for this call should provide detailed costs for the period 1 September 2021 – 1 October 2022. There is the potential to renew the contract for subsequent harvests subject to review of milestones and deliverables.

The earliest date of commencement for work funded in this call will be September 2021. The successful contractor will be required to provide monthly trials diaries to AHDB. During the period of disease assessment, the successful contractor will be required to provide trials diaries following each assessment.

Completion and submission of the application form

All applicants should complete an application form for projects under £50,000 using the AHDB Research and KE Application Form – Full Proposal Small, referring to the guidance notes to aid completion. 

Applicants should use one application form but address each farm site separately. Applicants can respond to this call with a proposal that covers one, two or three of the sites. Applicants can respond to individual work packages in this call.

Proposals should include details relating to harvest 2022 trials, including:

• Detailed schedule and timing of assessments

• Detailed schedule of payments against milestone project deliverables

• Cost of measurements and analysis of the parameters listed in the work package

• Written content for Open Day (June 2022) and Results Day (November 2022) handouts, using a template provided by AHDB

• The successful contractor will also be required to provide AHDB will final reports for all trials/ work packages using a template provided by AHDB, to include methodology, analysis and interpretation of the final results

• Details of laboratories to be used for sample analysis

• Applicant details, including the project lead, nominated trial manager and organisation details. Please include any details of collaborators where appropriate

• Statement of availability and description of machinery where appropriate

• Details of previous experience and work in this field, to include scientific and technical expertise of the staff involved in the project

• Availability of speaker at AHDB Knowledge Exchange events during the project

Applications are made on the basis of the AHDB research funding agreement and any organisation receiving funding shall comply with the terms and conditions specified in the Contract. AHDB will not be held responsible for any expenses or losses incurred by applicants in the preparation of an application(s).

Completed application forms should be submitted to research@ahdb.org.uk no later than 09:00 on 13 September 2021.

Proposed timings for application and overall project delivery

Once the successful applicant has been notified, an inception meeting will be arranged the week beginning Monday 20 September 2021.  This meeting will take place online using Microsoft Teams before the project commences to finalise the protocol and site accessibility.

An interim project meeting will be held in April 2022 and data collected up to this date should be provided to AHDB with interim project reports for each trial.

Project management

This project will be managed by a project committee comprising representatives of the successful applicant, AHDB staff, host farmer and other suitably qualified individuals (determined by AHDB). The successful applicant must appoint a trial manager for the day to day management of the project and must provide evidence in their application that these individuals have suitable experience.

The successful applicant must draw up a protocol for the trials which should be shared with the project committee before work begins.

Monthly trial diaries and update meetings The successful contractor will be required to attend monthly project update meetings. These meetings will be held online using Microsoft Teams and will last for approximately 1 hour. During these meetings, each work package lead will be required to update the project team on progress to date, including data collection and any results. Monthly trial diaries should be submitted to the project team the day before the project meeting. These trials diaries should include a written update, photographs (original files), any data collected.

Records and data handling All paper and electronic records must be kept as per contractor’s procedures. All data should be recorded appropriately, and supplied to AHDB at the end of the project along with a final project report.

Procedures in the event of delays If prolonged adverse conditions result in delays of over 7 days, notify the AHDB Knowledge Transfer Manager promptly.

Risk assessment The contractor must supply a risk assessment for the trial to cover all elements of the work and that is compliant with industry regulations.

Assessment of Proposals

All submitted proposals will be reviewed by cross-sector research and KE representatives within AHDB. The selection will be an open and fair competition according to AHDB’s procurement policy, which complies with EU state aid rules.

Knowledge Exchange (KE)

The successful contractor will be required to make a significant contribution to KE. Platform presentations at AHDB events may be required and the successful contractor must be able to provide suitably qualified people to speak at these events and show evidence of their experience of speaking to grower audiences. Attendance at events will be paid at a day rate plus expenses (see below) and the costs should not be included in the contractor’s proposal.

The successful contractor will be required to provide AHDB with content for the Open Day (June 2022) and Results Day (November 2022) handouts, using a template provided by AHDB. The successful contractor will also be required to provide AHDB will final reports for all trials/work packages, using a template provided by AHDB. The costs, including time required, for this must be included within the proposal submission and these costs should be indicated separately. Final reports should be provided to AHDB by 1 December 2022.

The successful contractor may also be expected to contribute towards the preparation of publications, updates and blog posts related to the project as required on an ad-hoc basis. This will include providing commentary on project results, and sense checking.

Presentations of material at events not requested by and/or directly supported by AHDB will not be funded by AHDB, but must be cleared with AHDB in advance.

Current AHDB day rates and expenses for presenters at AHDB events: speaker day rate of £475 + VAT. Receipts (originals or copies) must be provided for all expenses claimed. Expenses authorised whilst engaged on business on behalf of AHDB.

• Travel
  • (Business mileage 45p/mile)
• Subsistence
  • Evening meal – up to £28.00 per person, inclusive of VAT
  • Other meals – up to £10.00 per person, inclusive of VAT
• Accommodation
  • maximum of £160 for London and any other capital city inclusive of VAT
  • maximum of £110 per night elsewhere inclusive of VAT
• Other reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred

Questions and Answers

If you have specific questions relating to this call, please email research@ahdb.org.uk. All questions and answers will be published. As part of the open tender process, AHDB cannot discuss specific programme details prior to proposal submission. 

Strategic Cereal Farm South

Strategic Cereal Farm South is hosted by David Miller at Wheatsheaf Farming Company, Basingstoke. The Strategic Cereal Farm South will officially start on 1 September 2021 and will end on 31 August 2027. You can find more information by visiting: https://ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence/strategic-cereal-farm-south

The Strategic Cereal Farm South will have four work packages for harvest 2022:

1. Work package 1: cover crops and water quality

2. Work package 2: soil health under different management systems

3. Work package 3: soil health at crop establishment

4. Work package 4: soil health field assessments

More detailed information on the assessments required within each of the trials are provided. Applicants should respond to each of the work packages detailed in this call. Your application should address each work package separately, and you should provide detailed costs of each assessment on a work package basis.

David will provide yield maps/data for all of the fields included in this call and proposals should include yield data analysis and reporting.