Verfahrensangaben

With this invitation to tender, the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS), on behalf of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (TWSC), seeks a qualified consultant or consortium to carry out a comprehensive study on linear energy infrastructure near and below the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site, including high-voltage cables and natural gas/hydrogen pipelines. The study will examine the challenges related to adequate integration of nature conservation requirements, as well as conflicts, barriers, bottlenecks, and risks affecting the planning, permitting, implementation, operation, and maintenance of energy infrastructure . Building on existing studies and informed by surveys and interviews with key stakeholders, the consultant will assess knowledge gaps, coordination and cooperation challenges, socio-economic conflicts, environmental risks, and relevant legal and administrative frameworks. Based on this analysis, the consultant will identify actionable acceleration potentials and propose common, cross-border approaches to strengthen governance and collaboration for nature-friendly infrastructure development. The study will further identify strategic entry points within offshore wind development and energy planning processes where the TWSC can engage constructively, in line with its mandate to safeguard the Outstanding Universal Value of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site.

The purpose of this work is to provide analysis and recommendations to support decision-making and cross-border coordination on energy infrastructure crossing the Wadden Sea. Its primary aim is to identify acceleration potentials (opportunities to reduce avoidable delays, uncertainty, and procedural friction in the planning, permitting operation and decommissioning of linear energy infrastructure) while fully safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value of the Wadden Sea and all applicable environmental protections.

The selected consultancy or consortium of consultants should be able to demonstrate:
- Proven experience relevant to the assessment of linear energy infrastructure in sensitive marine and coastal environments.
- Proven experience in analysing stakeholder needs, identifying conflicts and bottlenecks, and developing policy-relevant recommendations
- Knowledge of the ecological, legal, and administrative characteristics of the transboundary Wadden Sea region.
Bidders are encouraged to build a multinational consortium.

The UNESCO Wadden Sea World Heritage area is a multifaceted dynamic natural system. The site stretches along the southern North Sea Coast from Den Helder in the Netherlands via Germany to Esbjerg in Denmark. It is the commitment as well as the common responsibility of the states in the TWSC to do their utmost to maintain the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the site. Additionally, major parts of the Wadden Sea are designated as national parks, nature reserves, and Natura 2000 sites. The present-day management system of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Area is almost entirely covered by EU law and international conventions, in addition to national regulations.
The Wadden Sea is a transition zone between the growing number of offshore wind energy production sites in the North Sea and the main distribution and consumption centres on the mainland. Hence, it is a crossing and landing area for high-voltage power subsea cable systems, as well as (historically) natural gas pipelines feeding in from the gas fields in the North Sea. Experimental technologies including Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) technology are also in development in the area. The acceleration of wind energy in the North Sea is a fundamental pillar of the EU"s binding targets to produce 42.5 % of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. The member countries of the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NCES) have also set ambitious targets for offshore wind development in the North Sea by 2050.
Within this context, the project "North Sea wide acceleration of LANding offshore energy while mitigating Impact on the Coastal Environment" (LANICE) was started in 2024 to improve knowledge of the key environmental impacts of linear energy infrastructure, provide guidance on successful impact mitigation, as well as to propose ways that member countries can improve efficiency in permitting as well as bring the voice and perspective of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site into the planning process in a timely way. The project supports the implementation of the Wilhelmshaven Declaration as well as The SIMP Integrated Management Plan for the ONE Wadden Sea World Heritage 2023 (Key topic Energy). The project is financed by the NextGenerationEU project via the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (TWSC).
As part of the LANICE project, a draft Trilateral Renewable Energy Strategy was developed in response to the World Heritage Centre (WHC) request (para 12 a) in Decision 46 (COM 7B.51). The aim of the strategy is to identify solutions that ensure the protection of the property"s OUV and to help avoidance and mitigation of negative impacts of onshore and offshore renewable energy and transition infrastructure, while acknowledging the acceleration of offshore energy development. The Strategy was endorsed by the WSB 47 0n 20 November 2025 for stakeholder consultation. After the consultation phase of the draft Esbjerg Declaration, the updated Trilateral Renewable Energy Strategy is intended to be adopted by the three governments at the Trilateral Governmental Council meeting in May 2026 in Esbjerg, Denmark
The work will also build on previous work carried out under the LANICE project, which identified and broadly described the main environmental impacts of cables and pipelines crossing the Wadden Sea, and provided a high-level overview of the main assessment approaches, including ecological assessment, identification of potential impacts, and technical mitigation options.

Scope and Tasks - The geographic scope of the work covers the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and includes both existing and planned infrastructure across the three states with the focus on the Territorial Waters. Relevant examples and best practices from other North Sea countries, as well as from global contexts, should also be considered where informative. The technological scope focuses primarily on high-voltage direct current (HVDC) infrastructure crossing and landing within the World Heritage Site, as well as on the limited cases in which high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) infrastructure is expected to cross the area. Natural gas pipeline development, which has played a significant historical role, may be considered where it provides informative context. In addition, hydrogen/CCS pipelines, currently at earlier stages of planning, are also relevant to this assessment. The project phase scope includes the planning and permitting phases as well as implementation, maintenance, and decommissioning.

The work will be completed in 3 phases: 1. Data collection phase Questionnaire - Needs assessment and mapping of strategic stakeholders - The consultant shall conduct a targeted needs assessment through structured verbal interviews, guided by a written questionnaire. The objective is to identify key conflicts, practical barriers, bottlenecks and risks affecting planning, permitting, implementation, and maintenance of energy infrastructure near and below the transboundary Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and across the diverse Wadden Sea countries" procedures. Examples could include environmental risks and uncertainties, institutional capacity bottlenecks, cross-border coordination challenges, stakeholder conflicts, and gaps between formal procedures and real-world practice.
Desktop study - Map in detail the planning and permitting processes for the Wadden Sea countries - The consultant shall map planning, permitting, and governance processes for high-voltage cables as well as gas-, H2- and CCS Pipelines crossing the Wadden Sea World Heritage Area in each Wadden Sea country, as well as the three German Wadden Sea federal states jurisdictions. Outputs shall be clear, comparable, and presented in accessible formats (e.g. flow charts, tables).
Deliver a workshop - To promote discussion, get feedback and gain further insights into the data collected, the consultant will host a one-day workshop with approximately 25 participants which will complement the research. The Workshop will be developed in collaboration with the TWSC.

2. Analysis phase
Based on the data collected in Phase 1, the consultant shall undertake a structured comparative analysis. The analysis shall (but not limited to): - compare permitting and planning processes across the three Wadden Sea countries as well as the three Wadden Sea German federal states, highlighting key similarities and differences,
- identify and categorise key conflicts, practical barriers, bottlenecks and risks by project phase, governance level, and type of impact (environmental, procedural, legal, socio-economic), - assess alignment and inconsistencies in environmental assessment methods, thresholds, mitigation and compensation requirements, data standards, and monitoring approaches.

3. Recommendations phase Based on Phases 1 and 2, the consultant shall develop clear and implementable recommendations.
- produce a comprehensive report identifying key environmental conflicts, bottlenecks, and acceleration potentials for planning, permitting, implementation, and maintenance,
- develop actionable acceleration potentials specifying concrete activities, responsible actors, indicative timelines, and resource implications,
- identify opportunities for cross-border collaboration and alignment (e.g. data sharing, standards, study design),
- present draft recommendations to TWSC and selected stakeholders and integrate feedback into final outputs.

Deliverables
1. Updated stakeholder map and questionnaire - An updated stakeholder map delivered as an Excel file including organisation, country/state, stakeholder type, role in planning/permitting/implementation, and level of influence. A structured written questionnaire to guide verbal interviews, aligned with project objectives and focused on implementation barriers, environmental risks, coordination challenges, and real-world permitting and planning experience.
2. Raw data table of questionnaire responses - A table containing raw responses from approximately 15 stakeholders across countries/ federal states and stakeholder groups. Responses shall follow the questionnaire structure and allow traceability by stakeholder type and country.
3. Needs assessment report - A concise (approx. 10 page) analytical report (with graphics) synthesizing the questionnaire results from raw data collected in deliverable 2.
4. Delivering a Workshop - A workshop will be prepared and led by the consultant presenting the needs assessment report and facilitating debate and discussion to inform the final report.
5. Draft report and presentation of preliminary results - Based on the needs assessment report and desktop research, complete a draft report covering the comparative permitting and planning analysis, identification of bottlenecks and best practices, and draft recommendations. Two review rounds included. A presentation of preliminary findings and recommendations to the TWSC and selected stakeholders, with feedback reflected in the revised draft.
6. Final report - A final report incorporating all TWSC comments, produced in house style and ready for translation and publication. The report shall present clear, implementable non-binding recommendations with defined actions, responsible actors, indicative timelines, and resource implications. All supporting data and materials shall be delivered in editable formats.

The working language of the TWSC is English. All meetings, deliverables, and the project application should be provided in English. As existing documentation is in Dutch, German, and Danish knowledge of some of these languages would be an asset.
Throughout the study and the development of the main deliverables, consultation and close collaboration with the TWSC is expected. The selected consultant/consortium of consultants is further required to supply all material collected or produced within the framework of this project electronically in an open source or otherwise recognised format.

Proposals shall be submitted electronically in a format that allows for uniform and transparent evaluation, include the information listed below and respect the indicated page limits:

Letter of interest and signature page (max. 2 pages per agency/consultant):
This letter should include general information about the consultant or group of consultants such as: description of all services offered, the total years in business, number of employees, office location(s), etc. include name, home and email for authorised contact concerning proposal.

Proposed fees (1 page):
Provide a clear description of your billing methodology: Average rate per month/day/hour and/or any other pertinent fee structures. Estimated working hours and costs per task (including external services, materials, reports, potential travel costs and overheads), corresponding to the deliverables outlined. VAT treatment (specify if VAT is included or excluded and if it is non-recoverable).

Approach to project (max. 4 pages):
Short description of services offered describing how you would approach this study, and how you will work with the and with other relevant actors. Explain the proposed methods that will be used and demonstrate a clear understanding of the project's objectives. Include a brief work plan and timeline for deliverables.
Specific qualifications of individuals (max. 3 pages):
Outline relevant experience in carrying out similar assignments, particularly for coastal areas, including both your theoretical and practical expertise (data collection and analysis). Consider other requirements described under Section 7. Please include references to previous projects. Include the CV(s) of the project team as an appendix (appendix not included in the page count).
All information from submitted tenders will be treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose of evaluating this tender.

DTVP (Deutsches Vergabeportal)

Verstöße gegen Vergabevorschriften, die aufgrund der Bekanntmachung oder in den Vergabeunterlagen erkennbar sind, sind spätestens bis zum Ablauf der Frist zur Bewerbung oder zur Angebotsangabe gegenüber dem Auftraggeber zu rügen. Im Übrigen sind Verstöße gegen Vergabevorschriften innerhalb einer Frist von zehn Kalendertagen nach Kenntnis gegenüber dem Auftraggeber zu rügen. Ein Nachprüfungsantrag ist unzulässig, soweit ein Verstoß gegen Vergabevorschriften, der vor Einreichen des Nachprüfungsantrags erkannt wurde, nicht innerhalb von 10 Kalendertagen gegenüber dem Auftraggeber gerügt wurde (§ 160 Abs, 3 Nr. 1 GWB). Verstöße gegen Vergabevorschriften, die erst in den Vergabeunterlagen erkennbar waren, müssen spätestens bis zum Ablauf der Angebotsfrist gerügt werden (§160 Abs. 3 Nr. 3 GWB). Ein Nachprüfungsantrag ist ebenfalls unzulässig, wenn mehr als 15 Kalendertage nach Eingang der Mitteilung des Auftraggebers, eine Rüge nicht abhelfen zu wollen, vergangen sind (§ 160 Abs. 3 Nr.4 GWB).

Basisdaten

Missing documents may be requested if no other tender submitted matches the call for tender

Tenders should provide a budget proposal that best fulfils the requested purpose and scope of this call. Tender fees should be fully inclusive, including any proposed sub-contracted work. Proponents are advised that this assignment is estimated at approximately 90.000EUR excluding VAT, covering the project"s full list of tasks and timeline. If the consultant is unable to fulfil all the deliverables outlined in this call for tender within the estimated budget, CWSS encourages submission of a proposal within the budget range, clearly indicating which key deliverables can be fulfilled. Tenders should be inclusive of all travel and other expenses and disbursements. Costs for the workshop location (room hire) and catering/travel for meeting participants are not part of this contract. A first payment of 50% is done at the signing of the contract and a second rate of 25% upon approval of the first draft report. The final 25% is paid upon approval of the final report.