Tender: Hyperspectral Sensor (VNIR 400–1000 nm) for Drone and Laboratory Coastal & Benthic Monitoring – Cefas

About

Cefas is seeking a supplier for a complete hyperspectral infrared imaging solution suitable for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operation and laboratory use, supplying all necessary hardware, lenses, software and accessories to acquire, calibrate, process and export orthorectified hyperspectral data cubes. The system must at minimum capture the Very Near Infrared (VNIR) range (400–1000 nm) and ideally extend coverage toward NIR and SWIR to target a spectral span of approximately 400–2700 nm; Cefas accepts a hybrid solution of a drone-mounted VNIR sensor paired with a laboratory (non-flyable) SWIR system if drone-compatible SWIR exceeds the maximum available budget (£130,000 inc. VAT). The sensor will be used to detect and characterise flora and fauna on land (seaweed on rocks, on beach), sea surface (plankton, algae) and underwater (benthic epifauna and flora), and to support near-term pilot pipelines for benthic habitat surveys (via Cefas custom-built housing) and aerial shoreline surveys for plastic detection. The Supplier must also provide comprehensive training on implementing hyperspectral data processing pipelines, operational support for Cefas drone pilots (including environmental conditions, target selection and sensor configuration), and clear documentation of all data collection and processing steps.