Seaweed Hatchery Services Tender for Sustainable Aquaculture Development

BIM wishes to invite tenders for the Supply of Seaweed Hatchery Services to Bord Iascaigh Mhara. A growing global population, the depletion of resources, environmental pressures, and the impact of climate change require a different approach to food and economic systems. For this to happen, it is essential to develop new and sustainable ways of feeding a rapidly growing global population.

In response, Ireland’s Macro-Algal Strategy sets out a pathway to develop a sustainable seaweed cultivation sector that can contribute to resilient food systems and a low-carbon bioeconomy. The strategy aims to scale up domestic production through improved infrastructure, research and innovation, while enabling new markets for macro-algae in food, ingredients and other high-value applications.

It seeks to support long-term growth, environmental protection and Ireland’s competitiveness in the emerging global seaweed industry. Despite the many possible applications algae can offer, the seaweed industry in Europe is still very much at an embryonic stage, mainly focused on the harvesting of seaweed from the wild rather than cultivation in aquaculture.

Ireland’s Macro-Algal Strategy aims to unlock the potential of the algae sector, supporting the development of upscaled regenerative algae cultivation and production. Such an industry may harness the potential of vast European seas, but also of production on land, while creating jobs for local communities also beyond coastal areas, producing healthy low-carbon products, regenerating coastal ecosystems (e.g.

fixing CO2 and nutrients and generating oxygen), and providing ecosystem services. To address some of these challenges BIM have operated a Seaweed development programme for nearly a decade. This programme has successfully delivered hatchery manuals for a number of cultured species, economic and technical manuals, industry training and mentoring and a strategy for seaweed development in Ireland.

The primary purpose of this tender is to procure Licensed Seaweed Hatchery Services for BIM’s Seaweed Development Services Programme 2026-2027. These services will investigate the aquaculture potential of nominated native seaweeds. BIM has funded such work in the past to great success and aims to expand the knowledge base of macroalgae species for the diversification and sustainable development of the sector.

BIM is interested in diversifying the sectors offerings by investigating native species which have low volume, but potential high value applications. For further information on this tender, please see the accompanying tender documents.