Computerised Mapping

Descriptions

1.IntroductionGlyndwr University has secured funding for a horticulture project through the Supply Chain Efficiency Scheme, part of the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013. The project, named Horticulture Wales, provides support to horticultural businesses involved in supply chains of both edible and amenity crops within Wales.Previous work undertaken by Horticulture Wales has confirmed that the Welsh horticulture sector is lacking access to focused information on horticultural production, processing and retail behaviour. This information is needed to monitor the value of involvement in existing markets and to identify new markets. A key deliverable of the Horticulture Wales project is to collate growing and market information and make it readily available to the industry. The project has recently been extended and received additional funding to support a number of new activities, one of which has been identified as “economic analysis of horticulture crops to provide baseline data for producers wishing to diversify”.Objective of the tenderThe overall objective is to produce a multiple data source overlay map of Wales to identify areas of land sharing similar characteristics in terms of topography, weather patterns and soil types. This will be used to identify suitable growing locations for different types of crops.Background to the workHorticulture Wales strategic aims for the project are to:•Optimise the efficiency and length of horticulture supply chains by fostering co-operation and geographical clustering between elements, and by providing specialist advice on supply chain management.•Facilitate passage of horticultural products along the supply chains by providing market information on trends and by encouraging innovation•Foster the role of local suppliers and communities in making significant contributions to the supply chains.•Encourage co-operation between supply chain elements in order to engage with multiple retailers.•Encourage environmental best practice in the supply chains.One of the project’s work packages is to supply market information to identify and evaluate market opportunities. Market intelligence needs to be collected on a regular basis, collated, interpreted (where appropriate) and disseminated reliably and effectively across the horticultural supply chains in both the edible and ornamental production sectors. Similarly, information on supply chain systems and their trends and developments need to be collected and collated and disseminated.2.Scope of workTo produce a computerised map of Wales combining various sources of data relating to topography, soil, weather etc. to identify areas sharing common characteristics, identifiable by a key describing these specific characteristics. These areas should be identifiable on a scalable level to be agreed by Horticulture Wales and the contractor. There will need to be some degree of interactivity required in editing and selecting data to be used and this will be agreed by Horticulture Wales and the contractor upon commencement of the project.NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=3144.