Planning · Timeline
Aquaculture procurement, phase by phase.
A realistic 12–18 month roadmap from feasibility to commissioning — with typical durations, deliverables per phase, and the bottlenecks that quietly extend most projects by 4–6 months.
- 1Month 1–2
Feasibility & scoping
Start a project intakeDeliverables- • Species and system selection (RAS, pond, cage, hybrid)
- • Site pre-screen: water source, energy, permitting risk
- • High-level CAPEX / OPEX band and IRR sensitivity
- • Off-take assumptions and market pricing
Common bottlenecks- · Skipping water-quality and volume tests before locking a site
- · Choosing a technology before defining the production target
- 2Month 2–4
Concept design & basis of design
Open the Planning CenterDeliverables- • Process flow diagram and mass balance
- • Hydraulic and oxygen budget
- • Preliminary layout, single-line electrical, HVAC concept
- • Bill of Quantities v0 across every major package
Common bottlenecks- · Under-sized biofilter or oxygen system driving late redesigns
- · No documented basis of design, forcing suppliers to guess
- 3Month 3–5
Bankability & financing
Download the bankability checklistDeliverables- • Full financial model with CAPEX phasing
- • Environmental permit strategy and biosecurity plan
- • Insurance strategy (asset + biological)
- • Bankable pack for lenders / grant agencies
Common bottlenecks- · Model built on supplier list prices instead of quoted CAPEX
- · Missing off-take LOIs and permit letters
- 4Month 4–6
RFQ preparation
Build the RFQ packageDeliverables- • Package split (civil, water treatment, oxygen, feed, automation)
- • Technical spec + BOQ per package
- • Commercial terms: warranty, spares, training, performance guarantees
- • Short-list of project-matched suppliers per package
Common bottlenecks- · Sending a single mega-RFQ instead of packaging by discipline
- · Skipping performance guarantee wording, forcing renegotiation later
- 5Month 6–8
Supplier evaluation & contracting
Compare on a TCO basisDeliverables- • Technical clarification rounds and normalised bid comparison
- • Reference visits or video walk-throughs
- • Contract negotiation: milestones, LDs, IP, spares, training
- • Signed contracts and down-payments
Common bottlenecks- · Comparing bids on headline price instead of TCO
- · No independent technical review before signing
- 6Month 8–14
Manufacturing, delivery & installation
Documentation centerDeliverables- • Factory acceptance tests (FAT) for critical skids
- • Sea and inland freight planning, incoterms
- • Site acceptance tests (SAT) and mechanical completion
- • As-built drawings and O&M manuals
Common bottlenecks- · Uncoordinated freight causing storage and demurrage costs
- · Late civil handover blocking equipment installation
- 7Month 14–18
Commissioning & ramp-up
Operator readinessDeliverables- • Wet commissioning, biofilter maturation
- • First stocking, biosecurity SOPs signed off
- • Operator training, spares stocked
- • Performance guarantee testing against contract KPIs
Common bottlenecks- · Stocking before biofilter is fully mature
- · No trained operators on day one — quality risk in first cycle
Turn this timeline into your own procurement plan.
FishMatch Group helps you sequence RFQs, evaluate suppliers and align financing so the phases above stay on schedule.