As we continue our look at the Highways & Transport category (see our list of mouth-wateringly tempting Highways Tenders, and Highways Power Players report) our attention turns to pre-procurement opportunities.
You probably know that our free tender alert service, Tendalert, will give you a daily digest of the new tenders in your areas of interest.
But did you know that our paid Insights service includes pre-tender opportunities that have been identified by our team of UK researchers?
Trawling through 000’s of council meeting minutes, forward plans and strategy documents, they look for early indicators of spending decisions, so our clients can make contact months and even years before projects go to tender.
We’ve asked the team to pick out some of the hottest pre-procurement opportunities in the Highways & Transport market, which we’ve reproduced below.
And if you’d like to start getting opportunities like these in the hands of your sales team, why not book in a call with our Insights team today to find out more?
EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy to 2030
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Shared with Insights users earlier this month
Cabinet members are being asked to endorse a recommendation to Full Council for the formal adoption of the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) Strategy to 2030, together with approval to accept and invest LEVI grant funding to support the implementation process.
A Forward Plan key decision notice, issued in October 2023, states that a report seeking approval of the EVCI Strategy and the LEVI funding is due to go before Cabinet and Full Council on 13 December 2023 and 9 January 2024 respectively.
The contact officers are John Mcvey, Passenger Transport and Accessibility Manager, and Richard Pincroft, Head of Transport (including Sustainable Transport).
Procurement Strategy for Design and Professional Services to Support Transportation and Infrastructure Projects
Birmingham City Council
Shared with Insights users in Sep 2023
Cabinet members are being asked to endorse the procurement strategy that would see the city enter into a partnership arrangement for the provision of Design and Professional Services to support the delivery of Transportation and Infrastructure Projects.
The procurement proposals are briefly outlined in a Forward Plan key decision notice, issued in September 2023, which states that the partnership would be for a maximum of eight years, subject to performance reviews.
A report seeking approval of the procurement strategy is due to go before the Cabinet for approval on 12 December 2023.
Planned Procurement for Management Software System for Roads Network (Asset Management)
South Lanarkshire Council
Shared with Insights users in Sep 2023
The Council has outlined plans to undertake a procurement exercise (p39) for a Roads Network Management Software Solution, with contract award scheduled for the end of December 2024.
The proposed procurement is briefly outlined in the Council’s Annual Procurement Report 2022/23, which was presented to the Finance and Resources Committee in September 2023. The report includes all planned procurements, including renewals and new contracts, that the Council expects to undertake over the next two years (2023-24 and 2024-25).
The contact on a covering report is Craig Fergusson, Head of Finance (Transactions), tel:01698 454951, ext.4951.
Shared with Insights users in Feb 2022
The Council is looking to engage with the market regarding the procurement of a Replacement Roads Maintenance Management System (Asset Management) which must be fully integrated to include modules or be able to fully interface with other systems.
A February 2022 PCS future opportunity notice states that interested parties will be invited to provide a full demonstration of their systems, initially to a small project team and then to a wider stakeholder team during March/ April 2022.
Organisations wishing to participate in the engagement process should register an interest via the PCS portal which will also provide further information on the proposed procurement. It is anticipated that a contract notice for the opportunity will be published in early October 2022.
Procurement of Consultant for Alternative Design Approach for Station Quarter / Grays Underpass
Thurrock Borough Council
Shared with Insights users earlier this month
Cabinet is recommended to agree to cease further work on the Grays Underpass scheme and delegate authority “to assess operational principles covering a potential Station Quarter development partnership with Network Rail and other strategic partners”, with an external development consultancy to be procured via an appropriate framework to progress this alternative design approach.
The report states that the Grays Underpass project, for which the current budget forecast is £46M, “in its current form is not in a technical state to move forward, and it does not continue to represent value for money”. In addition, “it is considered that the Council is holding too much of the financial risk on this project given current funding imbalance and benefits arising” and so it is recommended that the project design should not be pursued and that the current planning application is withdrawn.
However, with the existing level crossing continuing to represent a clear safety risk, it is recommended that an alternative design and delivery approach is examined based on the development of a Station Quarter concept which “would seek to deliver the new pedestrian crossing over the railway, potentially as part of a new station and mixed-use residential development”. The establishment of a strategic partnership with Network Rail and others will be key to this approach, with the initial output of the work to be commissioned from an external consultancy being “an outline design and delivery option with high-level appraisal and recommendations as to the partnership delivery structure for driving the scheme forward”.
Contact Officer: Kevin Munnelly
Procurement of a Specialist Multi-disciplinary Team to Prepare Predevelopment Design and Feasibility Work for Surface Access Improvements to Port Weston, Runcorn
Halton Borough Council
Shared with Insights users in Sep 2023
An Executive Board Report recommends that the Council undertakes a procurement exercise via the SCAPE Public Sector National Consultancy Framework to appoint a specialist multi-disciplinary team to prepare predevelopment design and feasibility work for surface access improvements to Port Weston, Runcorn.
The contract is to be funded through the Liverpool City-Region Freeport Seed Investment Fund, with appointment subject to drawdown of necessary funding via a Grant Funding Agreement with the Combined Authority.
Based upon early contract engagement the pre-development phase is anticipated to have a cost of between £1.35M and £1.47M.
It is anticipated that the pre-development contract will run for a period of up to 18 months, with an aspiration to commence in October 2023. Subject to the pre-development phase setting out a clear strategy and rational for surface access delivery, the contract may be extended for up to a further 2 years to include the infrastructure delivery phase. Any contract extension would be subject to securing a 2nd tranche of drawdown from the Seed Investment Fund
Don’t forget – to get your demonstration of Oxygen Insights’ Pre-Procurement, book a call now.
