Official UK procurement notice
T2496 - Arboriculture Services
Authority: Belfast City Council (Local council)
Sectors: Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services (77) Delivery: Northern Ireland (UKN06)
Published estimate£4,000,000envelope for 4 lots · £4,800,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 16 Jun 2025awarded 11 Aug 2025
Awarded to NORTHERN TREE SERVICES LTD, Mc Auley Tree Surgery4 awards
Contract term 2 yrsends 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030 with extensions · starts 1 Sept 2025
What is being bought4 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThis procurement is for the provision of arboriculture services for Council Parks and DfI Street Trees.
The requirement is split into the following 4 lots:
- Lot 1 – BCC Park Trees;
- Lot 2 – DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast North/Central
- Lot 3 – DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast South/East
- Lot 4 – DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast West/Lisburn/Castlereagh
The Council has appointed a single Bidder for each Lot for the provision of the Deliverables although a Bidder may be awarded a maximum of 2 Lots should they demonstrate they have the capability and capacity to do so.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Jan 2030, 23:59 GMT.
- No preliminary market engagement: Prior to publishing this ITT the Council conducted PME exercise which consisted of a PME questionnaire being returned from interested suppliers at the time. Questionnaire responses were used to help develop the Specification for this tender. Relevant PME documents/materials that were shared with suppliers as part of the PME exercise have been included in Appendix 4– Data File. The PME exercise was advertised in July 24 using a Prior Information Notice – 2024/S 000-020434 (under Public Contracts Regulations 2015).
CPV: Tree pruning · Tree pruning and hedge trimming
Lots and requirements (4)Procurement structure
4 lots · all with a published value (£4,000,000 together) · win at most 2 of them · same conditions of participation on every lot · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1BCC Park TreesAwardedRenewalPublished value£1,000,000
Lot 1 – BCC Park Trees maintenance, covering all the Councils parks and open spaces, zoo and cemeteries etc.
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
- Economic & financial standing
Explained in ITT document
- Technical & professional ability
Explained in ITT document
Lot #2DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast North/CentralAwardedRenewalPublished value£1,000,000
Lot 2 – DFI Street Trees maintenance in the Belfast North/Central areas
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
- Economic & financial standing
Explained in ITT document
- Technical & professional ability
Explained in ITT document
Lot #3DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast South/EastAwardedRenewalPublished value£1,000,000
Lot 3 – DFI Street Trees maintenance in the Belfast South/East areas
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
- Economic & financial standing
Explained in ITT document
- Technical & professional ability
Explained in ITT document
Lot #4DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast West/Lisburn/CastlereaghAwardedRenewalPublished value£1,000,000
Lot 4 – DFI Street Trees maintenance in the Belfast West/Lisburn/Castlereagh areas
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
- Economic & financial standing
Explained in ITT document
- Technical & professional ability
Explained in ITT document
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
How bids were scored · same split on all 4 lots
Published sub-criteria (8)
- Implementation and Mobilisation Plans: 10%
- Work planning and resourcing: 10%
- Standards of Service: 10%
- Contract and Performance Management: 10%
- Out of Hours/ Incident support service: 5%
- Customer Service and Experience: 5%
- Cost Criteria: 35%
- Social Value: 15%
Published award criteria (8)
- Implementation and Mobilisation Plans
- Work planning and resourcing
- Standards of Service
- Contract and Performance Management
- Out of Hours/ Incident support service
- Customer Service and Experience
- Cost Criteria
- Social Value
Lot distribution rule: The Council wishes to appoint a single Bidder for each Lot for the provision of the Deliverables. although a Bidder may be awarded a maximum of 2 Lots should they demonstrate they have the capability and capacity to do so.
Award is restricted to a maximum of 2 Lots per Bidder.
Bidders must submit a Tender for all aspects of the Deliverables within each Lot as specified.
The ITT document explains further how multiple lots is assessed and evaluated including a worked example.
Conditions of participation · identical on every lot2
- Economic & financial standing
Explained in ITT document
- Technical & professional ability
Explained in ITT document
What this means for your bid
- Price carries 35 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Jan 2030
- First published
- 13 Aug 2025, 11:48 BST
- Last source update
- 26 Aug 2025, 14:38 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 7 Jul 2025
- Authority reference
T2496- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-023264- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0518ceFind a Tender
How it was run
Official noticeRun through: Jaggaer · Who buys & how to bid on JAGGAER
Access & registration note: Free; latest Chrome/Edge/Firefox only — corporate browsers fail
- Submission deadline
- 16 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 9 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Timeline
20 May 2025 → 1 Sept 2025 · 8 dates- Tender notice published20 May 2025, 13:54 BST
- Clarification questions by9 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline16 Jun 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by7 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent12 Aug 2025, 00:00 BST
- Standstill ends22 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
- Latest notice published26 Aug 2025, 14:38 BST
- Contract starts1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 May 2025- Tender notice published20 May 2025, 13:54 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published13 Aug 2025, 11:48 BSTUK6
- Contract details notice published26 Aug 2025, 14:38 BSTUK7
- Contract signature expected26 Aug 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecastAwards 4
Awarded value £4,100,0004 awards exc. VAT
Bids received 2925 from SMEs
Contracts signed 4latest 26 Aug 2025
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · BCC Park Trees1 award | |||
| NORTHERN TREE SERVICES LTDSMEArboriculture Services1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030Extensions: The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor. · Options: The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract. | £1,100,000 | 11 Aug 2025 | Awarded |
| Lot 2 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast North/Central1 award | |||
| Mc Auley Tree SurgeryArboriculture Services1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030Extensions: The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor. · Options: The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract. | £1,000,000 | 11 Aug 2025 | Awarded |
| Lot 3 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast South/East1 award | |||
| Mc Auley Tree SurgeryArboriculture Services1 Sept 2025 – 13 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030Extensions: The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor. · Options: The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract. | £1,000,000 | 11 Aug 2025 | Awarded |
| Lot 4 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast West/Lisburn/Castlereagh1 award | |||
| NORTHERN TREE SERVICES LTDSMEArboriculture Services1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030Extensions: The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor. · Options: The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract. | £1,000,000 | 11 Aug 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Arboriculture Services · NORTHERN TREE SERVICES LTDSME
- Signed
- 26 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,100,000
- Period
- 1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor.
- Options
- The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract.
No agreed KPIs: Each Lot consider a procurement/contract and each Lot value is valued <£5m
Arboriculture Services · Mc Auley Tree Surgery
- Signed
- 26 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,000,000
- Period
- 1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor.
- Options
- The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract.
No agreed KPIs: Each Lot consider a procurement/contract and each Lot value is valued <£5m
Arboriculture Services · Mc Auley Tree Surgery
- Signed
- 26 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,000,000
- Period
- 1 Sept 2025 – 13 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor.
- Options
- The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract.
No agreed KPIs: Each Lot consider a procurement/contract and each Lot value is valued <£5m
Arboriculture Services · NORTHERN TREE SERVICES LTDSME
- Signed
- 26 Aug 2025
- Value
- £1,000,000
- Period
- 1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further 3 years (1+1+1). Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor.
- Options
- The Council reserves the right to amend the Specification or re-negotiate the Contract Price during the Contract Period to cater for innovation or developments in the Service requirement e.g. 1. Larger/ more complex project work with a similar scope to the ranges of services under the Contract where completion of the service is a priority e.g. • End of financial year spend from DfI; • Council Physical Programmes department one off projects for tree surgery related requests; • Dealing with serious pest and disease issues which may result in mass tree removals etc; such as ash dieback. 2. Introduce required changes associated with the Service to the Specification to accommodate changes to the Council’s operational model and working practices e.g. functional re-structuring, new customer hub, etc; 3. Introduction of more efficient systems and processes e.g. improvements in data returns; introduction of new work management system etc; 4. In the event of a major incident (e.g. a storm resulting in large scale tree damage/felling) or in the event of continuous poor performance in a Lot(s); the Council may utilise other contractors to ensure service continuity to required standards e.g. a Contractor(s) from one Lot/area may be used in another Lot/ area and/or other contractors not appointed to the Contract may be utilised. If this is availed of due to poor performance Contract remedies may be used in accordance with the terms and conditions i.e. recovery of any additional costs. Any proposed changes are subject to Council approval and compliance with obligations under relevant procurement law i.e. Procurement Act 2023. The Council reserves the right to engage its own staff to undertake any operation highlighted in this Contract.
No agreed KPIs: Each Lot consider a procurement/contract and each Lot value is valued <£5m
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · BCC Park Trees | 8final-stage tenders | 7 | 0 | — |
| 2 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast North/Central | 7final-stage tenders | 6 | 0 | — |
| 3 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast South/East | 7final-stage tenders | 6 | 0 | — |
| 4 · DFI Street Trees maintenance Belfast West/Lisburn/Castlereagh | 7final-stage tenders | 6 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- McAuley Tree Landscaping EnvironmentalAwarded supplier
- Northern Tree Services LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (9)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender