Find a TenderClosedTender notice
Published 18 Sept 2026, 10:07 BST

Official UK procurement notice

CPU 8586 Grounds Maintenance Operated Plant Framework

Official notice

Authority: Nottingham City Council (Local council)

Framework agreementServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Framework ceiling (notional)£400,000framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Submissions closed 30 Oct 2026
Framework period 4 yrsends 20 Dec 2030 · starts 21 Dec 2026
Notice summaryFrom the published notice

Nottingham City Council requires a Framework Agreement for the provision of specialist rural services to support Grounds Maintenance and Vegetation Management in Rural Highways Environments within the boundaries of Nottingham City Council and any future expanded highway area arising from Local Government Reorganisation. Services may include the provision of tractor operators and associated plant and equipment, including agricultural tractors, towable mowers, out-front mowers, flail arms, hedge cutters, embankment flail mowers, remote-controlled slope mowers, and tractor and trailer combinations, to support Highway-related projects.

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Nottingham City Council requires a Framework Agreement for the provision of specialist rural services to support Grounds Maintenance and Vegetation Management in Rural Highways Environments within the boundaries of Nottingham City Council and any future expanded highway area arising from Local Government Reorganisation. Services may include the provision of tractor operators and associated plant and equipment, including agricultural tractors, towable mowers, out-front mowers, flail arms, hedge cutters, embankment flail mowers, remote-controlled slope mowers, and tractor and trailer combinations, to support Highway-related projects.

The Supplier shall provide plant, attachments and operators in accordance with this Contract Specification, the Framework Agreement, the Pricing Schedule, any applicable Call-Off Contract documentation, any site-specific requirements issued by the Authority, and Nottingham City Council's Generic Employers Work Information document and associated Appendices insofar as its requirements are relevant to the activities being undertaken:

  • Highway verge, embankment and rural vegetation management.
  • Grass cutting, flailing, hedge cutting and seasonal vegetation works.
  • Transport and movement of plant where required.
  • Specialist plant support for constrained or complex highway environments.

Subject to suitability, the Council is seeking to appoint up to 3 Contractors to this framework.

The overall framework will have an estimated total value of £400,000 (VAT exclusive)

The duration of the Framework is expected to be for up to 4 years at the Authority's discretion

  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 2 Sept 2030, 23:59 BST.

CPV: Grounds maintenance services · Hire of construction and civil engineering machinery and equipment with operator · Tree pruning and hedge trimming · Tree-maintenance services · Weed-clearance services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Type
Closed framework
Call-offs
call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
Places
up to 3 suppliers
Framework period
4 yrs from 21 Dec 2026
Published description of the framework

Call-offs from the Framework will be made by Direct Award according to the following criteria:

The Employer will assemble a basket of items required to deliver the works, and apply the rates provided by each Contractor to the basket in order to determine the Price for each Contractor.

The contract will be offered first to the Contractor whose basket is best priced.

The Employer will telephone the Contractor selected as first choice for the direct award in accordance with the pricing schedule, to make them aware that a call-off is required and to detail the requirement.

The Contractor will confirm their willingness to undertake the work. If this is not possible immediately, due to the specifics of the requirement, the Contractor will email the Employer within 24 hours, either confirming that they will be undertaking the work, or declining so to do.

Should the first-choice supplier be unable or unwilling to undertake the work, the second-choice supplier will be approached in a similar fashion, and so forth.

The Employer shall email the selected Contractor with the proposal for the works and the appropriate form of contract, priced in accordance with the Framework Pricing Schedule.

The Contractor will return the completed form of contract by email to the Employer within 24 hours, whereupon the Employer will arrange for contract completion.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1 4 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£400,000

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 20%Price: 70%Social value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
  • Price
  • Quality
  • Social Value
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 70 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 7 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
  • “CPU 8586 Grounds Maintenance Operated Plant Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 3 suppliers, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.

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
Closed
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Yes · next expected 2 Sept 2030
First published
18 Sept 2026, 10:07 BST
Last source update
18 Sept 2026, 10:07 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 21 Dec 2026
Authority reference
CPU 8586
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-088505
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Grounds maintenance servicesHire of construction and civil engineering machinery and equipment with operatorTree pruning and hedge trimmingTree-maintenance servicesWeed-clearance services
Delivery area
East Midlands (UKF14)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077511 Find a Tender
Review and risk notes
Risks

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire may be subject to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), a national programme led by central government to restructure two-tier authorities into single unitary councils. This process involves Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, the district/borough councils, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and may lead to changes in governance, boundaries and service delivery arrangements that could affect this contract. Tenderers should therefore note that organisational and contractual arrangements may need to adapt in line with any LGR implementation

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: portal not identified
Electronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Appointment period ends
30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

18 Sept 2026 → 21 Dec 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published45 days ago
    18 Sept 2026, 10:07 BST
  2. Clarification questions by10 days ago
    23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Admission / appointment period ends3 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
    30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
  4. Today
    3 Nov 2026
  5. Contract startsin 47 days
    21 Dec 2026
  6. Award decision expected byin 48 days
    21 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Tender notice published
    18 Sept 2026, 10:07 BST
    UK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Nottingham City Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PZGG-1891-TDCX Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, East Midlands, NG2 3NGContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender