Official UK procurement notice
Dorset Highways Contractor Resource (Top up labour) Framework
Authority: Dorset Council (Local council)·Consortium: 2 public authorities
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionDorset Council is to set up a framework for the provision of labour support including traffic management, skilled and semi-skilled highway maintenance operatives, LGV drivers and specialist trades (bricklayer/ stone mason, carpenter/ shuttering carpenter, welder, blacksmith, steel fixer, kerb layer, slab and block layer). These roles will support the delivery of highway maintenance and construction projects in the Dorset area (including the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area).
The framework will be split into 4 lots.
CPV: Blacksmith services · Construction work for highways · Construction work for highways, roads · Joinery and carpentry installation work · Masonry and bricklaying work · Road construction works · Road-maintenance works · Structural steelworks · Traffic control services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Framework period
- 4 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 14 Jun 2026
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedWhat 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).
- “Dorset Highways Contractor Resource (Top up labour) Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Dorset Council buys Joinery and carpentry installation work (CPV 4542), and who usually turns up
Dorset Council’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Joinery and carpentry installation work (CPV 4542) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in South West England.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 86 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid0% / 0%
2–313% / 17%
4–647% / 17%
7+40% / 67%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Our matching links this notice to “Dorset Highways Contractor Resource (Labour Top – Up) Framework” of this authority, but none of the 19 panel members sit in a category matching this notice.
Lot #1CPV 4542Published estimate£25m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 174 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid1%
2–317%
4–617%
7+64%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Recruitment LtdEarlier contract | Dorset Highways Contractor Resource (Labour Top – Up) Frameworknotice published Jan 2021 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 16 Apr 2026, 10:56 BST
- Last source update
- 16 Apr 2026, 11:18 BST
- Authority reference
CP/PH/00028- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-034577- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0683dcFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- —
Timeline
16 Apr 2026 → 14 Jun 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published189 days ago16 Apr 2026, 10:56 BST
- Market engagement175 days ago30 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is not a call for competition. It is being published to give notice to the market of an upcoming procurement.
Dorset Council is undertaking early market engagement, with the aim of providing information to and requesting feedback from the market, about aspects of the Council's procurement strategy for the provision of labour support including traffic management, skilled and semi-skilled highway maintenance operatives, LGV drivers and specialist trades (bricklayer/ stone mason, carpenter/ shuttering carpenter, welder, blacksmith, steel fixer, kerb layer, slab and block layer). These roles will support the delivery of highway maintenance and construction projects in the Dorset area (including the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area).
Any procurement will be carried out in accordance with relevant Procurement Regulations.
Dorset Council may commence one or more procurements in respect of this notice subject to final scope and structure, but also reserves the right not to commence any procurement in respect of this notice.
Dorset Council shall not be liable for any losses incurred by any party as a result of reliance on the information contained/linked herein.
The procurement has traditionally been split into nine individual Lots but from experience, it is considered that this may be rationalised into 4 Lots (consisting of Traffic management/ Specialist Trades/ skilled and semi-skilled highways operatives/ LGV Drivers).
Any arrangements are proposed to be in place by June 2026; and will last for a proposed initial period of 4 years.
The information contained in this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is preliminary in nature and may be subject to further amendment and revision. Accordingly, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, will be made and no liability is, or will be, accepted by the Council as to the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of this document. Any liability however arising is expressly disclaimed.
No expense in responding to this market engagement will be reimbursed by the Council.
Any arrangement is proposed to commence on the 14th June 2026; and will last for a proposed initial period of 4 years.
We envisage that the market engagement will feed into the requirements and as such, we reserve the right to alter the above information for the benefit of both Dorset Council and the market.
If organisations wish to participate in this market engagement exercise, please request a copy of the EOI form from Dorset Procurement at [email protected]. The deadline for requests for the form is 28th April 2026.
- Tender notice expected164 days ago11 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts131 days ago14 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Apr 2026- Pipeline notice published16 Apr 2026, 10:56 BSTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Apr 2026, 11:18 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole CouncilContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender