Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Gunn Road Mains Cold Water Upgrade 2026

Authority: Dartford Borough Council (Local council)

WorksBelow threshold - open competitionBelow thresholdSME suitable
Published estimate£150,000£180,000 inc. VAT
Submission deadline 10 Nov 202612:00 GMT · 28d 7h left
Clarification cut-off 28 Oct 202617:00 GMT · questions to the authority
Contract term 4 moends 31 Mar 2027 · starts 1 Dec 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Council invites you to tender for the Gunn Road Mains Cold Water Upgrade 2026.

Full details of the project, including the Specification and associated appendices, can be obtained by registering a formal expression of interest for this opportunity on the Kent Business Portal: www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:

https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Dartford:-Water-installations./A2K2WZ67VB

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:

https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/A2K2WZ67VB

CPV: Water installations · Works related to water-distribution pipelines

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1 4 moSMEPublished value£150,000
Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 — 31 Mar 2027 (4 mo)Eligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: South EastTurnover guideline: ~£300,000/yr≈ 2× annual value
Value
£150,000 exc. VAT · £180,000 inc. VAT
39370000 Water installations45232150 Works related to water-distribution pipelines

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

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 are scored
Quality: 32%Price: 60%Social value: 3%Environmental: 5%
Published sub-criteria (10)
  • Technical and Professional Ability — 9%
  • Procedures, Risk Assessment and Method Statement — 7%
  • Delivery – meeting timescales — 4%
  • Delivery – dealing with variations — 4%
  • Contract Management – measuring performance — 4%
  • Contract Management – complaint management — 4%
  • Price — 60%
  • Social Value — 3%
  • Environmental Impact – carbon footprint — 3%
  • Environmental Impact – Water Security — 2%
Published award criteria (10)
  • Price
  • Technical and Professional Ability — Technical Ability
  • Procedures, Risk Assessment and Method Statement — RA
  • Delivery – meeting timescales — Delivery
  • Delivery – dealing with variations — Delivery
  • Contract Management – measuring performance — Performance
  • Contract Management – complaint management — Complaints
  • Social Value
  • Environmental Impact – carbon footprint — Environmental
  • Environmental Impact – Water Security — Environmental

No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 60 of 100 points — a 10% discount moves about 6 points. This one is won on the number — sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
  • Turnover usually expected at this size: about £300,000 (twice the annual value).

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring — the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How Dartford Borough Council buys Construction work for pipelines, communication and power lines, for highways, roads, airfields and railways; flatwork (CPV 4523) — and who usually turns up

Dartford Borough Council’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Construction work for pipelines, communication and power lines, for highways, roads, airfields and railways; flatwork (CPV 4523) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

How often do SMEs win?
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.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 15 of 17 known-size awards · market: CPV 4523 · South East England, n=83
88%75%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
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 registered in South East England.

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 13 of 26 known-location awards · market: CPV 4523 · South East England, n=135
50%45%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in South East England.

How long to a decision?
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.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 4 decided notices · market: CPV 4523 · South East England, n=22
108 days32 days

Half of these awards were announced within 108 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: exactly 21 of 28 procurements with awards had no recorded rival · market: CPV 4523 · South East England, n=134
75%23%

Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.

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.

Last 36 months.

This buyer9 lots with bid counts · all categories
0% had one bid
The market22 lots with bid counts · CPV 4523 · South East England
0% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid0% / 0%
Buyer: 0 of 9 lots with published bid counts. Market: 0 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
2–311% / 36%
Buyer: 1 of 9 lots with published bid counts. Market: 8 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
4–633% / 23%
Buyer: 3 of 9 lots with published bid counts. Market: 5 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
7+56% / 41%
Buyer: 5 of 9 lots with published bid counts. Market: 9 of 22 lots with published bid counts.

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.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

This buyer6 lots with estimate and award · all categories
33% below estimate
The market31 lots with estimate and award · CPV 4523 · South East England
58% below estimate
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
Below estimate33% / 58%
Buyer: 2 of 6 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 18 of 31 lots with an estimate and award.
Within ±2%50% / 23%
Buyer: 3 of 6 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 7 of 31 lots with an estimate and award.
Above estimate17% / 19%
Buyer: 1 of 6 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 6 of 31 lots with an estimate and award.
2

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.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors — from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1CPV 45234 monthsSME suitablePublished estimate£150k
Expected competition
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.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

5expected bids2% single-bid risk
forecast from 51 past contests
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid2%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 2%. This is a forecast.
2–310%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 10%. This is a forecast.
4–614%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 14%. This is a forecast.
7+74%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 74%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the winning price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

Based on 28 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A guide, not a price to bid.

£140k7% below estimate
28 comparable awards
Forecast compared with the buyer’s estimate
Middle 50%£123k–£150k
Half of likely prices fall between £123,439 and £150,000.
Estimate£150k
The buyer published an estimate of £150,000 for this lot.
A 25% chance the award lands exactly on the estimate.

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.

SupplierThis buyer’s earlier contractLotAward valueMatch
—

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.

SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
8 wins in South East England5 panel places
£4.2m43 awards in 36m · last this month5 live · £446k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=10
2 wins in South East England
£2.7m4 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago2 live · £420k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

3% above n=2
2 wins in South East England
£1.1m6 awards in 36m · last this month2 live · £483k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

15% below n=3
1 win in South East England
£825k3 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago2 live · £528k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 win in South East England1 panel places
£5.0m3 awards in 36m · last 7 months ago1 live · £5.0m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=1
Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each figure explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two sides are never blended. A lot’s own market is read at its delivery region where the lot names one; where it names several, or none that can be resolved, the chart falls back to the UK-wide record for the same category and says so under the bar. An empty cell means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • When we call out a difference. A buyer figure is only flagged against the market when the sample is large enough that the gap is unlikely to be chance; at most two callouts appear, always phrased as a comparison with both numbers and the sample size.
  • Coverage (re-measured 5 Oct on the live record, 94,497 awarded procedures of the last three years). 51 % publish a bid count and 72 % a delivery region, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice names none, labelled. Of the 17,687 award-vs-estimate pairs, 34 % sit exactly on the estimate — the buyer published the award at the figure it advertised. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden, and a distribution is not drawn as percentages below ten observations.
  • “Match”, text similarity, the expected-bid figure and the distribution drawn beneath it are model outputs, not published facts or win probabilities. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Below threshold - open competition
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Works
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Below threshold
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BST
Last source update
12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BST
Authority reference
DBC00064
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-096225
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Water installationsWorks related to water-distribution pipelines
Delivery area
South East (UKJ4)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0785e4 Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Submit via ProContract (Due North)
Submission portal named on this notice: ProContract (Due North) · Who buys & how to bid on ProContract
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowed
Access & registration note: Free · short registration with manual review; public opportunity list
Requests to participate (first stage)
—
Tender submission deadline
10 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
28 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Published estimate £150,000 excludes VAT (£180,000 including VAT).

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice published1 day ago
    12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BST
  2. Clarification questions byin 16 days
    28 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadlinein 28 days
    10 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
  4. Contract startsin 49 days
    1 Dec 2026

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 12 Oct 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BSTUK4
  2. First tender notice published
    12 Oct 2026, 16:00 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Dartford Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PZJD-3364-WHJT Civic Centre, Home Gardens, Dartford, South East, DA1 1DRContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender