Official UK procurement notice
Invitation to Tender for Tree Maintenance 2026 – 2030
Authority: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Council identified its requirement to establish a Framework Agreement (“Contract”) to appoint three (3) suitably qualified and experienced Contractor’s.
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (“the Council”), under the care of the Council’s Urban Forestry Unit deals with the inspection and maintenance of the Council's tree stock. These works are primarily on highways, parks and open spaces, although they do carry out work on all other Council land where trees are located at the request of the Land Manager.
Additional work is undertaken for the Neighbourhoods Directorate within the gardens of tenanted homes and sheltered accommodation, Sandwell Leisure Trust, Cultural Services, Sandwell Education Authority and Highways Maintenance. The Council does not assist with work on trees located on private land unless it is deemed to be dead, diseased or dangerous.
All trees that fall under the ownership or management of the Council are protected. Therefore, it is illegal for anyone other than, instructed and approved tree surgeons to prune, fell or carry out any form of works to these trees.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Apr 2030, 23:59 BST.
CPV: Horticultural services · Tree pruning
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 3 suppliers · 9 bids received (3.0 per place) · 3 appointed (full)
- Framework period
- 4 yrs from 1 Oct 2026
Published description of the framework
The Council shall determine on an individual project basis throughout the term of this Contract which particular Services it shall require from time to time based on those Services identified in the Council’s Invitation to Tender. If the Council decides to source services through the Contract then it may:
Directly Call-Off services (those as covered within the schedule of rates submitted as part of the tender submissions) in accordance with the terms laid down in the Invitation to Tender.
Call-Off services by way of Mini-Competition between the 3 contractors on the framework based upon the Lowest Price offered.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£2,400,000
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Price
- Quality
- 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.
- “Invitation to Tender for Tree Maintenance 2026 – 2030” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 3 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
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
- 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 1 Apr 2030
- First published
- 9 Jul 2026, 09:44 BST
- Last source update
- 29 Sept 2026, 14:28 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 24 Aug 2026
- Authority reference
SMBC 25034- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-064493- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c703Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 10 Aug 2026, 15:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 3 Aug 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
9 Jul 2026 → 8 Oct 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published106 days ago9 Jul 2026, 09:44 BST
- Clarification questions by81 days ago3 Aug 2026, 17:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period ends74 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown10 Aug 2026, 15:00 BST
- Award decision expected by60 days ago24 Aug 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent25 days ago29 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published24 days ago29 Sept 2026, 14:28 BST
- Contract starts23 days ago1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Standstill ends15 days ago8 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Jul 2026- Tender notice published9 Jul 2026, 09:44 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published29 Sept 2026, 14:28 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete29 Sept 2026, 14:28 BST
- Contract signature expected31 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Environmental Management GroupSME, Gristwood and Toms LimitedSME, Heartwood Tree Surgeons LtdTree Maintenance Services 2026 - 20301 Nov 2026 – 31 Oct 2030 | £2,400,000 | 29 Sept 2026standstill to 8 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9final-stage tenders · 11 at stage one | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
3 commercial parties on the notice- Acorn Environmental Management GroupFramework contractor
- Gristwood & Toms LimitedFramework contractor
- Heartwood Tree Surgeons LimitedFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender