Official UK procurement notice
Kidlington Waste Removal · UK public procurement notice
Authority: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (Public body)·On behalf of: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis contract has been directly awarded under the extreme urgency provisions, as set out in the Transparency Notice published on 6 January 2026 and in the Direct Award Justification of this notice, to mitigate a significant fire risk at the Kidlington waste site identified by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. A fire at this location would have serious consequences for public safety, including air quality impacts from smoke, disruption to critical infrastructure such as the A34 major highway, and risks to the local environment.
The contract covers the full end‑to‑end clearance of approximately 21,000 tonnes of illegally deposited mixed waste at the site. This includes establishing, maintaining, and removing site facilities and access arrangements; testing, removing and disposing of all waste material at appropriately permitted facilities (including all required waste‑transfer documentation); managing site leachate; managing odour; and providing site security throughout the works.
The contract will commence on 19 January 2026. The contract’s initial duration will align with the completion date set out in the first Accepted Programme of the ECC, which is 12th June 2026. The works will then be subject to a 12‑month defects period. The authority may extend the contract to reflect any changes to the completion date under the Accepted Programme.
The target cost for the works is £6,084,563.52. Under the NEC Option C contract model, any changes to this target cost will be managed through the compensation‑event process clearly set out in the ECC. Adjustments to the contract value or contract duration will only occur where compensation events are assessed and agreed in accordance with the contract conditions.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 6 Jan 2026, 15:23 GMT
- Last source update
- 3 Feb 2026, 10:17 GMT
- Authority reference
C32552- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-009313- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-060042Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Urgency
- Published justification
Approximately 21,000 tonnes of mixed waste have been illegally deposited at the site. Independent advice from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) confirms a rapidly increasing fire risk, driven by the volume and composition of the waste, the limited ability to safely access and control a fire if one were to start, and the lack of viable options to contain or manage firewater.
A fire at this location would have a severe impact; including:
- Lead to the closure of the A34, a major transport corridor between the South coast and the Midlands
- Disrupt emergency services, local utilities and essential services
- Cause pollution to the River Cherwell, which would impact on public water abstraction downstream on the River Thames and surrounding environment
- Produce significant smoke affecting nearby communities
These serious risks require immediate intervention to protect public safety, the environment and critical infrastructure because of the increasing risk of spontaneous combustion of the waste and the inability for the OFRS to access the site and tackle any fire. Work needs to start immediately not only to remove the fire risk but also to avoid the upcoming bird nesting season which could impact on site clearance works.
The use of the extreme and unavoidable urgency provision is justified because:
- The situation could not reasonably have been foreseen, arising from an unexpected significant increase in the likelihood of spontaneous combustion at the site identified by OFRS in December.
- The urgency is not attributable to the contracting authority. EA does not clear illegal waste sites, such as this site at Kidlington, except in exceptional circumstances. The decision to clear this site was based on the exceptional circumstances created by the rapidly escalating fire and environmental risks .
- The time limits for any competitive procurement procedure cannot be met without creating unacceptable risk to people, the environment, and critical infrastructure.
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 6 Jan 2026- Transparency notice published6 Jan 2026, 15:23 GMTUK5
- Contract award notice published19 Jan 2026, 17:41 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected19 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published3 Feb 2026, 10:17 GMTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acumen Waste Services LimitedSME19 Jan 2026 – 12 Jun 2027 · up to 12 Jun 2028Extensions: The initial contract term will follow the first Accepted Programme in accordance with the NEC ECC. The Authority may extend the contract where required to reflect any extensions to the programme. | £6,084,564 | 6 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
| Acumen Waste Services LimitedSME | £6,084,564 †same award published again · counted once | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Kidlington Waste Removal · Acumen Waste Services LimitedSME
- Signed
- 19 Jan 2026
- Value
- £6,084,564
- Period
- 20 Jan 2026 – 12 Jun 2027 · up to 12 Jun 2028 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The contract term follows the first Accepted Programme, which sets completion on 12 June 2026. With the 12‑month defects period, the contract end date is June 2027. If the programme is extended, the contract may be extended under NEC
3 agreed KPIs: KPI 1 — Health & Safety Performance · KPI 2 — Waste Disposal Compliance · KPI 3 — Traffic & Access Management Compliance
- KPI 1 — Health & Safety Performance, RIDDOR reportable incidents and significant safety breaches. Target: Zero incidents; corrective actions within 48 hours. Reporting: Immediate notification; monthly and annual summaries. NEC Approach: serious breaches may trigger clause 91.2.
- KPI 2 — Waste Disposal Compliance, Percentage of waste sent to approved, licensed landfill or recycling facilities (as agreed). Target: 100% compliant disposal; corrective actions within 48 hours. Reporting: Monthly reporting with transfer notes; annual compliance summary. NEC Approach: treated as a Defect and corrected at Contractor’s cost.
- KPI 3 — Traffic & Access Management Compliance, Measure: Compliance with the approved Traffic Management Plan (routing, timing, safety, community controls). Target: ≥ 98% compliance; corrective actions within 48 hours. Reporting: Monthly reporting via gate logs/GPS/spot checks; Quarterly summary. NEC Approach: repeated breaches treated as defects.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSProcuring entityProcurement Lead
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Acumen Waste Services LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender