Official UK procurement notice
Milewater Operations Building Development
Authority: Belfast Harbour (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionBHC is seeking expressions of interest from the contractors who are interested in tendering for the construction of a proposed three-storey extension to the existing Operations Engineering Workshop to provide a replacement Port Operations Control Centre, incorporating office accommodation and staff welfare facilities and all associated site works. The approximate Gross Internal Area is 1,155sqm.
Further information regarding this opportunity is available within the pre-qualification documents available at the weblink provided in this notice.
- Two-stage procedure: up to 6 candidates will be invited to tender.
- How the procedure runs: It is anticipated that the tender process will proceed through the following stages: 1. Tender Notice published and pre-qualification documentation made available. 2. Pre-Qualification submissions evaluated and shortlist of Applicants selected. 3. Invitation to tender and associated documents issued to shortlisted Applicants. 4. Tender submissions evaluated. 5. Optional BAFO/value engineering stage. 6. BAFO submissions (if requested) evaluated. 7. Issue assessment summaries and publish contract award notice 8. Standstill period 9. Contract award finalised BHC reserves the right at any time to: • Reject any or all responses and to cancel or withdraw from this tender process at any time; • Award a contract without prior notice; • Change the basis of, the procedures and timescales set out or referred to within the tender documents; • Require a bidder to clarify any submissions in writing and/or to provide additional information. The costs of responding to this notice and participation in this process will be borne by each bidder. All discussions and correspondence will be deemed strictly subject to contract until a formal contract is entered into. The formal contract shall not be binding until it has been signed and dated by the duly authorised representatives of both parties. If at any time during the tender process or post award it comes to the attention of BHC (by whatever means) that a supplier has become 'excluded' or 'excludable' (as defined by section 57 of the Procurement Act 2023) BHC, after complying with its obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, reserves the right to exclude that supplier from the procurement process or terminate any contract awarded to that supplier. Applicants are advised that BHC has appointed certain independent professional services firms to act on its behalf in relation to this procurement process, as named in the PreQualification Questionnaire. Given these parties' prior involvement in the preparation for and/or during the procurement process, none of these parties may be part of an Applicant's team or advisors in relation to this procurement process. Applicants must not contact these parties, directly or indirectly, with a view to obtaining information in relation to this procurement process. All requests for clarification must be submitted strictly in accordance with the clarification procedure set out in this document.
CPV: Building completion work · Building construction work · Building demolition and wrecking work and earthmoving work · Electrical installation work · Insulation work · Mechanical installations · Plumbing and sanitary works
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£5,700,000
- Value
- £5,700,000 exc. VAT · £6,840,000 inc. VAT
- Second stage
- up to 6 candidates invited to tender
- Condition of participationSubject to a sufficient number of compliant responses being received, BHC intends (according to the process described in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) to invite a maximum of the top 6 (six) ranked compliant Applicants to the invitation to tender stage of the process, provided that BHC, acting at its discretion, reserves the right to invite less than 6 (six) Applicants to tender. Where there is a tie for 6th (sixth) place, all Applicants in 6th (sixth) place will be invited to tender. For the purposes of this exercise, a tie for 6th (sixth) place is deemed to occur where two or more Applicants have identical scores. shortlisting
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 sub-criteria (2)
- Tender quality — 40%
- Tender price — 60%
Published award criteria (2)
- Tender price — As per tender documentation
- Tender quality — As per tender documentation
- Condition of participationSubject to a sufficient number of compliant responses being received, BHC intends (according to the process described in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) to invite a maximum of the top 6 (six) ranked compliant Applicants to the invitation to tender stage of the process, provided that BHC, acting at its discretion, reserves the right to invite less than 6 (six) Applicants to tender. Where there is a tie for 6th (sixth) place, all Applicants in 6th (sixth) place will be invited to tender. For the purposes of this exercise, a tie for 6th (sixth) place is deemed to occur where two or more Applicants have identical scores. shortlisting
- 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 £9,721,963 (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 Belfast Harbour buys Building demolition and wrecking work and earthmoving work (CPV 4511) — and who usually turns up
Belfast Harbour’s own published record, next to the Northern Ireland market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Building demolition and wrecking work and earthmoving work (CPV 4511) →
How the contest usually goes
This buyer’s published record next to the market where the work is delivered — contested contracts only, counted per lot
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.
No winner size data published for this authority.
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 Northern Ireland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Winner locations not published for this authority. Local means a registered address in Northern Ireland.
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 29 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.
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.
No award or bid-count records published for this authority.
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 bid86% / 11%
2–314% / 19%
4–60% / 48%
7+0% / 22%
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.
Below estimate19%
Within ±2%31%
Above estimate50%
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
Lot #1CPV 4511Published estimate£5,700,000
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 27 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid11%
2–319%
4–648%
7+22%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A guide, 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 | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | ||||
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.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | ||||
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
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Works
- Notice status
- Requests to participate open
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 9 Oct 2026, 13:06 BST
- Last source update
- 9 Oct 2026, 13:06 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end — 1 May 2027
- Authority reference
P.447- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-095664- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0784c0Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
- Refer to draft Conditions of Contract. Contract value is estimated between £5.5-6.5 million (ex VAT). The Total value stated above therefore represents the upper end of BHC's best estimate of the total potential cost of the contract. Applicants should note that: • BHC reserves the right to require bonds, deposits, guarantees or other forms of security to ensure proper contractual performance. The financial capacity conditions of participation for this tender process (as set out in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) also set out specific requirements in this regard. • Subject to the status and involvement of the parties, BHC may require the parties to commit to joint and several liability in respect of the contract. Alternatively, BHC may require the lead operator to take total responsibility or a consortium to form a legal entity before entering into any contract.
- How it runs
- It is anticipated that the tender process will proceed through the following stages: 1. Tender Notice published and pre-qualification documentation made available. 2. Pre-Qualification submissions evaluated and shortlist of Applicants selected. 3. Invitation to tender and associated documents issued to shortlisted Applicants. 4. Tender submissions evaluated. 5. Optional BAFO/value engineering stage. 6. BAFO submissions (if requested) evaluated. 7. Issue assessment summaries and publish contract award notice 8. Standstill period 9. Contract award finalised BHC reserves the right at any time to: • Reject any or all responses and to cancel or withdraw from this tender process at any time; • Award a contract without prior notice; • Change the basis of, the procedures and timescales set out or referred to within the tender documents; • Require a bidder to clarify any submissions in writing and/or to provide additional information. The costs of responding to this notice and participation in this process will be borne by each bidder. All discussions and correspondence will be deemed strictly subject to contract until a formal contract is entered into. The formal contract shall not be binding until it has been signed and dated by the duly authorised representatives of both parties. If at any time during the tender process or post award it comes to the attention of BHC (by whatever means) that a supplier has become 'excluded' or 'excludable' (as defined by section 57 of the Procurement Act 2023) BHC, after complying with its obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, reserves the right to exclude that supplier from the procurement process or terminate any contract awarded to that supplier. Applicants are advised that BHC has appointed certain independent professional services firms to act on its behalf in relation to this procurement process, as named in the PreQualification Questionnaire. Given these parties' prior involvement in the preparation for and/or during the procurement process, none of these parties may be part of an Applicant's team or advisors in relation to this procurement process. Applicants must not contact these parties, directly or indirectly, with a view to obtaining information in relation to this procurement process. All requests for clarification must be submitted strictly in accordance with the clarification procedure set out in this document.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via portal- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Tender submission deadline
- 13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 4 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Not allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Shortlist
- up to 6 candidates invited to tender
Timeline
5 published dates · Europe/London- Tender notice published1 day ago9 Oct 2026, 13:06 BST
- Clarification questions byin 25 days4 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 34 days13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Contract startsin 203 days1 May 2027, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected byin 204 days1 May 2027, 23:59 BST
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 9 Oct 2026- Tender notice published9 Oct 2026, 13:06 BSTUK4
- First tender notice published9 Oct 2026, 13:06 BST
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications List of associated tender documents is provided in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, which is available at https://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/corporate/tenders
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender