Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 20 Mar 2026, 10:31 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Play Area Surfacing Framework

Official notice

Authority: Chelmsford City Council (Local council)

Framework agreementWorksBelow threshold - open competitionBelow thresholdSME suitable

Sectors: Construction & Civil Engineering (45) Delivery: East of England (UKH36)

Framework ceiling (notional)£1,000,000framework ceiling, not attributable revenue

Submissions closed 22 Apr 2026awarded 19 May 2026

Awarded to Abacus Playgrounds Ltd +2 more

Framework period 4 yrsends 31 May 2030 · starts 1 Jun 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Chelmsford City Council, in the heart of Essex, has within its stated priorities the creation and development of high-quality public spaces.

Seventeen of Chelmsford City Council’s main parks across the city received the Green Flag status in 2021 with two new sites- Galleywood Common and Frankland fields receiving a green flag award for the first-time last year. The council owns around 100 play areas and as part of their maintenance plan will establish a framework of up to six suitable suppliers for the provision of Play Area Surfacing.

Appointment to the framework will recognise excellence in the provision of wet-pour play surfaces, and only those companies selected for inclusion on the framework agreement will be asked to provide quotations for the playground refurbishment projects throughout the life of the framework agreement.

This tender exercise is designed to select suppliers for inclusion on the framework agreement subsequent requests for quotations for individual projects will then be issued to all providers on the framework.

All call off contracts for works under the terms of the framework agreement will be the subject of a mini-competition and confirmed by a Chelmsford City Council Official Order.

CPV: Resurfacing works · Surfacing work except for roads

How this framework works

From the published notice

Type: Closed framework
Call-offs: every call-off is a further competition among the appointed suppliers
Places: up to 6 suppliers · 3 bids received (0.5 per place) · 3 appointed
Framework period: 4 yrs from 1 Jun 2026

Published description of the framework

Suppliers selected for inclusion on the framework agreement will be asked to provide quotations for the playground refurbishment projects throughout the life of the framework agreement.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published

Lot #1Awarded 4 yrsPublished value£1,000,000

Contract period: 1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030 (4 yrs)Value: £1,000,000 exc. VAT · £1,000,000 inc. VAT

45233250 Surfacing work except for roads 45233251 Resurfacing works

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 were scored

Quality: 70%Price: 20%Social value: 10%

Published sub-criteria (3)

RAMS , Guarantee and safety policies: 70%
Price: 20%
Social Value: 10%

Published award criteria (3)

RAMS , Guarantee and safety policies
Price
Social Value

What this means for your bid

Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
“Play Area Surfacing Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 6 suppliers, not a single contract: each call-off is a further competition, so the pricing contest starts after appointment.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

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: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Below threshold
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: 20 Mar 2026, 10:31 GMT
Last source update: 15 Jul 2026, 14:29 BST
Authority reference: CCC/2026/PLAYAREASURFACE
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-025610
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Resurfacing worksSurfacing work except for roads
Delivery area: East of England (UKH36)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-066fff Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: Delta eSourcing · Who buys & how to bid on Delta

Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowed

Access & registration note: Free Select account; no DUNS asked at signup

Appointment period ends: 22 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline: 13 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

www.delta-esourcing.com ↗

Timeline

20 Mar 2026 → 15 Jul 2026 · 5 dates

Tender notice published214 days ago
20 Mar 2026, 10:31 GMT
Clarification questions by190 days ago
13 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Admission / appointment period ends181 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
22 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Contract starts142 days ago
1 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
Latest notice published97 days ago
15 Jul 2026, 14:29 BST

Notice history

5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Mar 2026

Tender notice published
20 Mar 2026, 10:31 GMT
UK4
Contract award notice published
20 May 2026, 16:34 BST
UK6
Status changed to complete
20 May 2026, 16:34 BST
Contract signature expected
29 May 2026, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract details notice published
15 Jul 2026, 14:29 BST
UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Suppliers appointed 31 award · see the list ↓

Bids received 33 from SMEs

Contracts signed 1latest 29 May 2026

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Abacus Playgrounds LtdSME, DCM Projects LtdSME, Soft Surfaces LimitedSME1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2028 · up to 30 May 2030Extensions: An optional 12‐month extension, giving a total contract extension of up to 24 months.	£1,000,000 inc. VAT	19 May 2026	Awarded

Contracts

Contract 1 · Abacus Playgrounds LtdSME, DCM Projects LtdSME, Soft Surfaces LimitedSME
Signed
29 May 2026
Value
£1,000,000 inc. VAT
Period
1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2028 · up to 30 Jun 2030 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
An optional 12‐month extension, giving a total contract extension of up to 24 months.

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
3final-stage tenders	3	0	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Chelmsford City Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PYRZ-1467-WNJW Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, East of England, CM11JEContact name, email, phone

Framework contractors & participating bidders

3 commercial parties on the notice

Abacus Playground LimitedFramework contractorGB-COH: 02992616 Unit 1 Orbital One, Green Street, Green Road, Dartford,, Kent, South East, DA1 1QGContact name, email
DCM Projects LtdFramework contractorGB-COH: 03060788 Wigan Road Leyland PR25 5XW, Leyland, North West, PR25 5XWContact name, email
Soft Surfaces LimitedFramework contractorGB-COH: 03400473 Water House, 35 Water Lane, Wilmslow,, Cheshire, North West, SK9 5ARContact name, email

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Technical specifications tenderTechnical specificationsTo respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/E3P4N9P728
Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsTo respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/E3P4N9P728

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender15 Jul 2026, 14:29 BST
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender20 May 2026, 16:34 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender20 Mar 2026, 10:31 GMT