Official UK procurement notice
Prioritised Capital Improvements Programme - School Properties 2026-28
Authority: Cumberland Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis is a Procurement Re-wind in relation to UK4 Tender Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-084612.
If you have previously submitted a tender under the existing process and wish to participate in the re-wound process, you will need to submit a replacement tender in accordance with the updated tender documentation. The updated documents can be found on the-chest.org.uk ↗ under Project information Reference DN828549. Submission to be made via The Chest portal only.
This notice is being issued in accordance with section 31(5) of the Procurement Act 2023 which requires the authority to revise, republish or provide again the tender notice and any associated tender documents affected by any modifications made under section 31(1) of that Act. In this case as we are rewinding the process to the pre-tender stage which enables us to make modifications to it under s31(1).
Cumberland Council, Programme Management Office is seeking to appoint two professional services providers, namely Architects, Building Surveyors, and Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, structural engineers and quantity surveyors to facilitate delivery of the schools prioritised capital improvements (PCI) programme for the financial year 2027/28.
It is anticipated that much of the construction work will take place during periods of school holidays, primarily summer breaks. However, some work with agreement of the particular school may be able to be conducted through the live school environment which should be explored during the scoping phase of the commission.
Each successful consultant will be distributed works into their individual programme; each will be balanced (where possible) based upon the number of projects and their respective estimated construction values. The Council holds all decisions relating to both programmes and how the projects within are allocated.
The contract is anticipated to commence on the 4th January 2027 and will continue for a period of approximately 27 months, unless terminated in accordance with the Conditions of Contract.
The estimated total value of the contract over the total contract period (including any extension period) is a maximum value of £1,500,000 but no guarantee is given as to the actual value of the contract.
CPV: Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£1,500,000
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 (3)
- Quality
- Price
- Social Value
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £1,338,699 (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 Cumberland Council buys Architectural, construction, engineering (CPV 71), and who usually turns up
Cumberland 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: Architectural, construction, engineering (CPV 71) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
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.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
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 North West England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside North West England.
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 22 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.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
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.
1 bid10% / 14%
2–320% / 22%
4–620% / 23%
7+50% / 41%
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 estimate67% / 46%
Within ±2%33% / 33%
Above estimate0% / 22%
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 #1Published estimate£1.5m
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.
1 bid9%
2–314%
4–617%
7+60%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 76 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£1.4m–£1.5m
Estimate£1.5m
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 | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Econometrics LtdWorked for this buyer | Economic and Inclusive Growth Strategy and Place Plansnotice published Aug 2024 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| Inspectas Compliance LtdWorked for this buyer | Asbestos Management Surveys and Asbestos Reinspection Surveys to Cumberland Schools and Corporate Propertiesnotice published May 2024 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
WSP UK LimitedLarge | £487m119 awards in 36m · last this month | 45 live · £411m iPublic 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=17 |
| £60m132 awards in 36m · last this month | 31 live · £19m iPublic 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=27 | |
AECOM LIMITEDLarge | £59m128 awards in 36m · last this month | 28 live · £38m iPublic 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. | 8% below n=26 |
| £20m86 awards in 36m · last this month | 20 live · £6.5m iPublic 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% below n=2 | |
| £4.8m17 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 3 live · £459k iPublic 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. | 37% below n=10 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
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
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 21 Oct 2026, 17:30 BST
- Last source update
- 21 Oct 2026, 17:30 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 4 Dec 2026
- Authority reference
DN828549- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-099707- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078d58Find a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Suppliers wishing to express an interest and obtain access to the tender documents should go to www.the-chest.org.uk ↗ and click on current opportunities from the navigation area on the left of the screen. On the next screen enter the contract Reference DN828549 in the box labelled 'contains' then click search. Click on the Blue link for the contract title to view the opportunity. If you have previously submitted a tender under the existing process and wish to participate in the re-wound process, you will need to submit a replacement tender in accordance with the updated tender documentation. Submissions to be made via The Chest portal only by the submission date and time specified.
Cumberland Council is fully supportive of all aspects of diversity including ethnicity, race, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. In this respect Cumberland Council welcomes expressions of interest from ethnic minority, disabled and other diverse business communities and the voluntary sector. Economic operators are therefore required to fully comply with all statutory obligations/applicable legislation and there will be a requirement to participate in the authority's supplier audits on all aspects of diversity.
The contracting authority expressly reserves the right:
(i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and
(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will the contracting authority be liable for any costs incurred by the candidates. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers.
The contracting authority reserve the right to use any electronic portal during the life of the agreement.
Timeline
21 Oct 2026 → 4 Jan 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice publishedearlier today21 Oct 2026, 17:30 BST
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 8 days30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 25 days16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 44 days4 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 74 days4 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published21 Oct 2026, 17:30 BSTUK4
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications To express an interest you will need to login. If you are not already registered on the www.the-chest.org.uk you will need to return to the home page and click on Register. Register free link in the navigation area on the left of the screen. Registration is free of charge and you…
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender