Provision of Core Surfacing 2024- 2027

The Council is conducting the procurement using the open procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR”) for the purpose of procuring the works described in the Specification (Works).

The highways team within Cumberland Council is responsible for a £7.2 billion highways asset comprising:

Ø 3,400km carriageway including:

Ø 672 km of A Class Roads (Primary Route Network);

Ø 2,940 km of B and C Class Roads (Non- Primary Route Network);

Ø 4,150 km of Unclassified roads

Ø 2,000km footways and cycle ways

Ø 75,000 highway gullies

Ø 35,000 street lighting columns

Ø 1,050 structures (bridges, culverts)

The Works are anticipated to include delivery of Core Highway Surfacing schemes within the geographical area of Cumberland Council.

The schemes will generally involve the maintenance and repair of existing highways including, inlay, overlay and partial or full reconstruction. The Works will generally not consist of patching, or small-scale resurfacing schemes although patching may form part of wider surfacing schemes.

The Contract terms and conditions will be based on the NEC3 Term Service Contract template with the Council standard X and Z clauses and any schemes procured will be the subject of a Task Order. Typical individual Task Order values vary from £50,000 to £250,000 but may be less than £10,000 or in excess £1m.

The Contractor will be required to work with the Client in a collaborative fashion broadly following the principles of ISO 4400.

This contract requires compliance with the National Highways Sector Scheme 16 (NHSS16) which covers the Quality Management of the Laying of Asphalt Mixes. Any Tender which does not meet NHSS16 will not be assessed and will not be awarded the contract. Additional information: 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.

The value provided in Section II.1.7 is only an estimate.and would be the maximum contract spend.