West Northamptonshire Council – Term Maintenance Contracts (Pre-Market Engagement) Specialist Works

Pre-Market Engagement (PME) Notice – Term Maintenance Contracts - Specialist Trade(s) & Works

West Northamptonshire Council is launching a Pre-Market Engagement exercise to shape the future procurement of Term Maintenance Contracts, scheduled for formal launch in September 2025. This initiative is designed to engage the market early, gather supplier feedback, and inform contract strategy across a wide range of building and estate maintenance services.

Following local government reorganisation in 2022, the Council seeks to move beyond interim arrangements by establishing long-term contracts that promote strategic partnerships, reduce frequent procurement cycles, and comply with current legislation including the Procurement Act and the Building Safety Act.

Key Objectives:

*Foster collaborative supplier relationships

*Encourage involvement from national and local providers

*Promote transparency, compliance, and community benefit

*Strengthen local supply chains and workforce development

*Use familiar standard contract forms

*Enable training and CPD opportunities

Procurement Strategy:

*Frameworks and single supplier arrangements

*Clearly defined service-area lots (e.g. roofing, fire systems, catering equipment)

*Mix of mini-competitions and direct awards (where appropriate)

*Flexible framework duration (up to 8 years), with reopening options

Procurement Area Specialist:

• Roller and automatic doors, gates and shutters:   Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*firefighting systems (fire hoses, dry risers, west risers, fire and oxide protection, other firefighting systems including equipment), fire suppression systems (sprinklers, deluge systems, gas firefighting, foam firefighting, other fire suppression).  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

• Play equipment design, installation, maintenance and inspections  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings .

*Catering equipment – design, install, maintenance inspections and servicing.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*Space heating and air conditioning – central heating, local heating, central cooling, local cooling, central heating and cooling systems, local central and heating systems central air conditioning and local air conditioning.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*Ventilation systems – central ventilation, local and specialist ventilation and smoke extract/control.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*Lifts and conveyor installations – lifts, escalators, moving pavements, conveyors, dock levellers and scissor lifts, cranes and unenclosed hoists, hoists. Design, installation, maintenance, inspection and servicing. Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*Swimming and jacuzzies plant equipment – design, installation, inspection and testing.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings.

• Water features. Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings

*Medical and laboratory – gas systems.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings.

*Treated water systems.    Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings .

*Compressed air systems.  Framework  4 suppliers to be awarded initial framework length 4 years.  8 years  total contract terms. with minimum two re-openings .

Timeline:

*PME Launch: July 2025

*Procurement Launch: September 2025

*Contract Start: From April 2026

Supplier Engagement Activities:

*Online surveys

*Briefings via a supplier day

How to Participate: Register interest via the Council's procurement portal (In-Tend Electronic Tendering Site) hin-tendhost.co.uk/wnc/aspx/Home ↗ Where you will be able to register your interest. We will also be sending out any documents for suppliers to register for suppliers days and any other pre market activity.

Important Note: Registration is required to attend PME events. Participation in this engagement does not guarantee future contract opportunities; outcomes depend on the results of PME and internal governance decisions..