Construction Contract Leads

Scope

Description

The Contracting Authority intends to establish a Framework for the provision of various bridge repair and maintenance works across the county of Northumberland.

The Framework will be divided into the following nine Lots:

Lot 1 - Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition

Lot 2 - Stone Masonry

Lot 3 - Waterproofing

Lot 4 - Scaffolding

Lot 5 - Steel Repair and Fabrication

Lot 6 - Steel Painting

Lot 7 - Driven Piling

Lot 8 - Cast-in-Place Piling

Lot 9 - Soil Nailing

Tender documents are available to download from the OPEN e-procurement portal: https://www.open-uk.org/. Please refer to project reference OPEN20261800.

Commercial tool

Establishes a framework

Total value (estimated)

• £3,000,000 excluding VAT
• £3,600,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

• 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2030
• 4 years

Main procurement category

Works

CPV classifications

• 45221100 - Construction work for bridges

Contract locations

• UKC2 - Northumberland and Tyne and Wear

Lot constraints

Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded: 2

Lot 1. Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition

Description

Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 2. Stonemasonry

Description

Stonemasonry Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 3. Waterproofing

Description

Waterproofing Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 4. Scaffolding

Description

Scaffolding Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 5. Steel Repair and Fabrication

Description

Steel Repair and Fabrication Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 6. Steel Painting

Description

Steel Painting Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 7. Piling - Driven

Description

Piling - Driven Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 8. Piling - Cast in Place

Description

Piling - Cast in Place Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Lot 9. Soil Nails

Description

Soil Nails Works

Lot value (estimated)

• £333,333.33 excluding VAT
• £400,000 including VAT

Framework lot values may be shared with other lots

Same for all lots

CPV classifications, contract locations and contract dates are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.

Framework

Maximum number of suppliers

Unlimited

Maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers

0%

Framework operation description

Lots 1 to 5

Suppliers appointed to the Framework will be ranked according to their combined price and quality score (Most Advantageous Tender). A maximum of three suppliers achieving the highest combined quality and price scores will be awarded a place on the relevant Framework Lot.

Lot 6 to 9

Suppliers appointed to the Framework will be ranked according to their total quality score (Most Advantageous Tender). A maximum of three suppliers achieving the highest quality scores will be awarded a place on the relevant Framework Lot.

All Lots

The Contractor with the highest overall score will be ranked first, the Contractor with the second highest score will be ranked second, and so on.

The successful suppliers will enter into a Framework Agreement in a form which is set out in Schedule 8. The Framework will commence in November 2026 and will be for 4 years.

The Framework does not include any guarantee of any minimum volume of works or any minimum expenditure. Furthermore, appointment under the Framework does not constitute a commitment by the Contracting Authority to the exclusive use of the Framework or an individual supplier for such requirements.

Call-off contracts under this Framework will be awarded either by direct award (also referred to as an award without competition) to the highest-ranked Contractor for the relevant Lot, or through a job-specific further competition. Details of the processes for both direct awards and further competitions are set out below.

Award Without Competition (Ranked)

Under section 45(4)(b) of PA34 a Contracting Authority may award a call-off contract without competition where there is an objective mechanism for supplier selection e.g. "a 'taxi-rank' system where call-off contracts are awarded on a 'highest ranking' system with a limitation on the number or value of call-off contracts to be awarded to any one supplier.

Direct awards under this Framework will be made based on the project value thresholds set out below for each individual Lot.

• Lot 1 Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition: Project value of up to £50,000

• Lot 2 Stone Masonry: Project value of up to £50,000

• Lot 3 Waterproofing: Project value of up to £50,000

• Lot 4 Scaffolding: Project value of up to £100,000

• Lot 5 Steel Repair and Fabrication: Project value of up to £5,000

• There is no direct award provision for Lots 6,7,8 & 9.

The Client will contact the highest-ranked Contractor for the relevant Lot to confirm their availability for the required project date, time, and duration. If the highest-ranked Contractor is unable to fulfil the Client's requirements, the Client will approach the second highest-ranked Contractor.

This process will continue with each subsequent ranked Contractor, as necessary, until a Contractor is appointed. Upon confirmation that the selected Contractor can fulfil the project requirements, a call-off contract will be entered into.

When an award without competition is made the price will be based on the Supplier's tendered rates. The Supplier can improve on their tendered rates but must not exceed them.

Further details of the Contracting Authority's requirements are set out in Schedule 2 - Specification of the ITT documents.

Further Competition

A further competition will be undertaken for projects under Lots 1 to 5 where the project value exceeds the thresholds stated above, and for all projects under Lots 6 to 9.

A Project Specification will be issued by the Client to all Contractors appointed to the relevant Lot under the Framework. All Contractors within that Lot will be invited to submit a Further Competition response against the job-specific specification.

Further competitions will be carried out in accordance with the following process:

Framework Contractors will be required to complete and submit:

• a Further Competition Award Questionnaire; and/or

• a Further Competition Pricing Schedule.

Evaluation of submissions will be carried out in accordance with the 'Award Methodology and Scoring' section set out in this Instructions to Tenderers (ITT) document, and as further specified by the Client.

In the case of further competitions involving multiple projects, Contractors will be required to confirm that they have the capacity to deliver all projects they are bidding for within the required timescales, as outlined in the specification issued at further competition stage.

The Client reserves the right to award projects to the next ranked bidder following the conclusion of the further competition where the highest-ranked Contractor confirms that they are unable to meet the required timescales.

Following evaluation, all bidders will be notified of the outcome in writing by the Client, and a call-off contract will be entered into with the successful Contractor.

Biennial Re-ranking of Lots 1 to 5

Suppliers appointed to Lots 1 to 5 of the Framework will be re-ranked every two years through a Further Competition, as follows:

Tendered rates will be fixed initially for a period of 24 months from commencement of the Framework.

Three (3) months prior to the expiry of the initial fixed 24 months all providers for Lots 1 to 5 on the Framework will be invited to resubmit their framework rates.

Framework suppliers will be re-ranked, and the revised pricing will be implemented for the remainder of the Framework duration.

The re-ranking further competition will be issued via the OPEN system (www.open.org) and Tenders must be submitted electronically via the OPEN system.

Award method when using the framework

Either with or without competition

Contracting authorities that may use the framework

Establishing party only

Participation

Particular suitability

Lot 1. Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition

Lot 2. Stonemasonry

Lot 3. Waterproofing

Lot 4. Scaffolding

Lot 5. Steel Repair and Fabrication

Lot 6. Steel Painting

Lot 7. Piling - Driven

Lot 8. Piling - Cast in Place

Lot 9. Soil Nails

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Submission

Enquiry deadline

15 September 2026, 12:00pm

Tender submission deadline

28 September 2026, 12:00pm

Submission address and any special instructions

https://www.open-uk.org/

Tenders may be submitted electronically

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

English

Award decision date (estimated)

11 November 2026

Recurring procurement

Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 2 December 2030

Award criteria

Lot 1. Concrete Repair and Hydrodemolition

Lot 4. Scaffolding

Lot 2. Stonemasonry

Lot 3. Waterproofing

Lot 5. Steel Repair and Fabrication

Lot 6. Steel Painting

Lot 7. Piling - Driven

Lot 8. Piling - Cast in Place

Lot 9. Soil Nails

Other information

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes

Procedure

Procedure type

Open procedure

Documents

Associated tender documents

https://www.open-uk.org/

Technical specifications to be met

https://www.open-uk.org/

Contracting authority

Northumberland County Council

• Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJJX-1133-JRGV

County Hall

Morpeth

NE61 2EF

United Kingdom

Email: Donna.Sutton01 [at] northumberland.gov.uk

Website: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Region: UKC21 - Northumberland

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government

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