Planning

Food Waste Treatment Services contract

  • Essex County Council

UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-010729

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-055798

Published 2 July 2025, 1:46pm

Last edited 5 February 2026, 6:39pm

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Food Waste Market Engagement Questions 2026

Introduction to market engagement:

Essex County Council (ECC) is planning to issue a tender in late 2026 for a contract(s) relating to the anaerobic digestion treatment and disposal of food waste collected from households in the Essex area. The required treatment services must start on 1 April 2028. ECC manages approximately 50,000 tonnes per annum of separately collected household food waste.

ECC's current food waste treatment contracts are due to expire on 31st March 2028 and therefore a treatment solution for this service is needed to replace it.

ECC is considering letting a contract(s) for an initial 3 year term or longer (commencing on 1 April 2028) with the option to extend by agreement in any number of periods not exceeding a total of an additional 10 years.

Purpose of market engagement:

The purpose of this market engagement is to better understand the market's appetite and capability in respect of a number of commercial topics. The information gathered will assist the authority in preparing a tender pack that encourages and enables the market to propose its best value solutions for the residents of Essex.

Format of market engagement:

ECC has prepared a questionnaire, of which a copy can be requested via email from Waste.Procurement@essex.gov.uk; and which invites interested providers to complete and return to Waste.Procurement@essex.gov.uk. All information submitted will be treated in confidence and any references to the findings will be reported on a summary level on an anonymous basis.

ECC will be running a series of 1-2-1 market engagement sessions online via a Teams meeting - to enable further exploration of the topics and to clarify any of the responses received. ECC intends for these 1-2-1 sessions to be up to two hours in length. ECC is keen to meet you so please express your interest in one of the sessions shown in the table within the document by emailing us at Waste.Procurement@essex.gov.uk.

Scope

Description

Essex County Council (ECC) is planning to issue a tender as early as 2026 for a contract(s) relating to the anaerobic digestion treatment and disposal of food waste collected from households in the Essex area. The required treatment services must start on 1 April 2028. ECC manages approximately 40,000 tonnes per annum of separately collected household food waste.

The contracting authority is Essex County Council and any Successor Body meaning one or more entities which assumes any of the Council's functions (as applicable) as a result of Local Government Reform (LGR). Such successor body or bodies may be, without limitation, a local authority, a combined authority, a combined county authority, a strategic authority or any other status determined pursuant to the Devolution and LGR Legislation.

The estimated value provided includes the extension period.

Total value (estimated)

  • £7,000,000 excluding VAT
  • £8,400,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2031
  • Possible extension to 31 March 2035
  • 7 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 90500000 - Refuse and waste related services

Contract locations

  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF - East Midlands (England)
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
  • UKH - East of England
  • UKI - London
  • UKJ - South East (England)
  • UKK - South West (England)

Engagement

Engagement deadline

5 March 2026

Engagement process description

Potential Bidders are invited to request a copy of the questionnaire from:

Waste.Procurement@essex.gov.uk

Responses are required no later than 5th March 2026 please.

Participation

Particular suitability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Contracting authority

Essex County Council

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWVM-4844-NRQH

County Hall, Market Road

Chelmsford

CM1 1QH

United Kingdom

Contact name: Emma Whitten

Email: emma.whitten@essex.gov.uk

Region: UKH36 - Heart of Essex

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government