Scope
Reference
pro_21234
Description
National Highways is pleased to invite interested suppliers to a contract opportunity of up to 10 years for a sole supplier (or entity) to deliver and manage a statutory vehicle removal service on behalf of National Highways. This contract will assist National Highways Traffic Officers who have the powers sanctioned within The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Traffic Officers) (England) Regulations 2008, to effect statutory removals for the safe removal of accident damaged, broken down and abandoned vehicles from England's motorways and all-purpose-trunk-roads (also known as the Strategic Road Network - SRN)
The SRN, which encompasses over 7,200km of motorways and major 'A' roads is the backbone of England's national transport system and this network plays a critical role in connecting cities, facilitating commerce, and supporting economic growth, making its maintenance, enhancement, and management a national priority.
A statutory removal service is required by National Highways on a 24 hour, 7 days a week (including bank holidays) basis and is focussed on those sections of the SRN that are patrolled by National Highways Traffic Officers. This service will require a supplier to establish, maintain and manage (or self-deliver) a fleet of national vehicle recovery operatives (VRO) that can be mobilised to respond to requests for recovery assistance.
For this contract, the statutory charges that are set by the Home Office will apply under The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/331/contents/made
The services that the appointed supplier is expected to deliver and manage in collaboration with National Highways includes
1) A National Statutory Vehicle Removal Service - This service will require the supply, provision, and management of a national network of VRO's that can be mobilised to recover and remove vehicles of any type, dimension, and weight from the SRN when requested and instructed by the client. All vehicles, and occupants, removed as part of this service are then expected to be taken to the nearest appropriate place of safety and any abandoned vehicles removed will need to be taken into secure storage.
Whilst the statutory charges are capped for vehicles up to and including 44 tonnes, this service may on occasion also require the removal of vehicles in excess of 44 tonnes (i.e. vehicles classified as abnormal loads) - where these situations occur, these will be dealt with as compensation events (full details are provided within the tender documentation)
2) Debt Recovery Management Service - In association to the statutory removal of vehicles, a debt recovery service is required to recover and chase the outstanding statutory charges from registered vehicle owners who have had their vehicle(s) removed, stored, and disposed as part of the statutory vehicle removal service.
3) Removal of Shed Loads (including waste disposal) - In association to the statutory removal of vehicles, National Highways will also require the removal of any shed loads from the SRN as part of the requirement to recover and remove vehicle(s).
4) Pre-Positioning - An enhanced recovery service, whereby VROs are effectively placed on standby able to respond and provide vehicle recovery services. This service is typically deployed during significant weather or high trafficked social events where it is known that traffic issues could occur.
5) Scheme Recovery - A similar service to statutory vehicle recovery but is used specifically for National Highways maintenance and roadwork schemes whereby a statutory vehicle recovery service (which is free to customers) is used on a call off basis, rather than a traditional on-site dedicated vehicle removal service. These are usually pre-planned activities but can also involve schemes for emergency works on the network requiring immediate corrective repairs
6) IT Provision - This will require interfaces and compliant systems (compliant to ISO 27001 or equivalent) that includes the following requirements and outputs
a) To track and trace registered vehicle owners to contact and recover outstanding fees and charges.
b) To enable customers to pay the statutory fees and charges.
c) To record, track & trace all vehicles removed and placed in storage.
d) To interface directly with each of National Highways' Regional Operations Centres (ROCs) via 'ControlWorks' to enable to record, track and trace all statutory vehicle removal requirements made under this contract provision.
e) To track and trace VROs dispatched as part of this service.
Anticipated volumes of statutory removals are difficult to predict but is currently in the region of 22,500 vehicles per annum, however this volume of recoveries can vary and this figure is provided for information only.
In addition to a pipeline (UK1) notice, two prior pre-market engagement notices were issued December 2024 (links provided below)
1) Find A Tender Notice (FTS) Notice: https://www.findtender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038895-2024?
2) Contracts Finder Notice (CF) https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f1c32b95-7f3f-4ec8-bebbc02a2b859780
Full details relating to the overall service requirements is provided in more detail within the accompanying tender documentation that is available for free download via the National Highways e-tendering portal that is also referenced within this notice.
Total value (estimated)
- £197,100,000 excluding VAT
- £236,520,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2032
- Possible extension to 30 June 2036
- 10 years
Description of possible extension:
The contract has the provision of an optional extension period of an additional 48 months (4 years) that can be enacted by the contracting authority, based on operational need and requirements. This will be enacted at least 12 months prior to expiry of the 6 year service period.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 50118100 - Breakdown and recovery services for cars
- 50118200 - Breakdown and recovery services for commercial vehicles
- 50118300 - Breakdown and recovery services for buses
- 50118400 - Breakdown and recovery services for motor vehicles
- 50118500 - Breakdown and recovery services for motorcycles
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)
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Please refer to both the Instruction for Tenderers (IfT) and Procurement Selection Questionnaire (PSQ) documents.
Technical ability conditions of participation
IT Systems compliant to ISO 27001 (or equivalent)
PAS43 Roadside Recovery Safety Certification
NHSS - Scheme 17B Quality Management for Road Recovery Certification
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
1 August 2025, 5:00pm
Tender submission deadline
15 August 2025, 5:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
For access to the tender documents, suppliers will need to pre-register on the National Highways e-portal to access the tender documents via ITT_1115 - National Highways Vehicle Recovery Service Contract (4th Generation)
Register on CCFT e-Sourcing Portal:
All suppliers will need to be registered on the CCFT portal to allow them to tender for National Highways works and services. Suppliers can access the CCFT portal by using the following web address by clicking or pasting the following address into their browser: https://nationalhighways.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/
Once the account is registered suppliers are responsible for managing their own accounts and will need to create a Superuser account which is the main account holder for the supplier. They will then be able to add additional roles and sub-user accounts to the supplier account on the CCFT platform.
The supplier, on registration or subsequently can update their records to reflect the latest details associated with the account. It is important that the supplier maintains an active Superuser.
Two Factor Authentication (2FA):
In-line with current cyber security best practice, National Highways have incorporated some additional security measures for external users accessing our data and systems. In this case, suppliers will need to use extra security to access the CCFT platform when logging on.
For additional security once registered. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) will be required to access the portal. The supplier will need to register the account on Google Authenticator by scanning a QR code provided at registration. When they login they will be prompted to add a six-digit authorisation code that is synced to their account, typically via a smartphone app. They will then access the dashboard as normal.
Suppliers will find a useful guidance document which can be accessed from the CCFT home page. The guidance document provides a step-by-step guide on how to use 2FA and has a dedicated section to Frequently asked Questions. The document can be accessed by clicking the 'Click here for details on how to register' button as highlighted in the green outline below. This then opens the guidance which also contains the link to the registration video.
Should you require assistance, please call e-Sourcing helpdesk on 0203 868 2859.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
19 January 2026
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 2 January 2035
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Safety, Customer and Delivery |
Quality | 80% |
| Social Value | Climate Change and Supply-Chain Inequality |
Quality | 10% |
| Commercial (Price) | Price | 10% |
Other information
Payment terms
As per tender documents
Description of risks to contract performance
N/A
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Contracting authority
National Highways
- Companies House: 09346363
Bridge House, 1 Walnut Tree Close
Guildford
GU1 4LZ
United Kingdom
Contact name: Andrew Pritchard
Email: andrew.pritchard@nationalhighways.co.uk
Website: https://nationalhighways.co.uk
Region: UKJ25 - West Surrey
Organisation type: Public authority - central government