Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
National Highways
The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
Contact
Andrew Pritchard
ADProcurement@nationalhighways.co.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://nationalhighways.co.uk/
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal Agency/Office
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
National Highways Vehicle Recovery Contract (4th Generation)
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 50118400 - Breakdown and recovery services for motor vehicles
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
National Highways Vehicle Recovery Contract (4th Generation) - Pre-Market Engagement
The publication of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to advise interested suppliers of National Highways intention to re-procure a replacement National Vehicle Recovery Contract to remove broken down vehicles from the Strategic Road Network, where instructed by a National Highways Traffic Officer. This will be a statutory vehicle recovery service that will include a debt recovery service to recover outstanding sums from customers. For this contract, statutory charges will apply under The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023 - link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/331/contents/made (copy and paste link into browser)
Interested suppliers are invited to express their interest and provide responses to a pre-market questionnaire that is available via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/bvt9XhvLxE (copy and paste link into browser)
Additional information is provided within a presentation, that is obtainable via a supporting Contracts Finder Notice https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/273cc414-59f6-422f-ac5a-bb5b578ed7d6 (copy and paste link into browser), for interested suppliers to acquire an understanding of National Highways and the requirement of the new contract opportunity including where suppliers can provide feedback that will be used to inform and shape the final contracting model.
A tender is expected to be issued around mid-2025 and this will include a mobilisation period prior to the anticipated contract 'go-live' date of 1 July 2026 - therefore responses to this pre-market engagement questionnaire are requested to be completed no later than 10 January 2025.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £100,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 34144220 - Breakdown vehicles
- 50118100 - Breakdown and recovery services for cars
- 50118200 - Breakdown and recovery services for commercial vehicles
- 50118300 - Breakdown and recovery services for buses
- 50118500 - Breakdown and recovery services for motorcycles
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- 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)
Main site or place of performance
The Motorway and Trunk Road Network (Strategic Road Network) of England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This contract opportunity (term TBC) is for a sole supplier (or entity) to contract directly with National Highways to manage the safe removal of accident damaged, broken down and abandoned vehicles from England’s motorways and all-purpose-trunk-roads (The Strategic Road Network or SRN) on a 24-hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year basis.
In addition to vehicle removal, the associated activities will include the storage and disposal of such vehicles alongside the collection of the statutory fees from customers that relate. The contract is intended to cover both a responsive statutory vehicle removal and the pro-active, ad hoc, ‘pre-positioning / standby’ of vehicle recovery resource at locations to be designated by National Highways, as well as offering the potential for providing vehicle recovery services during scheme road works.
Statutory removals are focussed on those parts of the SRN in England that are patrolled by Traffic Officers, who have the powers sanctioned within the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Traffic Officers)(England) Regulations 2008 to effect statutory removals. The appointed contractor will be responsible for (but not liable for) the recovery of statutory charges from those vehicles statutorily removed in accordance with the Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles (Prescribed Sums and Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. It is expected that this service will be funded almost entirely by income received from removals, storage and disposal. Anticipated volumes of statutory removals is approximately between 20,000 - 22,000 vehicles per annum. National Highways estimates that this would generate revenue of upwards of £12 million per annum for the appointed contractor in line with anticipated volume of recoveries and those statutory charges that apply.
National Highways will also require the services of the supplier to pre-position recovery vehicles for operational purposes to enhance the carriageway clearance abilities of the Traffic Officers. National Highways will fund such pre-positioning and clearance services on an ‘as required’ basis. It is envisaged that pre-positioning costs would be in the region of £1 million per annum.
In addition to the two described services, there is also the opportunity for National Highways main works contractors to approach the appointed vehicle recovery contractor to quote to undertake scheme recovery services, i.e. to provide free (for customers) a vehicle recovery service within scheme road works. The main works contractors will pay for this service directly, rather than National Highways. Subject to offering value for money and appointment by the main works contractors, this stands to be an opportunity for the appointed supplier to increase their revenue throughout the life of this contract.
It is envisaged that an Invitation to Tender will be issued mid-2025, so that an award of contract with the successful supplier is placed by December 25/January 26 for a new service to be fully operational no later than 1st July 2026. This tender is likely be advertised via the new on-line central digital platform provided by Cabinet Office (TBC) as part of the transition (Feb 2025) to the Procurement Act 2023 (procedure TBC)
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
26 May 2025
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
This PIN is issued solely for the purpose of commencing a market consultation exercise and does not constitute any commitment by National Highways to undertake any public procurement exercise. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this PIN. Nor shall a response to this PIN guarantee an invitation to participate in this market consultation exercise or any future procurement process that National Highways may conduct. This PIN does not constitute a call for competition to procure any works or services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. National Highways is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party responding to this PIN or any party who may participate in the market consultation exercise.