Scope
Reference
21
Description
Essex County Council's (the Council) current Highways Strategic Transformation Contract (Highways Contract) ends on the 31 March 2027. ECC is subsequently seeking a Contractor to maintain the County's highways and other associated assets in accordance with responsibilities under the Highways Act 1980, from 1 April 2027.
The Contractor will undertake reactive and planned maintenance, that delivers best value with the resources available, across all of ECC's highway network and on all highway assets. This will include design and delivery of improvement schemes. The Contractor will deliver the service in line with the Client's corporate policies and strategic plans, and will support communities and the local economy through network maintenance and improvement to meet the Client's growth agenda and related plans and strategies. The Contractor will be expected to proactively embrace and implement best practice, innovations and new technologies enabling the service to continually improve.
Total value (estimated)
- £2,500,000,000 excluding VAT
- £3,000,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2034
- 7 years
Main procurement category
Works
CPV classifications
- 45233000 - Construction, foundation and surface works for highways, roads
- 50230000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to roads and other equipment
- 71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
Contract locations
- UKH3 - Essex
Engagement
Engagement deadline
3 September 2025
Engagement process description
Update Provided 04/08/2025
Prospective bidders are invited to attend a virtual market engagement session via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 3rd September 2025 at 11:30am. The session is expected to last up to 45 minutes and will provide an update on ECC's procurement approach. If you would like to attend please send your expression of interest to FHP.Team@essex.gov.uk including the names and email addresses for attendees from your organisation. All external attendees will be anonymous and will have the opportunity to raise written anonymised questions during the event. An agenda will be provided within the invitation to the session by the 27th August 2025.
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Previous Information (now expired)
We have the opportunity during the week commencing Monday 28th April 2025 for prospective bidders to meet with representatives from ECC's Future Highways Programme. These 1-2-1 sessions will be a two-way exercise, providing an opportunity for you to have further questions about the next highways contract answered, but also to provide you with an opportunity to help us in designing the new contract.
The sessions will be face-to-face only, limited to 1.5 hours per supplier and will take place in County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1QH.
Suppliers are invited to bring a maximum of four attendees to the 1-2-1 sessions. ECC representatives will be:
- Tom Blackburne-Maze (Director of Highways & Transport)
- Arthur Macklin (Programme Director)
- Tony Clissold (Head of Procurement)
- Dawn Grover (Procurement Specialist)
- A notetaker
If you are a prospective bidder and are interested in having a 1-2-1, please follow the Microsoft Form link https://forms.office.com/e/i8wFeaC2u4 to request a session, advise on attendees and raise any questions in advance that you would like to discuss with us, by close of business on Wednesday 9th April 2025. You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser. The Agenda for the 1-2-1 sessions is set out within the Microsoft Form.
Slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis and we will try to accommodate any dates/time preferences as best we can. Please advise on your preferences via the Microsoft Form link.
Important information:
We will provide feedback on the questions raised in advance by suppliers (via https://forms.office.com/e/i8wFeaC2u4), where we consider providing an answer is in the best interest of the procurement process. Responses will be drafted in advance to ensure the same information is shared with all suppliers.
Please note, for transparency purposes, details regarding non-confidential topics/questions discussed during the 1-2-1 sessions will be noted and subsequently shared with all prospective bidders via email.
We will be unable to take any other questions on the day and will only answer those raised prior to the 1-2-1s.
Technology
To inform your understanding of the proposed technology landscape for the new contract as well as the technology responsibilities and touchpoints/interactions under the future contract, we have provided a short presentation for your review: https://youtu.be/32ZFVKcQDZA
Should you have further technology-specific questions, these can be raised along with any general procurement/contract questions within the Microsoft Form link above. Subject to the number of questions raised these may be covered in the 1-2-1s or a subsequent Q&A log will be circulated to our prospective bidder list.
For reference, previous Prior Information Notices issued under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (old notices) associated with this project can be located via the following notice identifiers: F01. 2023/S 000-017107, F01. 2023/S 000-027435, F01. 2024/S 000-012457, F14. 2025/S 000-003014
Important information
Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage directly with the market. The Procurement description, estimated contract start and end date, estimated date of publication or estimated contract value should not be taken as a final "version" of ECC's requirements.
This notice is not a call for competition to procure any works or services.
Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response, or lack thereof, to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an opportunity to participate in this market engagement exercise or any future procurement process that ECC may conduct.
Essex County Council is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party responding to this notice or any party who may participate in the market engagement exercise.
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
20 October 2025
Contracting authority
Essex County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWVM-4844-NRQH
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
United Kingdom
Email: sophie.dunning@essex.gov.uk
Region: UKH36 - Heart of Essex
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government