Scope
Reference
E001PA
Description
Essex County Council is seeking to procure Total Facilities Management Services including but not limited to the following:
Hard FM & Soft FM
Project Office & Works
Business Services
Total value (estimated)
- £800,000,000 excluding VAT
- £960,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 23 November 2026 to 31 March 2037
- Possible extension to 31 March 2042
- 15 years, 4 months, 8 days
Description of possible extension:
Contract extensions may be considered where they support continuity of service, align with performance outcomes, and remain within the scope of the original procurement. All extensions will be subject to formal review and approval processes.
In light of anticipated Local Government Reorganisation, extension decisions will also take into account potential changes in governance, contract ownership, and strategic priorities. Flexibility has been built into the contract terms to ensure service continuity during any transitional period.
Main procurement category
Services
Additional procurement category
Works
CPV classifications
- 79993000 - Building and facilities management services
Contract locations
- UKH3 - Essex
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
6 October 2025
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
2 February 2026, 11:59pm
Submission address and any special instructions
The competition will be run through our e-sourcing portal ProContract Due North (https://procontract.due-north.com/Register) and if you intend to take part we would be grateful if you could register on that platform.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
23 November 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Financial | Price | 50% |
| Technical Offer | Quality | 45% |
| Social Value | Quality | 5% |
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
Stages of the Procedure:
PSQ: Bidders will be invited to submit a PSQ that will be assessed against published criteria and ranked based on their weighted scores. Suppliers failing to meet minimum standards or mandatory criteria may be excluded. Top scorers' suppliers will be invited to participate in the ITT.
ITT: Suppliers will be invited to submit tenders based on initial requirements and evaluation criteria. Tenders will be assessed against published criteria and ranked based on their weighted scores. Suppliers failing to meet minimum standards or mandatory criteria may be excluded Suppliers not meeting the threshold for shortlisting will be excluded from further stages. Note: The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract based on initial tenders without entering into negotiation.
Negotiation Phase: Suppliers may be invited to enter into structured negotiations to refine proposals, clarify scope, and improve value.
Based on negotiation outcomes, the authority may refine the award criteria. Changes will be proportionate and communicated transparently to all remaining suppliers.
Final Tender Submission: final tenders will be invited from remaining suppliers and evaluated against the refined criteria.
Supplier Selection & Contract Award: The contract will be awarded to the supplier offering the most economically advantageous tender. A Preferred Supplier Stage may be part of the procedure prior to contract award. The award will follow standard procedures including standstill and publication.
Bidder events : To support supplier understanding and readiness, two bidder engagement events are planned:
Bidder Day 1 in October : a virtual Town Hall session will be held via Microsoft Teams. This event will provide an overview of the procurement scope, procedure, and allow suppliers to ask questions.
Bidder Day 2 in December: a second engagement event will include a further virtual Town Hall session held via Microsoft Teams and site visits, offering bidders a deeper understanding of the operational environment and specific requirements.
Contracting authority
Essex County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWVM-4844-NRQH
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
United Kingdom
Email: natalia.rygal@essex.gov.uk
Region: UKH36 - Heart of Essex
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government