Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Highways England
Woodlands, Manton Lane
Bedford
MK41 7LW
UK
Contact person: Lesley Cole
Telephone: +44 3004704795
E-mail: CIPMarketEngagement@highwaysengland.co.uk
NUTS: UKH2
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.highwaysengland.gov.uk
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at:
https://highways.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal agency/office
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Major infrastructure contract opportunities working with Highways England
II.1.2) Main CPV code
45000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Works
II.1.4) Short description
Highways England (HE) is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving England's motorways and major A roads. We have a huge road investment programme to deliver and want to engage with suppliers to inform our approach to procuring our larger complex infrastructure projects.
Supplier feedback and providing the opportunity to influence project and procurement development is extremely important to us; it is imperative that we work collaboratively to achieve the optimum solutions.
Collaboration is at the heart of the relationships necessary to deliver at the scale and pace required. We are planning to hold a supplier engagement event to provide an overview of HE's opportunities available to the market in the forthcoming years in relation to major infrastructure projects and to provide an overview of the procurement vehicle options proposed specifically for the A303 Stonehenge and Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) projects.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
34920000
34921000
34924000
34930000
34970000
34990000
34992200
34993100
43123000
43320000
45100000
45112450
45221000
45221100
45221110
45221111
45221121
45221200
45221210
45221240
45221241
45221245
45221247
45221248
45233000
45233100
45233110
45233120
45233121
45233122
45233125
45233128
45233130
45233131
45233139
45233160
45233224
45233227
45233229
45350000
50000000
63712320
65320000
66100000
71242000
71351500
71351720
71351811
71351914
71352000
71500000
71540000
71541000
98360000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
UKH3
UKI
UKJ4
UKK1
Main site or place of performance:
A303 Stonehenge project:
— the A303 passing between Amesbury and Berwick Down, Wiltshire.
Lower Thames Crossing project:
— Kent, East of Gravesend, and Essex, south Tilbury.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Highways England (HE) is starting an engagement process to identify suppliers who are interested in working with us on our two tunnel projects - the A303 Stonehenge project (A303) and the Lower Thames crossing (LTC).
These projects are two of the largest in HE's Road Investment Programme and both represent major opportunities for the private financing and construction sectors. Although this Prior Information Notice (PIN) covers both projects for consultation purposes, each project will be procured separately with independent and separate procurements.
The A303 project will include a new twin-bore road tunnel under the Stonehenge World Heritage Site as well as a bypass for Winterbourne Stoke and the improvement of junctions with intersecting roads. It is currently anticipated that this project will primarily comprise a privately financed design, build, finance & maintain the contract, and some associated enabling works.
The LTC project comprises two bored tunnels beneath the River Thames with interconnecting link roads to the M25, A13, and A2. It is currently anticipated that this project will primarily comprise both a publicly financed tunnel design& build contract and a privately financed design, build, finance & maintain contract in respect of the associated link roads, with associated enabling works.
There will be many opportunities in these projects at various levels and disciplines so if you would like to be involved or receive more information please send your contact details to Lesley Cole at CIPMarketEngagement@highwaysengland.co.uk and she will send you a short questionnaire to enable you to register your interest and provide us with some key information in relation to your company and areas of particular interest or specialisms.
We will then be able to better tailor our consultation and engagement plans and send invitations targeted to specific events to suit the most appropriate specialisms.
Our first event will be aimed at interested parties with the financial capacity and experience of Financing (DBFM elements only), and tunnelling specialists who have a proven capability of managing and delivering complex, heavy civil and roads/tunnelling works across multiple sites with all the operational systems, stakeholder, and third-party interfaces that such works in highly populated or sensitive areas involve.
It is anticipated that this event will take place in early March 2018 so if your organization meets these criteria we would appreciate hearing from you before 12 noon on 26 January 2018. Responses by all other interested organizations would be appreciated by 28 February 2018 to enable us to plan the next events.
Please note that up to 2 individuals may attend the March event on behalf of your organization. Invitations and an agenda will follow in due course.
Further events will be held at which details will be provided, or your comments sought, on more specific elements of the projects and invite to those events will be more targeted to suit those relevant specialisms.
II.2.14) Additional information
This PIN is not a call for competition and is not published to reduce time limits for the receipt of tenders.
The specific procurements for both of these projects will be launched in due course by the publication of further PIN's and/or contract notices.
Non-participation in the first engagement day shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any of the procurements or any future event.
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
28/02/2018
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
By issuing this PIN, Highways England wishes to formally make the market aware of potential opportunities in relation to the A303 Stonehenge and Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) projects, which will be procured independently from each other.
We will be carrying out a programme of engagement with interested parties in respect of a range of categories of works and services in relation to the A303 Stonehenge and Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) projects, which may include:
— financing,
— design consultancy,
— construction,
— maintenance,
— early and enabling works,
— logistics including road and river transportation of materials and disposal,
— mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, controls, and automation (MEICA),
— protection and mitigation works to third-party infrastructure,
— provision of tunnel boring machines,
— materials and equipment supply; and,
— other specialist works/services related to roads/tunnels construction activities.
Highways England is committed to ensuring a competitive procurement and is committed to fairness, openness, and transparency. The overarching aim of all the market consultation exercises is for genuine two-way dialogue to take place between Highways England and the market, listening to what interested parties have to say and using this to shape the commercial and procurement strategies which set out the approach to the market.
This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is issued solely for the purpose of commencing a market consultation exercise and does not constitute any commitment by Highways England to undertake any public procurement exercise in respect of either the A303 Stonehenge or Lower Thames Crossing projects or any part of those projects described in this PIN.
To the extent Highways England carries out any procurement, Highways England reserves the right to award contracts in lots or groups of lots. 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 Highways England may conduct. This PIN does not constitute a call for competition to procure any works or services and Highways England is not bound to accept any proposals offered.
Highways England 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. In the event that Highways England decides to proceed with any procurement, it is currently assumed that such procurement will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 unless any legal requirement requires a different procedure to be adopted.
For additional information please visit:
— https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/highways-england
For more information on the Lower Thames Crossing project please visit::
— http://roads.highways.gov.uk/lower-thames-crossing-home/.
For more information on the A303 Stonehenge project please visit:
— http://roads.highways.gov.uk/projects/a303-stonehenge-amesbury-and-berwick-down/.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
15/12/2017