GB-Pickering: Restock and Beat Up Planting

The Forestry Commission is inviting tenders for the delivery of Restock and Beat Up Planting at Yorkshire Forest District. Planting will be on mounded and scarified sites across the district. Beating up planting will be on similar year one to three sites. Depending on plant supply and weather, restock and beating up planting will be carried out from late November through to the end of April 2016.

Yorkshire Forest District is divided into 3 beats: North Riding (Lots 1-3), Cleveland (Lot 4) and York (Lot 5). Each lot contains both the planting and beating up for that forest beat or block. The 5 lots (plus area) are as follows: 1.Langdale, Broxa and Sneaton (61.9 Ha); 2.Dalby (27.4 Ha); 3.Cropton (47 Ha); 4.Cleveland (15.5 Ha); 5.York (37 Ha).

Note: the beat up requirement for each lot have been estimated (i.e. the number of man days).

The objective of restock planting is to establish 2900 trees per net hectare (1.85m x 1.85m spacing). Contractor output figures must be within the stated tender bid values (i.e. the number of trees planted per day per person; and, consistency in the number of crew/team members available each day).

There are a number of Special Conditions belonging to this contract as follows: Beat up planting will include some ‘Back end planting’. Planting stock will comprise untreated bare rooted and containerised transplants, including occasional ‘over-sized’ plants up to 60cm. Some planting will be in two or more species in an intimate or random mixture throughout a site. ‘Hot planting’ of certain species when delivered will be immediately being transported to site. ALL the trees for the site may not be available at the same time and the site may have to be planted in sections. Minor species will require further careful handling. There is some inverted mounding, to improve planting stability and drainage on podsol/ironpan sites. As a standard, a notched Planting technique is required. Some sites are managed under a Continuous Cover Forestry; planting on these sites will be directed by the works supervisor.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement, and the contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender.