Gravesend Clock Tower

The Gravesend Clock Tower is a grade II listed structure which stands on a traffic island in Gravesend, Kent. The structure, originally built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s jubilee, was last subject to restoration in the 1960’s. The tower is built of white Portland stone with bands of red sandstone at the base and the top. The clock has four faces which are gabled with a spirelet topping off the whole construction. The tower is in needing of cleaning and parts of the stonework are now in need of restoration.

The Clock Tower is the subject of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a two stage process. A stage one pass was achieved in June 2015 and the successful tenderer’s price will form part of the stage two bid process. The stage two bid will be submitted in November 2015 and a decision on funding for the works will be made in March 2016. No guarantee is given that the funding bid will be successful and all tenders submitted constitute speculative work on the part of the tenderers. Due to the delay in knowing the outcome of the HLF bid, tenders must reflect any potential uplift in the financial value of the work between now and a probable works start date of May/June 2016. Tenderers will be required to adhere to their tender submissions

In the event that the HLF bid is unsuccessful the scale of the works is likely to be reduced but may still go ahead.

Tenderers will be required to demonstrate suitable experience in stonemasonry and the restoration of similar listed structures along with an appropriately skilled and experienced workforce who are able to complete these works.

The contractor appointed to undertake these works will be required to work with specialist contractors, appointed separately by the Council, who will be restoring the clock faces and installing lighting for the clock tower. The successful contractor will be required to liaise with these specialists in providing access to the site and scaffolding.

Please return your completed tender documents in accordance with the instructions contained in the ‘instructions to tenderers’ section of the tender documents. Tender documents are available for download from Contracts Finder and the Kent Business Portal

Please also provide two years of your most recent signed and audited accounts the latest of which must be no older than 18 months. Where a tenderer does not have audited accounts other forms of financial information such as business plans and supporting documentation must be provided.

Completed tender documents should be returned by no later than 14.00 hours on 21 October 2015. Tenders arriving after this time and date will not be considered.

Additional information: Please note that the contract start and finish dates, shown in this opportunity, are approximate only and tenderers must not assume that these inclusive dates reflect the actual period of the works.

All enquiries concerning this opportunity must be made to John Pexton via email at [email protected]