Winter Gritting - Pre-Market Engagement

Scope of Works - Southern Water is seeking a supplier for winter gritting services across the whole of its region - Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The supplier must be able to deliver a flexible service across operational sites whilst also having the ability to cover reactive requests for leaks in public areas. The service must operate 7 days a week during the winter period, from October to April, and be temperature-triggered in response to pre-agreed thresholds (e.g. surface temperatures forecast below 0°C or as defined by Met Office data). All vehicles used must be roadworthy, clean, and regularly maintained, fully licensed and MOT certified. All drivers and personnel must hold a valid driving licence (appropriate categories) and be trained in winter maintenance procedures. Vehicles must not move between fresh water and wastewater sites without a full decontamination to avoid cross-contamination. The service delivery must be supported by a comprehensive digital Platform accessible to SW: · Site-specific gritting maps and access details. · Site and contact information. · Live and historical job tracking with vehicle GPS. · Job history and audit trail. · Picture evidence of service delivery · Automated time stamps for job start/finish. · Communication logs for instruction and completion confirmation. Routine Service - · The Supplier shall provide a planned, temperature-triggered gritting service for: Access roads, Car parks, Footpaths, Other designated areas as per site-specific requirements. · Snow clearance when required. · Monitor weather forecasts (via Met Office or equivalent) and respond in line with pre-agreed gritting criteria. · Perform gritting during off-peak hours (typically overnight or early morning) to reduce disruption. · Ensure areas are treated. Reactive Service – · The Supplier shall provide a flexible, on-demand gritting service based on daily instructions issued by the SW. · List of sites to be issued no earlier than 16:00 daily, requiring response that same evening/night. · Provide precision hand gritting, particularly in high-risk areas (e.g. leak sites, uneven terrain, pedestrian walkways). · Be capable of handling emergency and short notice gritting requests, including potential 24/7 availability during adverse weather events. · Allow for site additions after initial list issue (e.g. newly reported leaks). Jobs to be fully document via a communication portal, supplier to provided Gritting evidence, Leak location identification, photographic evidence, map marking or GPS location of affected area