Road Asset Management Frameworks - Surfacing Framework A

In March 2023, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) published the Procurement Enhancement Programme procurement strategy, developed to provide an efficient and value for money procurement route for the delivery of road asset maintenance across Northern Ireland. A key output of this strategy is the introduction of a suite of eleven Road Asset Management (RAM) Frameworks covering all roads maintenance and improvement works valued at up to £5 million. Four Surfacing Frameworks (A, B, C and D) have been developed by DfI to ensure the effective, efficient, and reliable delivery of road surfacing schemes across the Northern Ireland public road network. Each framework will last four years, covering surfacing requirements across a specified set of geographical areas and provide an opportunity for suppliers that have the capacity and appetite to deliver all types of surfacing schemes valued from £50k up to £5m. Each Framework will be divided into Lots in accordance with Regulation 46 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. This arrangement has been adopted in order to ensure security of service delivery, preserve competition and encourage participation by SMEs. One surfacing framework is expected to be released every year. There will be restrictions on the number of Lots that an individual supplier can be awarded, both within and across the surfacing frameworks, that will be set out in the procurement documents. DfI intends to invite tenders for the first of these frameworks, Surfacing Framework A, in late November 2024, with Framework places awarded in March 2025. Under Surfacing Framework A (this procurement), there will be a total of six Lots. There will be one Lot (Lot 1) covering all surfacing schemes valued from £750k to £5m across the geographical area covered by the Framework. Multiple suppliers will be appointed to this Lot. Call-Off Contracts awarded under Lot 1 are intended to be awarded following mini-competitions. There will also be five Lots (Lots 2 to 6) each covering all surfacing schemes valued from £50k to £750k which are to be delivered within a defined geographical area. It is intended that two suppliers will be appointed to each of Lots 2 to 6; a Primary Supplier, who will be awarded a Call-Off Measured Term Contract for the Lot area and a Reserve Supplier, who will be appointed to the Lot to provide resilience. Suppliers that are interested in this framework will be required to tender for Lot 1 and at least one of Lots 2 to 6. Further information on DfI's Procurement Enhancement Programme and Road Asset Management Frameworks can be found in the document titled RAM FRAMEWORKS - PROCUREMENT ESSENTIALS at the following link: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/department-infrastructure-roads-works-and-maintenance-procurement-enhancement-programme