This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

20 Aug 2026 at 17:41

Tender

21 Feb 2025 at 09:12

Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd procured the Scotland’s Railway Lineside Vegetation and Boundary Management Framework for work across Scotland. The requirement covers tree and vegetation management, including clearance and maintenance, together with boundary renewals. Lots 1–3 cover the West, Central and East of Scotland respectively. The work is railway lineside activity, so it is relevant to businesses providing vegetation clearance, tree-cutting and maintenance, fencing or boundary renewal services in rail environments. The framework is classified as tree-cutting services (CPV 77211400). Three principal contractors were appointed for these lots: Ground Control Limited for the West, QTS Group Ltd for Central, and Scottish Woodlands Limited for the East. The wider procurement also includes Glasgow, Motherwell, Edinburgh and Perth delivery areas.

This completed procurement used a selective negotiated procedure with a prior call for competition to establish a framework. The tender deadline was 21 April 2025 at 12:00, followed by second-stage invitations on 2 June 2025. Contracts were signed on 19 June 2026. Lot 1, West, was awarded to Ground Control Limited for £50.1m; Lot 2, Central, to QTS Group Ltd for £46.2m; and Lot 3, East, to Scottish Woodlands Limited for £76.92m. Each contract has a 1,440-day period, with an option to extend by three years in three one-year increments. Evaluation weighted price at 70%, with quality covering safety, mobilisation and delivery, environmental and social value, innovation, resourcing and operational performance. Two bids were received for Lots 1 and 2, and three for Lot 3.

This procurement demonstrates substantial, geographically distributed demand from Network Rail for specialist railway lineside vegetation and boundary management. A credible competitor would need to deliver tree and vegetation clearance and cyclical maintenance safely in operational rail settings, alongside boundary renewal and fencing capability. The evaluation places greatest emphasis on price, but also requires strong evidence of safety management, mobilisation, delivery planning, environmental sustainability, ecology and social value. Innovation, resourcing and operational performance are also material considerations. Suppliers should therefore be able to provide suitably resourced teams, dependable mobilisation across the relevant Scottish geography, and robust controls for railway interfaces and lineside work. The appointed suppliers were large organisations, indicating that capacity to manage sizeable regional work programmes is commercially important, whether delivered directly or through an appropriately controlled supply chain.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Scotland's Railway Lineside (Vegetation & Boundary Management) Framework Lots 1-3

Notice Description

Scotland's Railway has completed a procurement exercise for the Scotland's Railway Lineside (Vegetation & Boundary Management) Framework for Lots 1-3. The Framework covers Tree and Vegetation Management (clearance and maintenance) and Boundary Renewals. The Lots under the Framework are geographically split into West (Lot 1), Central (Lot 2) and East (Lot 3). The Framework has been awarded for an initial 4-year term, with the option to extend by up to 3 years (1+1+1). The total maximum value of the Framework, including headroom, is PS182.83m over its full potential duration. The Framework is structured across 3 Lots. Lots 1-3 each have one appointed Principal Contractor and include a minimum spend commitment of PS3 million per annum per Contractor over the initial 4-year term. In exceptional circumstances, including but not limited to, the insolvency of a Framework Supplier or termination of a Framework contract for one of the other lots, NR may award further works to a Supplier (beyond the value of the respective Lots stated within this Notice), provided that the total Framework Value of PS182.83 million is not exceeded.

Lot Information

Lot 1 - West

Includes Tree and Vegetation Management (Clearance & Maintenance) plus Boundary Renewals across the West of Scotland with an indicative work of PS50.1m

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 2 - Central

Includes Tree and Vegetation Management (Clearance & Maintenance) plus Boundary Renewals across Central Scotland with an indicative workbank of PS46.2m

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 3 - East

Includes Tree and Vegetation Management (Clearance & Maintenance) plus Boundary Renewals across the East of Scotland with an indicative work of PS69.8m

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 4 - Glasgow

Lot 4 will cover the Glasgow Delivery Unit boundary area and be delivered by a minimum of three Lineside Contractors. Works will include signal sighting clearance, DDD treatments, LC sighting clearance etc. Suppliers may be specialists in tree removal work, cyclical maintenance, or fencing, or a combination of more than one. The indicative framework spend is estimated to be PS10.05m for Lot 4 as set out in document A2 instructions.

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 5 - Motherwell

Lot 5 will cover the Motherwell Delivery Unit boundary area and be delivered by a minimum of three Lineside Contractors. Works will include signal sighting clearance, DDD treatments, LC sighting clearance etc. Suppliers may be specialists in tree removal work, cyclical maintenance, or fencing, or a combination of more than one. The indicative framework spend is estimated to be PS10.05m for Lot 5 as set out in document A2 instructions.

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 6 - Edinburgh

Lot 6 will cover the Edinburgh Delivery Unit boundary area and be delivered by a minimum of three Lineside Contractors. Works will include signal sighting clearance, DDD treatments, LC sighting clearance etc. Suppliers may be specialists in tree removal work, cyclical maintenance, or fencing, or a combination of more than one. The indicative framework spend is estimated to be PS10.05m for Lot 6 as set out in document A2 instructions.

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Lot 7 - Perth

Lot 7 will cover the Perth Delivery Unit boundary area and be delivered by a minimum of three Lineside Contractors. Works will include signal sighting clearance, DDD treatments, LC sighting clearance etc. Suppliers may be specialists in tree removal work, cyclical maintenance, or fencing, or a combination of more than one. The indicative framework spend is estimated to be PS10.05m for Lot 7 as set out in document A2 instructions.

Options: Option to extend by 3 years (1+1+1)

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04e5d6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079667-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Negotiated procedure with prior call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services


CPV Codes

77211400 - Tree-cutting services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£227,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£206,102,000 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£173,220,000 £100M-£1B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Aug 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
21 Apr 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Active, Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 8SW
Postcode Area
South East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
3
Supplier Names

Ground Control Limited

QTS Group Ltd

Scottish Woodlands Limited

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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