Planning

Essex Highways and Transportation Contracts

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 7 releases in its history.

Planning

08 Apr 2026 at 15:49

PlanningUpdate

28 Oct 2025 at 13:50

PlanningUpdate

28 Oct 2025 at 13:46

PlanningUpdate

04 Aug 2025 at 15:00

Planning

09 Jun 2025 at 10:21

PlanningUpdate

08 Apr 2025 at 08:37

Planning

02 Apr 2025 at 14:34

Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is progressing with procurement planning for the Essex Highways and Transportation Services contract, currently in the planning stage. The council, a sub-central government body, plans to address the maintenance and operation of Essex’s extensive highway network, adhering to statutory duties under the Highways Act 1980. The procurement process involves preliminary market engagement with a virtual event scheduled on 16 April 2026, inviting all interested suppliers to gain insights into updates influenced by Local Government Reorganisation. The new contract, slated to commence on 1 April 2028, will run for seven years with possible extensions up to 14 years. This extensive tender, valued at approximately £3 billion, covers a range of services in construction, highway maintenance, and operational works within the UKH3 region, specifically Chelmsford, United Kingdom.

This contract offers significant business growth potential, particularly for construction and maintenance companies, engineering firms, and technology providers specialising in infrastructure management. Businesses adept in providing innovative solutions in the fields of highway construction, repair, and technological integration can leverage this opportunity to expand their portfolio and establish long-term relationships within a large-scale public sector framework. Given the anticipated contract value and duration, businesses with robust supply chain capabilities and a willingness to engage in extensive collaborative planning will be well-positioned to compete in this comprehensive tender process. These entities are encouraged to participate in the upcoming engagement activities to better understand the procurement landscape and adapt their offerings accordingly.

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Notice Title

Essex Highways and Transportation Contracts

Notice Description

As the local highways authority for Essex, Essex County Council (ECC) is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest and most diverse local highway networks in the country. In doing so, ECC fulfils its statutory duties under the Highways Act 1980 to ensure the network is safe, resilient and fit for purpose for residents, businesses and road users, and that traffic moves freely across the network under all conditions. This includes significant programmes of routine and reactive highways activity, such as asset maintenance and renewal, drainage management, winter services and the design and delivery of new transport infrastructure. ECC has previously undertaken market engagement in respect of its future Highways and Transportation Services. The procurement was paused to allow greater clarity to emerge around Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and its potential implications for future service delivery and governance arrangements. With greater clarity now in place, ECC is re commencing engagement with the market as it prepares to re-procure its Highways and Transportation Services, within the current Administrative Area of Essex. Ahead of commencing the procurement, ECC is undertaking this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to provide an update on ECC's emerging approach to the future delivery of Highways and Transportation Services, particularly in the context of anticipated Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the transition to any future Unitary Authorities. The planned commencement date for the new Essex Highways and Transportation Services is 01 April 2028 with an initial seven-year term and potential options to extend for up to seven additional years. The current estimated maximum value of the contracts over a maximum fourteen-year term is PS3 billion (excluding VAT). The contracting authority is Essex County Council and any Successor Body meaning one or more entities which assumes any of the ECC's functions (as applicable) as a result of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement notice is to notify the market of further upcoming market engagement opportunities ahead of tender publication. Further details are set out in the Engagement section of this notice.

Planning Information

All prospective bidders are invited to attend a virtual pre-market engagement event on 16 April 2026 which will be conducted via Microsoft Teams at 11:00am. The event will provide an opportunity to hear directly about recent changes to some of the approaches previously briefed on, the influence of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) on the procurement, and the next stages of the programme, as well as to raise early questions and engage in discussion. The key items on the agenda are as follows: 1. Introduction - key programme and LGR update 2. Independent Contracts 3. Procurement updates - Competitive Flexible Procedure and high-level procurement timetable and change in ECC procurement system 4. Further market engagement details We strongly encourage all interested suppliers to attend, at all levels of the supply chain. If you would like to attend, please send your expression of interest to FHP.Team@essex.gov.uk by midday on 15 April 2026 including the names and email addresses for attendees from your organisation. A link to the event will then be issued. Please note that you will be issued with a questionnaire shortly after the virtual market engagement event on 16 April 2026 with a response deadline of 28 April 2026. There will also be an in-person event and potential 1-2-1s week commencing 11 May 2026. Important information Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage directly with the market. The Procurement description, estimated contract start and end date, estimated date of publication or estimated contract value should not be taken as a final "version" of ECC's requirements. This notice is not a call for competition to procure any works or services. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response, or lack thereof, to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an opportunity to participate in this market engagement exercise or any future procurement process that ECC may conduct. The virtual market engagement event will be recorded, and a link will be available upon request. Essex County Council is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party responding to this notice or any party who may participate in the market engagement exercise. For reference, previous Prior Information Notices issued under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (old notices) associated with this project can be located via the following notice identifiers: F01. 2023/S 000-017107, F01. 2023/S 000-027435, F01. 2024/S 000-012457, F14. 2025/S 000-003014

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fc31
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032116-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

50 - Repair and maintenance services

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services


CPV Codes

45233000 - Construction, foundation and surface works for highways, roads

50230000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to roads and other equipment

63712200 - Highway operation services

71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,000,000,000 £1B-£10B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Apr 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
31 Oct 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2028 - 31 Mar 2035 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex

Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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