Tender

Marine Pilot Digitalisation

THE MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR COMPANY

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

31 Jul 2025 at 10:57

Planning

09 Apr 2025 at 12:41

Summary of the contracting process

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company is actively seeking a vendor for the Marine Pilot Digitalisation project, aiming to streamline port operations at locations including Liverpool, Sheerness, and Clydeport. This procurement, carried out under the open and competitive flexible procedure, focuses on providing an industry-specific software package. Key project dates include an enquiry period ending on 7 October 2025 and a tender period conclusion on 13 October 2025. The contract lifespan is initially set for four years with options to extend up to eight years, promoting continuity and progressive enhancement in service delivery.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses operating within the software development sector, particularly those specialising in scheduling and IT solutions tailored to the maritime industry. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with experience in implementing digital systems for port management and pilotage oversight are especially well-suited to compete. By participating, businesses have the chance to collaborate with a major port operator and augment their market presence in the UK, leveraging this high-profile project to showcase innovative solutions and expand their client portfolio within the utilities special regime category.

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Notice Title

Marine Pilot Digitalisation

Notice Description

Peel Ports Investments Limited (the name under which any resulting contract from this procurement event will be signed) acting on behalf of The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, Clydeport Operations Limited and Port of Sheerness Limited, are looking to appoint a single successful Tenderer to provide Marine Pilot Digitalisation. Peel Ports owns and operates six of the UK's most important ports (Port of Liverpool, Heysham Port, Manchester Ship Canal, Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport (Greenock, Hunterston, Ardrossan) and Great Yarmouth). It also operates a container terminal in Dublin. Peel Ports Group serves as the Statutory Harbour Authority (SHA) and the Competent Harbour Authority (CHA) for several UK ports, Managing marine pilots for each port. Currently, pilot requests and allocations are managed manually through a mix of systems such as physical tables, spreadsheets, phone calls, and messages. These systems involve transferring information between digital and paper formats. This project aims to award to a single successful Tenderer under a 4 year fixed term Agreement with 2 optional, 2 year extensions (potentially a total of 8 years). The successful Tenderer will be required to implement a unified software solution to streamline pilot request management at the following locations; Liverpool, Sheerness (Medway) and Clydeport. The full scope of works is set out in the tender documentation, however the scope associated with this opportunity is summarised below but not limited to :- Allow Group Port Control Centre (GPCC) staff to review and allocate pilots based on port-specific rules Provide an automated suggestions and manual overrides. Cover operations at the Ports of; a) Liverpool b) Sheerness c) Clydeport Provide a planning feature for the pilot launch programme in the Port of Liverpool and replace the current in-house Pilot App. The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=96462&B=

Lot Information

Lot LOT-0000

Renewal: 2 optional 2 year extensions, giving a possible total contract term of 8 years. Any extensions will be at the sole discretion of the Contracting Authority and subject to; Supplier performance Business Requirements

Planning Information

Peel Ports Procurement is seeking to engage with the market to explore supplier interest and commercial acumen regarding the potential procurement of Marine Pilot Digitalisation software. This engagement aims to inform the development of the final procurement strategy and specification. Location: The Mersey Docks & Harbour Company, Port of Sheerness, Clydeport Operations Limited. Scope of Engagement • Purpose: This PMEN serves as a preliminary market engagement to; I. Gauge market interest in installing Marine Pilot Planning software meeting Peel Ports' specifications per the summary II. Gather supplier insights into current market capabilities, innovative technologies, and potential commercial models III. Inform the development of the final technical specifications and evaluation criteria IV. Identify potential risks and opportunities associated with the procurement • Areas of Interest; I. Technical Solution II. Maintenance and support services III. Estimated timelines for implementation • Engagement Activities: I. Requests for information (RFIs) or questionnaires. II. One-to-one meetings with interested suppliers who demonstrate a strong likelihood of being able to meet our specification.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ffae
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044686-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

48100000 - Industry specific software package

48332000 - Scheduling software package

48517000 - IT software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,100,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,100,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
31 Jul 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
13 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
19 May 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Jan 2026 - 30 Jan 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR COMPANY
Additional Buyers

CLYDEPORT OPERATIONS LIMITED

PORT OF SHEERNESS LIMITED

Contact Name
Melissa Rimmer
Contact Email
sourcing@peelports.com
Contact Phone
+44 01519496078, 0151 949 6574

Buyer Location

Locality
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L21 1LA
Post Town
Liverpool
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
TLD7 Merseyside, TLJ4 Kent, TLM8 West Central Scotland, TLM9 Southern Scotland

Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow North

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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