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Dry Recycling Contract

East London Waste Authority

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

07 Apr 2026 at 11:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

18 Feb 2026 at 15:52

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

01 Sep 2025 at 14:34

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The East London Waste Authority (ELWA) is progressing with the tender stage of its procurement process for a "Dry Recycling Contract," aimed at handling non-hazardous refuse and recycling services within several London regions, including UKI41, UKI52, and UKI53. The procurement focuses on managing dry recycling materials collected by constituent councils in the area. This contract will follow the legal framework set by the UK Procurement Act 2023 and has an estimated gross value of £63,201,600, potentially spanning up to a 10-year term, subject to extensions. Key dates include the expression of interest deadline on 6 May 2026, with the contract expected to be awarded in February 2027 and initial services slated to commence in March 2027. The procurement method is a selective, competitive flexible procedure, enabling any interested organisation meeting participation conditions to submit initial tenders. The process further involves negotiating with top-scoring bidders before the final award decisions.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses engaged in waste treatment and recycling services. Companies with expertise in managing large-scale recycling operations, particularly those equipped to handle diverse recyclables such as paper, plastic, and metals, are well-suited to compete. With flexibility in the exclusivity percentage of the tonnage to be awarded, up to four bidders could secure a portion of the contract, providing scalable growth opportunities for awarded parties. The competitive structure, weighing price and quality heavily, encourages innovation and efficiency, incentivising businesses to offer cost-effective and high-quality recycling solutions that align with ELWA’s objective of maximising recycling efforts while ensuring environmental compliance.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Dry Recycling Contract

Notice Description

ELWA is procuring a contract for the provision of the following services (without limitation): The scope of the Contract includes: receiving, treating and managing onward movement of delivered Contract Waste, which is dry recycling collected from households and commercial customers by the Constituent Councils, typically comprising: paper; card; plastic bottles; plastic pots, tubs and trays; plastic film; aluminium cans; steel cans; foil; aerosols; cartons; and glass bottles and jars. Contract Waste will be delivered to the successful Bidder(s)' nominated delivery point (either a waste treatment facility or an intermediary facility provided by the successful Bidder(s)) in bulk articulated vehicles by the RHRRC Contractor after the Contract Waste has been delivered by the Constituent Councils to one of the Authority WTS. The successful Bidder(s) may also propose to receive direct deliveries of Contract Waste from the Constituent Councils to its facilities; Contract Waste may be delivered as a single co-mingled stream; Provision of capacity to treat dry recycling materials; Management, recycling and treatment of products, residues and rejected waste, including transport; Maximising the recycling and beneficial use of products, residues and rejected waste; and Reporting and monitoring of environmental compliance. Please see "Competitive flexible procedure description" section of this tender notice and the procurement documents for full details of: 1 - the competitive flexible procedure that ELWA is conducting pursuant to s. 20 of the Procurement Act 2023; and 2 - ELWA's requirements for the Contract. (Defined terms used in the above list of services are detailed in the draft contract and procurement documents.) The Authority conducted initial preliminary market engagement in September and October 2025 (Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-052844). As part of the exercise, the Authority published a Market Operator Briefing Note in which it explained that the main objective of the contract is to maximise recycling of dry recycling materials. Seven organisations participated in this exercise and provided feedback in respect of: The Authority's procurement strategy; Assumptions for evaluation; Contract interface as the Authority has separately procured a reception, haulage, reuse and recycling centre contract; Waste acceptance protocols and vehicles that can/cannot be accepted at facilities; Processes for identifying and recording contamination; Plastic film and carton recycling arrangements; Payment mechanisms; Experiences of performance management frameworks; and Social value. In addition, the Authority conducted additional market engagement in February 2026 (Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-014917) to seek views in respect of proposals to divide the Contract into lots, or whether to procure a single contract for 100% exclusivity of all dry recycling material. Three organisations participated in this exercise and feedback in respect of approach was mixed. Consequently, at the Invitation to Submit Initial Tenders stage, the Authority will invite Bidders to submit Initial Tenders on the assumption that an award for 25% exclusivity of the Authority's annual tonnage will be made. However, the highest-scoring Bidder will be entitled to confirm whether it wishes to have 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% exclusivity. In the event the highest-scoring Bidder selects 75%, 50% or 25%, the second highest-scoring Bidder will be invited to select what % exclusivity it wishes to deliver, and so on until 100% exclusivity has been awarded. This approach could result in 1 - 4 Bidders being awarded a % of exclusivity of the Authority's annual tonnage. In each of the preliminary market engagements, it was clearly specified that participation in the preliminary market engagement was/is not a requirement for participation in this procurement. The contract value is based on ELWA's estimate at the date of publication of the Tender Notice and the draft procurement documents and includes extension of the contract for five years following expiry of the initial 5-year and 3-month service delivery term. The estimated value also includes any services which may be required during the initial 5-year and 3-month service delivery period. Therefore, the estimated value is not necessarily the final value of the Contract and ELWA reserves the right to vary this contract value (either higher or lower) in the event the scope of the contract varies throughout its term. It is intended as a guide to Bidders and the actual value is intended to cover delivery of ELWA's requirements over the full possible 10-year term.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Details of the primary scope of services required for this contract are included in this notice, the procurement documents and draft contract. However, the scope of the procurement is also intended to cover ancillary services required to deliver the contract over its full possible term. This could include services related to those set out in the draft procurement documents and contract but not explicitly stated. In addition, the actual scope of services required could be narrower than set out above.

Renewal: The contract is expected to be awarded in February 2027, with service commencement expected to commence on 23 December 2027. In the event that ELWA does make a decision to award the contract following evaluation and moderation of Initial Tenders, the award date may be earlier. The initial term of the contract is from the service commencement date to March 2032, with an option to extend for up to five additional years from expiry of the initial term. The contract, and this procurement, is intended to cover any extension in the period between commencement and service commencement, so the total term of the contract may exceed this estimate.

Planning Information

In preparing for the launch of this procurement in April 2026, ELWA has ruled out the potential for splitting the contract into lots by reference to geographical boroughs and therefore seeks views from the market in respect of the following lotting/contract options: 1 - If ELWA does not divide the contract into lots, and seeks to procure a single contract for exclusivity of all dry recycling material, would your organisation participate in the procurement and be able to process 100% of the total estimated annual tonnage? 2 - If ELWA does divide the contract into lots, it has considered whether to divide the contract into lots based on exclusivity % of the total estimated annual tonnage. E.g. lots for 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of the total estimated annual tonnage. If ELWA adopts this approach, it seeks feedback from market operators as to: - their preferred exclusivity % of ELWA's annual tonnage, and which of the below options respondents would bid for; - two lots: one of 75% exclusivity of ELWA's annual tonnage and one for 25% exclusivity, with suppliers able to bid for and subsequently win either lot, resulting in either one or two suppliers being selected; and - two lots: one for 50% exclusivity of ELWA's annual tonnage and one for 25% exclusivity, with suppliers able to bid for and subsequently win either lot, resulting in a minimum of two suppliers (if the winner of the 50% lot also wins the 25% lot + one other 25% supplier) or three suppliers if there is one winner of the 50% lot and 2 bidders from the 25% lot); ELWA could also reserve the right to discontinue the 25% lot if it receives a number of bids for the 50% lot (subsequently resulting in two suppliers each being awarded 50% exclusivity). 3 - As an alternative to lots, ELWA could structure the procurement so that bidders submit proposals on the assumption that an award for 25% exclusivity of ELWA's annual tonnage will be made. However, the highest-scoring bidder is able to confirm whether it wishes to have 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% exclusivity. In the event the highest-scoring bidder selects 75%, 50% or 25%, the second highest-scoring bidder is able to select what % exclusivity it wishes to deliver, and so on until 100% exclusivity has been awarded. This approach could result in 1 - 4 suppliers being awarded a % of exclusivity of ELWA's annual tonnage. Pricing for exclusivity % higher than 25% (e.g. 50%, 75% or 100%) will be calculated by multiplying the successful bidder's tendered pricing for 25% exclusivity by the % exclusivity it will actually deliver (e.g. 75% exclusivity = tendered pricing multiplied by 3). 4 - ELWA also welcomes feedback on a proposal to have a sifting stage where bidders confirm which lot they are interested in, prior to submitting the Procurement Specific Questionnaire/Conditions of Participation. ELWA would then confirm the lots based on maximising participation in the procurement (and to reduce the burden on bidders in the event lots are discontinued following the Conditions of Participation stage). ELWA would appreciate responses to these questions being submitted to enquiries@eastlondonwaste.gov.uk by 17:00 on by Friday 27 February 2026, with the subject heading "DRC Lotting PME". ELWA appreciates the time and effort of respondents in participating in this PME exercise. Market operators may submit any clarification questions, enquiries or further information regarding the conduct of the preliminary market engagement to ELWA to enquiries@eastlondonwaste.gov.uk. Though encouraged, engagement in this preliminary market engagement exercise is not a requirement for participation in the forthcoming procurement, which shall be formally commenced through publication of a Tender Notice.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05916d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031386-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

90513000 - Non-hazardous refuse and waste treatment and disposal services

90514000 - Refuse recycling services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£52,668,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£52,668,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Apr 20266 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
7 Apr 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
East London Waste Authority
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
E15 2ST
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
TLI41 Hackney and Newham, TLI52 Barking & Dagenham and Havering, TLI53 Redbridge and Waltham Forest
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

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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