Award

Oxpens River Bridge Steel Material Procurement

OXFORD CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

10 Dec 2025 at 16:16

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Oxford City Council has concluded a procurement process for the "Oxpens River Bridge Steel Material Procurement," focusing on acquiring specific steel materials necessary for the bridge's construction. The tender pertains to the procurement of goods under the industry category of steel supply, targeting the construction industry's needs. The procurement has reached the award stage, with a direct award made to Briton Fabricators Limited, ensuring the supply chain alignment with existing designs. Located in Oxford, United Kingdom, the critical milestone requires steel orders to be finalised by mid-January 2026 to meet construction timelines. The contract period is scheduled from 19th January to 29th May 2026, ensuring timely material availability to comply with environmental restrictions and project constraints.

This procurement presents substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs specialising in steel manufacturing and supply for construction projects. The tender highlights potential for businesses that are capable of managing direct awards, as seen in the selection of Briton Fabricators Limited due to their existing design work on the Oxpens River Bridge. Firms with expertise in handling architecturally demanding projects and unique specifications, such as complex steel fabrication, would find opportunities in such contracts, enabling them to leverage their technical capabilities to expand their market footprint. The procurement method, driven by existing design alignments and time-sensitive construction requirements, underscores the importance of collaboration between specialist suppliers and local government bodies.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

Oxpens River Bridge Steel Material Procurement

Notice Description

For the early procurement of steel material for the main construction phase of the Oxpens River Bridge through a preferred specialist supplier to the steel supply company.

Procurement Information

The proposed Oxpens river bridge is an architecturally designed long box span bridge with 'arch edge beams' formed by SHS sections with vertical stiffeners to create wave sections. The complex nature of fabrication, transportation and installation of this structure has required significant and continuous input from the specialist contractor throughout the detailed design phase. Briton were sub-contracted by the original contractor for the design of the bridge, however the contractor has decided not to continue with the construction phase of the project, whereby a procurement under a Framework for a new contractor is underway. The construction phase of the project is limited by restrictions imposed by the Environment Agent and high risk of seasonal flooding. The window to install the main span is September 2026. To achieve this programme a steel order must be placed in mid-January 2026. The authority intends to procure the steel directly should a main contract not be awarded by mid-January to achieve the overall construction programme. As Briton prepared the designs for the project and own the copyright over them, they are required to calculate the amount of steel required based on the designs, the Council is unable to order the steel directly and would have to expend considerable additional costs for work already carried out in respect of further designs by another supplier, to be able to procure the steel required for the project. Otherwise, the Council could receive an incompatible amount of steel goods which would result in severely disproportionate difficulty in the operation of building the bridge. The Council could not have foreseen that Balfour Beatty would withdraw from the project but as a result, the Council needs to procure Britons to calculate and order the steel required for the project based on their existing designs to continue with the project under the new contractor. Therefore Oxford City Council are switching to a direct award to Briton under section 7 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023: Additional or repeat goods, services or works 7 The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where- (a)a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b)the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f321
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081663-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

14 - Mining, basic metals and related products

CPV Codes

14622000 - Steel

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
19 Jan 2026 - 29 May 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
OXFORD CITY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@oxford.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
OXFORD
Postcode
OX1 1BX
Post Town
Oxford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Oxford
Electoral Ward
Holywell
Westminster Constituency
Oxford West and Abingdon

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BRITON FABRICATORS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05f321-2025-12-10T16:16:02Z",
    "date": "2025-12-10T16:16:02Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05f321",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PJQW-3663-YMYQ",
            "name": "Oxford City Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PJQW-3663-YMYQ"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates",
                "locality": "Oxford",
                "postalCode": "OX1 1BX",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ14"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Procurement@oxford.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-01123552",
            "name": "BRITON FABRICATORS LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "01123552"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PJDM-7571-THHW"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Watnall Road",
                "locality": "Nottingham",
                "postalCode": "NG15 6EP",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKF15"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "dean.morcom@britonsltd.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.britonsltd.co.uk",
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PJQW-3663-YMYQ",
        "name": "Oxford City Council"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05f321",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Oxpens River Bridge Steel Material Procurement",
        "description": "For the early procurement of steel material for the main construction phase of the Oxpens River Bridge through a preferred specialist supplier to the steel supply company.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The proposed Oxpens river bridge is an architecturally designed long box span bridge with 'arch edge beams' formed by SHS sections with vertical stiffeners to create wave sections. The complex nature of fabrication, transportation and installation of this structure has required significant and continuous input from the specialist contractor throughout the detailed design phase. Briton were sub-contracted by the original contractor for the design of the bridge, however the contractor has decided not to continue with the construction phase of the project, whereby a procurement under a Framework for a new contractor is underway. The construction phase of the project is limited by restrictions imposed by the Environment Agent and high risk of seasonal flooding. The window to install the main span is September 2026. To achieve this programme a steel order must be placed in mid-January 2026. The authority intends to procure the steel directly should a main contract not be awarded by mid-January to achieve the overall construction programme. As Briton prepared the designs for the project and own the copyright over them, they are required to calculate the amount of steel required based on the designs, the Council is unable to order the steel directly and would have to expend considerable additional costs for work already carried out in respect of further designs by another supplier, to be able to procure the steel required for the project. Otherwise, the Council could receive an incompatible amount of steel goods which would result in severely disproportionate difficulty in the operation of building the bridge. The Council could not have foreseen that Balfour Beatty would withdraw from the project but as a result, the Council needs to procure Britons to calculate and order the steel required for the project based on their existing designs to continue with the project under the new contractor. Therefore Oxford City Council are switching to a direct award to Briton under section 7 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023: Additional or repeat goods, services or works 7 The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where- (a)a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b)the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance.",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "riskDetails": "1. A sudden and unforeseen increase in steel prices due to national/global events. 2. Increase in demand from major projects moving into the construction phase and large orders for steel being placed. 3. Reduction in capacity to produce steel due to steel producers closing plants or going into liquidation or other economic impacts. 4. Incorrect ordering of specific steel sections results in change/re-order to satisfy contract",
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "switchingDirectAward"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Oxpens River Bridge Steel Material",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 600000,
                "amount": 500000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-01123552",
                    "name": "BRITON FABRICATORS LIMITED"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "14622000",
                            "description": "Steel"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKJ14",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-01-19T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2026-05-29T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "081663-2025",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081663-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-12-10T16:16:02Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-01-12T23:59:59Z",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}