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Tree and Woodland Maintenance - Arboriculture Services

Bristol City Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

29 Jul 2026 at 15:23

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

29 Jul 2026 at 14:30

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bristol City Council is exploring a future contract for arboricultural tree maintenance services. The work would cover the maintenance of trees and woodland, with the specification still being refined through supplier input. The procurement is for services rather than goods or construction works. The Council is seeking views on whether the proposed commission would be practical, feasible and deliverable, and on the capacity available in the market to provide it. The service would be delivered within the area covered by the procurement, and the Council would use the information gathered to develop an Arboricultural Maintenance of Trees contract if it decides to proceed. Suppliers with relevant tree-care, arboricultural and woodland-maintenance operations should therefore regard this as an early market-engagement exercise concerning a substantial future service requirement.

The process is at the planning stage and is not an invitation to tender. Bristol City Council is carrying out soft market testing to refine the future specification and understand supplier interest. The Council expects the service to run from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032, with a possible extension or renewal taking the maximum period to 31 March 2034. The estimated value is £7,798,000 excluding VAT, or £9,357,600 including VAT, for one planned lot. The Council expects the next notice to be published on 6 August 2026, and the market-engagement exercise is scheduled to close on that date. These are planning expectations rather than tender deadlines. The Council may decide not to proceed with procurement.

This engagement is relevant to suppliers able to deliver arboricultural tree maintenance at significant public-sector scale, including organisations with operational capacity for recurring tree and woodland work across the Council’s service area. It is intended to test whether suppliers can make the proposed service practical, feasible and deliverable, so businesses should be ready to explain their workforce, equipment, geographic coverage, mobilisation approach and ability to manage the expected workload. Firms with established experience maintaining public or other extensive tree stocks, and those able to contribute constructively to specification development, are likely to be well placed to influence the future requirement. The Council has not yet set out specific accreditations or technical thresholds in this planning exercise; suppliers should use the engagement to identify workable requirements and prepare for a later competition if one is launched.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Tree and Woodland Maintenance - Arboriculture Services

Notice Description

Bristol City Council is seeking to gain insight into the practicality, capacity, feasibility, and deliverability of a potential contract for the provision of arboricultural tree maintenance services. To support this, the Council is inviting suppliers to participate in a soft market testing exercise to help refine the specification for this commission and to express an interest in bidding for this contract. Information gathered through this process will help inform the development of a future Arboricultural Maintenance of Trees contract, should the Council decide to proceed with procurement.

Planning Information

Bristol City Council is seeking to gain insight into the practicality, capacity, feasibility, and deliverability of a potential contract for the provision of arboricultural tree maintenance services. To support this, the Council is inviting suppliers to participate in a soft market testing exercise to help refine the specification for this commission and to express an interest in bidding for this contract. Information gathered through this process will help inform the development of a future Arboricultural Maintenance of Trees contract, should the Council decide to proceed with procurement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d697
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071819-2026
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
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

77100000 - Agricultural services

77200000 - Forestry services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£7,798,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
6 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Bristol City 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
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 5TR
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
TLK1 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Hotwells and Harbourside
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

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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