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Mass Transit Framework

West of England Combined Authority

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

02 Sep 2026 at 16:04

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

West of England Combined Authority is developing a proposed Mass Transit Framework to support its wider Mass Transit Programme. The planned requirement covers professional engineering and construction consultancy services, including civil engineering consultancy, environmental engineering, engineering design for civil engineering works, geotechnical engineering, engineering studies, engineering-related scientific and technical services, site investigations and construction consultancy. The work is intended to support a programme whose scale, pace and complexity will require coordinated input across multiple technical disciplines and delivery packages. The planned service area covers England, including the West of England and other English regions. The buying organisation is the West of England Combined Authority, based in Bristol. Suppliers may need to contribute to the development, design, investigation and delivery planning of major transport infrastructure.

This procurement is at the planning stage: the authority has announced its intention to develop the framework and is undertaking preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. It expects to use a framework agreement, with one planned lot, and the procurement is above the relevant threshold. The planned contract period is from 1 April 2027 to 1 April 2030. The Mass Transit Programme is supported by a £150 million Transport for City Regions allocation. An in-person Industry Engagement Day is planned for 21 September 2026, from 09:30 to 11:30 in Bristol. Suppliers wishing to attend are expected to register by 9 September 2026, giving attendee names and job titles. Further one-to-one engagement is planned after the event. Participation will not affect later evaluation or selection.

This will suit engineering, environmental, geotechnical, site-investigation and construction consultancy businesses with experience of transport infrastructure and complex, multi-disciplinary programmes. It may also suit smaller enterprises, as the planned lot is identified as suitable for SMEs. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate the capacity and capability to support a substantial future pipeline, manage resource constraints and work at pace across several programme elements. The authority is seeking practical views on supply-chain collaboration, subcontracting, consortia and other delivery models, as well as effective sharing and integration of information and designs. Businesses with experience of client-side delivery arrangements, major infrastructure design, technical studies or construction planning can help shape the proposed framework through the engagement process. The authority is also interested in lessons learned and barriers affecting future delivery.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Mass Transit Framework

Notice Description

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to support the development of its proposed Mass Transit Framework. As the Mass Transit Programme continues to develop, WECA is seeking to engage with the market at an early stage to better understand supplier capacity, capability and views on how the market can effectively support the scale, pace and complexity of the programme ahead. The programme is supported by a PS150 million Transport for City Regions (TCR) allocation for Mass Transit, reflecting the scale of investment and delivery ambition over the coming years. As part of this preliminary market engagement, WECA will hold an in-person Industry Engagement Day on 21 September 2026. Event details Date: 21 September 2026 Format: In person Venue: Ground Floor, 70 Redcliff Street, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6AL Time: 09:30-11:30 WECA's preference is for suppliers to attend the event in person to support an open and collaborative discussion. However, where reasonable adjustments are required to enable participation, WECA will consider arrangements for hybrid attendance. Suppliers should identify any such requirements when registering their interest. The event will provide an opportunity for WECA to share further context on the Mass Transit Programme, emerging requirements and anticipated future pipeline of work, while also hearing directly from the market about how the proposed framework and future delivery arrangements can be structured as effectively as possible. In particular, WECA is interested in exploring: * The market's capacity and capability to support the Mass Transit Programme and its anticipated pipeline; * Current and emerging resource and capacity constraints, and how these could be addressed; * Opportunities for greater collaboration across the supply chain, including approaches to subcontracting, consortia and other delivery models; * How suppliers can work effectively alongside one another, including the sharing and integration of information and designs across different elements of the programme; * What the West of England Combined Authority can do as a client to make the proposed framework and future opportunities attractive and effective for the supply chain; and * Any other barriers, opportunities or lessons learned that should inform WECA's approach. The Industry Engagement Day will be designed as an open and collaborative discussion and will include a roundtable session, giving participants the opportunity to provide feedback and help inform WECA's developing approach. Further supplier engagement Following the Industry Engagement Day, WECA will undertake further one-to-one engagement with suppliers to explore relevant themes arising from the event in greater detail. There will be opportunity to book-in these further one-to-one sessions on the day. Details of any further engagement, including how suppliers can express an interest in participating and how sessions will be managed if demand exceeds available capacity, will be communicated following the Industry Engagement Day. Participation in this preliminary market engagement, including attendance at the Industry Engagement Day or any subsequent engagement, will not form part of any future procurement evaluation or supplier selection process and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent procurement. Registering interest Suppliers interested in attending the Industry Engagement Day should respond through this notice by Wednesday 9 September 2026, providing the names and job titles of the proposed attendees. We see this as an important opportunity to have an open conversation for this major programme of work about how we can work better together and ensure that the Mass Transit Programme is positioned to draw on the capacity, capability and expertise available across the market.

Planning Information

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to support the development of its proposed Mass Transit Framework. As the Mass Transit Programme continues to develop, WECA is seeking to engage with the market at an early stage to better understand supplier capacity, capability and views on how the market can effectively support the scale, pace and complexity of the programme ahead. The programme is supported by a £150 million Transport for City Regions (TCR) allocation for Mass Transit, reflecting the scale of investment and delivery ambition over the coming years. As part of this preliminary market engagement, WECA will hold an in-person Industry Engagement Day on 21 September 2026. Event details Date: 21 September 2026 Format: In person Venue: Ground Floor, 70 Redcliff Street, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6AL Time: 09:30-11:30 WECA's preference is for suppliers to attend the event in person to support an open and collaborative discussion. However, where reasonable adjustments are required to enable participation, WECA will consider arrangements for hybrid attendance. Suppliers should identify any such requirements when registering their interest. The event will provide an opportunity for WECA to share further context on the Mass Transit Programme, emerging requirements and anticipated future pipeline of work, while also hearing directly from the market about how the proposed framework and future delivery arrangements can be structured as effectively as possible. In particular, WECA is interested in exploring: • The market's capacity and capability to support the Mass Transit Programme and its anticipated pipeline; • Current and emerging resource and capacity constraints, and how these could be addressed; • Opportunities for greater collaboration across the supply chain, including approaches to subcontracting, consortia and other delivery models; • How suppliers can work effectively alongside one another, including the sharing and integration of information and designs across different elements of the programme; • What the West of England Combined Authority can do as a client to make the proposed framework and future opportunities attractive and effective for the supply chain; and • Any other barriers, opportunities or lessons learned that should inform WECA's approach. The Industry Engagement Day will be designed as an open and collaborative discussion and will include a roundtable session, giving participants the opportunity to provide feedback and help inform WECA's developing approach. Further supplier engagement Following the Industry Engagement Day, WECA will undertake further one-to-one engagement with suppliers to explore relevant themes arising from the event in greater detail. There will be opportunity to book-in these further one-to-one sessions on the day. Details of any further engagement, including how suppliers can express an interest in participating and how sessions will be managed if demand exceeds available capacity, will be communicated following the Industry Engagement Day. Participation in this preliminary market engagement, including attendance at the Industry Engagement Day or any subsequent engagement, will not form part of any future procurement evaluation or supplier selection process and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent procurement. Registering interest Suppliers interested in attending the Industry Engagement Day should respond through this notice by Wednesday 9 September 2026, providing the names and job titles of the proposed attendees. We see this as an important opportunity to have an open conversation for this major programme of work about how we can work better together and ensure that the Mass Transit Programme is positioned to draw on the capacity, capability and expertise available across the market.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f09d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083176-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71311000 - Civil engineering consultancy services

71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services

71322000 - Engineering design services for the construction of civil engineering works

71332000 - Geotechnical engineering services

71335000 - Engineering studies

71350000 - Engineering-related scientific and technical services

71510000 - Site-investigation services

71530000 - Construction consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2030 3-4 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
West of England Combined 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
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 6LS
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
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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