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On Site Waste Processing Managed Solution

COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

12 Oct 2026 at 20:45

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is procuring a managed on-site healthcare waste processing service. The supplier is to provide, install, commission, operate, maintain and support a treatment facility at the Trust’s hospital in Chester. It is intended to process infectious waste in orange bags, offensive waste in tiger bags and domestic-type waste in black bags, reducing reliance on external treatment and disposal. The service also covers equipment, servicing, regulatory support, environmental reporting and business continuity. Anatomical, cytotoxic and cytostatic waste, and certain pharmaceutical waste, remain outside the service and are to follow separate compliant disposal routes. The work is healthcare waste treatment and related services (CPV 90500000).

The procurement is complete, with a direct award made to Planeteq Limited. The Trust selected the supplier following market engagement, supplier assessment, site feasibility work and option appraisal; it concluded that no alternative supplier then offered the required combination of technical, environmental, operational and managed-service outcomes at the existing site. The award is valued at £5.3 million excluding VAT (£6.36 million including VAT). The contract period runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2037. The award was published on 12 October 2026, and contract signature was scheduled for 2 November 2026. The requirement is presented as one lot. The Trust’s assessment focused on the solution’s fit with the hospital’s site, waste volumes, infrastructure and operating needs rather than treatment capability alone.

This award shows demand for an integrated healthcare waste treatment service that can operate within a busy acute hospital, using the existing waste-management footprint and avoiding major estate expansion or disruption to hospital operations. A credible future competitor would need to handle the Trust’s applicable infectious, offensive and domestic waste streams at the anticipated scale, and provide a turnkey service covering installation, operation, maintenance, compliance, environmental reporting and continuity. The Trust also prioritised compatibility with existing permits, environmental management and waste-team shift patterns; constrained utilities and limited infrastructure demand; lower energy use; and reduced transport and reliance on off-site treatment. The chosen process was expected to avoid toxic ash, local dioxin or furan stack emissions, and industrial effluent discharge to mains drainage, while supporting sustainability and NHS Net Zero objectives. Public procurement records identify the selected supplier as an SME.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

On Site Waste Processing Managed Solution

Notice Description

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust intends to award a contract for the provision of a managed on-site healthcare waste processing solution. The requirement includes the provision, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and support of an on-site waste treatment facility capable of processing applicable healthcare associated waste generated by the Trust. The proposed solution is intended to process Orange Bag infectious waste, Tiger Bag offensive waste and Black Bag domestic type waste through a managed service arrangement, reducing reliance on external treatment and disposal providers while supporting the Trust's sustainability, operational resilience and Net Zero objectives. The contract includes all equipment provision, maintenance, servicing, regulatory support, environmental reporting, business continuity arrangements and associated managed service requirements necessary to deliver the service. Specialist waste streams requiring alternative treatment routes, including anatomical, cytotoxic/cytostatic and certain pharmaceutical waste streams, will continue to be managed through separate compliant disposal arrangements.

Procurement Information

The Trust has undertaken extensive market engagement, supplier assessment and option appraisal activity in relation to the future management of healthcare associated waste since 2022. The Trust's requirement is not simply for the disposal of healthcare waste, but for the provision of a managed on-site healthcare waste processing solution capable of operating safely and effectively within an active acute hospital environment. The proposed solution has been designed around the Trust's current waste profile and is expected to process approximately 1,042 tonnes of waste during Year 1, representing in excess of 90% of applicable waste streams currently managed by the Trust. Any proposed solution must be capable of operating from within the existing Waste and Environment Management footprint and without the need for significant estate expansion, relocation of existing services, major infrastructure development or material impact on surrounding hospital operations. The Trust currently manages in excess of 1,100 tonnes of waste annually through its Waste and Environment Management operations. This equates to approximately 45 to 50 healthcare waste containers being managed through the Trust's Waste and Environment Management area each day. Any proposed solution must be capable of managing these volumes within the operational constraints of the Trust and remain compatible with existing site access, estate infrastructure and environmental management arrangements. The Trust's Waste and Environment Management area forms part of an operational healthcare site with finite estate capacity, utility infrastructure constraints and adjacent patient, visitor and public areas. Estate compatibility, operational resilience and environmental impact therefore form fundamental requirements of the proposed solution. As part of the assessment process, the Trust identified a number of operational, environmental and estate requirements that are considered fundamental to the proposed solution: * The ability to process the majority of applicable healthcare waste streams generated by the Trust. * Operation from within the existing Waste and Environment Management footprint without structural estate expansion. * Delivery through a fully managed turnkey service model incorporating operation, maintenance, compliance and support. * Reduction in reliance upon external waste transportation and off-site treatment providers. * No generation of toxic ash. * No localised dioxin or furan stack emissions associated with the treatment process. * No discharge of industrial waste effluent to mains drainage. * Direct support for the Trust's sustainability objectives and NHS Net Zero commitments. * The ability to operate without imposing significant additional infrastructure requirements on the Trust estate. * The ability to operate within existing estate utility constraints, specifically avoiding technologies requiring high-volume water main connections or dedicated high-pressure steam utilities. The Trust has also sought solutions that minimise additional energy demand and avoid the extensive infrastructure expansions commonly associated with conventional thermal treatment technologies. In assessing alternative solutions, particular consideration was given to estate limitations, operational footprint, utility requirements, environmental impact and compatibility with the existing Waste and Environment Management area. The Trust's assessment identified a number of suppliers capable of delivering healthcare waste treatment solutions. Through our market engagement process, multiple suppliers confirmed an ability to provide healthcare waste treatment solutions. However, the Trust's requirement extended beyond treatment capability alone and included operation within the existing Waste and Environment Management footprint, minimal additional infrastructure requirements, full turnkey delivery, alignment with the Trust's existing environmental management arrangements and Environment Agency permitting requirements, operation within existing waste team shift patterns, reduced energy consumption and the ability to process the Trust's anticipated waste volumes through a managed service model. Following market engagement, site-specific feasibility work and business case development undertaken between 2022 and 2026, no alternative supplier has been identified that can currently provide the required combination of technical, environmental, operational and managed service outcomes from within the Trust's existing estate footprint. The proposed solution forms part of a wider strategy to reduce reliance on external waste treatment capacity, reduce healthcare waste transport movements, improve operational resilience and provide greater long-term certainty over waste management costs. The Trust therefore considers that a Direct Award is appropriate having regard to the specific operational, environmental and estate requirements identified through its assessment process and is publishing this Transparency Notice in accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 to provide transparency of its intended approach.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07861b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096324-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

90500000 - Refuse and waste related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£5,300,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2037 Over 5 years
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
COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHESTER
Postcode
CH2 1UL
Postcode Area
Chester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Electoral Ward
Upton
Westminster Constituency
Chester North and Neston

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PLANETEQ LIMITED

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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