--- title: "Highway Weed Control" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Kent County Council" published: "2026-08-21" --- # Highway Weed Control Buyer: Kent County Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8.json) ## Summary Kent County Council intends to procure highway weed-control services across Kent. The work covers weed treatment on kerbs and channels, modular paving, roundabouts, traffic islands and the rear of footways, with treatment required twice a year. It also includes treating noxious weeds on the highway, including Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed, and treating ballast in identified highway escape lanes. The service is classified as weed-clearance and weed-killing services (CPV 77312000 and 77312100). The planned contract is divided into six geographic lots: Dartford and Gravesham; Sevenoaks and Tonbridge & Malling; Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells; Ashford and Swale; Canterbury and Thanet; and Dover, Folkestone and Hythe. Kent County Council is the buying organisation, with delivery across these Kent areas. This procurement is at the planning stage. Kent County Council is conducting preliminary market engagement to help shape the new contract; it is not yet an invitation to tender. The Council expects to publish the next notice on 9 November 2026. Responses to the planned engagement are sought by 18 September 2026. The estimated value is £3,000,000 excluding VAT, or £3,600,000 including VAT, in pounds sterling. The procurement is for services and is above the relevant threshold. The contract is currently structured into six lots, although the published contract-period information covers Lot 1: Dartford and Gravesham. That lot is expected to run from 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2031, with a renewal option extending the maximum period to 31 March 2033. The procedure is still being shaped through market engagement. The planned service should suit specialist vegetation-management, highway-maintenance and grounds-maintenance contractors with the equipment, trained operatives and operational systems to treat roadside surfaces across substantial geographic areas. Relevant experience would include scheduled weed control on kerbs, channels, paving, roundabouts, traffic islands and footway edges, together with safe treatment of noxious or invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed. Suppliers should also be able to treat ballast in highway escape lanes and plan repeat treatments twice each year. Contractors may be able to focus on one geographic area or build capacity to cover several of the six planned lots. Businesses with established highway working practices, traffic-management arrangements and the ability to deploy teams across Kent should monitor the future tender and use the engagement stage to comment on the proposed contract. ## Notice Kent County Council is seeking responses from the commercial market to help shape the new contract for the Highway Weed Control contract. The Council shall look to identify a supplier that can carry out the following main activities that are required under this contract: *Weed control on kerbs and channels, modular paving, roundabouts, traffic islands and rear of footways. The frequency of treatment shall be twice a year. *Treatment of Noxious Weeds on the highway including Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed. *Treatment of ballast within identified highway escape lanes. The contract is currently structured into six lots, which are as follows: *Lot 1: Dartford and Gravesham *Lot 2: Sevenoaks and Tonbridge & Malling *Lot 3: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells *Lot 4: Ashford and Swale *Lot 5: Canterbury and Thanet *Lot 6: Dover, Folkestone and Hythe For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Maidstone:-Weed-clearance-services./547E754M7W To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/547E754M7W ### Planning Information Kent County Council is seeking responses from the commercial market to help shape the new contract for the Highway Weed Control contract. The Council shall look to identify a supplier that can carry out the following main activities that are required under this contract: •Weed control on kerbs and channels, modular paving, roundabouts, traffic islands and rear of footways. The frequency of treatment shall be twice a year. •Treatment of Noxious Weeds on the highway including Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed. •Treatment of ballast within identified highway escape lanes. The contract is currently structured into six lots, which are as follows: •Lot 1: Dartford and Gravesham •Lot 2: Sevenoaks and Tonbridge & Malling •Lot 3: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells •Lot 4: Ashford and Swale •Lot 5: Canterbury and Thanet •Lot 6: Dover, Folkestone and Hythe ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079942-2026 | | 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 | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 21 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 9 Nov 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Apr 2028 - 31 Mar 2031 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £3,000,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Kent County Council | | Locality | MAIDSTONE | | Postcode area | Rochester | | Postcode | ME14 1XQ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent | | ITL 3 | TLJ45 Mid Kent | | Local authority | Maidstone | | Electoral ward | Penenden Heath | | Westminster constituency | Maidstone and Malling | | Delivery location | TLJ4 Kent | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services ### Codes - 77312000 - Weed-clearance services - 77312100 - Weed-killing services ## Release History - 21 Aug 2026 at 13:54 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079942-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079942-2026 21st August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/547E754M7W - https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Maidstone:-Weed-clearance-services./547E754M7W - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e9a8.json.