--- title: "Contract for Machine Bulb Planting" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "City & County of Swansea" published: "2026-09-28" --- # Contract for Machine Bulb Planting Buyer: City & County of Swansea Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7.json) ## Summary The City & County of Swansea intends to procure machine planting of mixed bulbs in grass verges and other grassed areas across Swansea. The planting scheme covers butterfly, bee and native mixes, selected for long flowering periods, strong visual displays and benefits to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The butterfly and bee mixes are intended to flower from February to July, while the native mix is intended to flower from February to May. The planned areas are 694 m² for the butterfly mix, 405 m² for the bee mix and 15 m² for the native mix. This is a horticultural planting service for public green spaces, rather than a supply-only purchase; the planting densities are approximately 120 bulbs per m² for the butterfly mix, 450 for the bee mix and 300 for the native mix. This procurement is at the planning stage. Swansea Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to assess supplier capacity and technical ability, and to inform its decision about how to run a competitive procurement. The engagement questionnaire is due by noon on 16 October 2026; participation is not a prerequisite for any future procurement. The buyer expects a further notice on 28 October 2026, but this is an indicative date. The planned contract period runs from 16 November to 1 December 2026. The estimated value is £41,784 excluding VAT (£50,140.80 including VAT). The work is planned as one lot and is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. No tender invitation has been issued. The work may suit specialist horticultural contractors and landscape maintenance businesses with the equipment and crews to plant bulb mixes mechanically across multiple grassed sites. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate capacity to deliver the stated planting areas and densities within the planned contract period, while handling different mixes and flowering objectives. Knowledge of bulb selection and planting that supports pollinators would be relevant to the council’s stated aims. The engagement is an opportunity for interested organisations to explain their technical ability and capacity, helping shape the council’s approach to any later competition. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community or social enterprises are explicitly considered suitable. The council has not yet set out qualification or accreditation requirements, so businesses can use engagement to inform the procurement design rather than prepare a bid. ## Notice Swansea Council intends to undertake pre-market engagement for the machine planting of various bulb mixes at locations across Swansea. The mixes must provide long flowering periods, strong visual displays and benefits for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The butterfly and bee mixes should flower from February to July, with planting densities of approximately 120 bulbs per m2 and 450 bulbs per m2 respectively. The native mix should flower from February to May and be planted at approximately 300 bulbs per m2. The total planting areas are 694 m2 for the butterfly mix, 405 m2 for the bee mix and 15 m2 for the native mix. Planting will take place on grass verges and other grassed areas throughout Swansea. ### Planning Information This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) seeks those organisations that may be interested in providing this service . The exercise will be used to understand the markets capacity and technical ability. Swansea Council has created an Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) which will be used to understand the markets capacity and technical ability. The Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) can be accessed by emailing chris.waters@swansea.gov.uk. Please submit your completed MEQ by no later than 12:00 noon on the 16th October 2026 by email to chris.waters@swansea.gov.uk. Participation in this engagement exercise is not a mandatory requirement for participating in any potential future procurement; however, responses received will assist to inform Swansea Council as to the level of interest from the market and will be used to evidence a decision as to how to undertake a competitive procurement. This notice is not a call for competition. Swansea Council reserves the right to withdraw from undertaking a tender process at any point. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091580-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 28 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 28 Oct 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 16 Nov 2026 - 1 Dec 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £41,784 | | 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 | City & County of Swansea | | Locality | SWANSEA | | Postcode area | Swansea | | Postcode | SA1 3SN | | Country | Wales | | ITL 1 | TLL Wales | | ITL 2 | TLL4 Mid and South West Wales | | ITL 3 | TLL43 Swansea | | Local authority | Swansea | | Electoral ward | Waterfront | | Westminster constituency | Swansea West | | Delivery location | TLL18 Swansea | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services ### Codes - 77000000 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services - 77300000 - Horticultural services - 77310000 - Planting and maintenance services of green areas ## Release History - 28 Sep 2026 at 16:40 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091580-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091580-2026 28th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.swansea.gov.uk/dobusiness - 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-077bd7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077bd7.json.