--- title: "Grounds Maintenance Services: 2027-2031" ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218.json" source: "Public Contracts Scotland" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Orkney Islands Council" published: "2026-08-31" --- # Grounds Maintenance Services: 2027-2031 Buyer: Orkney Islands Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218.json) ## Summary Orkney Islands Council plans to buy grounds maintenance services across Orkney Mainland, the linked South Isles and Hoy. The work covers grass cutting, strimming, weed control, and maintaining planted areas including shrubs and small trees. The procurement is divided into three service areas: general grounds maintenance; maintenance of sports pitches at Bignold Park, Firth School, Market Green, Stromness Academy and St Margaret’s Hope School; and cemetery maintenance at Warbeth, St Olaf’s and St Magnus Cathedral, with potential work at Firth and Stenness cemeteries. This is a public-sector services contract for suppliers able to deliver routine horticultural and grounds maintenance work across multiple island locations. This is a planned procurement at the prior-information stage; it is an advance notice rather than an invitation to tender. The council expects to issue the contract advertisement on 5 October 2026, after a 35-day prior-information period. The estimated total procurement value is £2,000,000 GBP. The planned contract is a four-year term running from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, with an option for a further 12-month extension, subject to meeting the performance criteria in the contract. The three lots cover general grounds maintenance, sports pitches and cemeteries. The process is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement, and a Sustainable Procurement Policy is associated with the procurement. The work will suit established grounds maintenance, horticultural and landscaping businesses with the equipment, staff and management systems to maintain grass, planted areas, shrubs and small trees across dispersed island locations. Suppliers with experience of sports-pitch maintenance will be relevant to the pitches lot, while cemetery-care experience will suit the cemetery lot. Businesses should consider whether they can organise reliable delivery across Orkney Mainland, the linked South Isles and Hoy, including travel, scheduling and supervision across several sites. The council has published a Sustainable Procurement Policy alongside the planned procurement, so prospective suppliers should review it and prepare evidence of how their operations can meet any sustainability expectations when the tender is issued. No bid can be submitted at this planning stage. ## Notice To provide grounds maintenance services across the Orkney mainland, linked south isles and Hoy. This will include grass cutting, strimming, weed control, maintenance of planting including shrubs and small trees. Note this will be a term service contract for the four year period from 1 April 2027 until 31 March 2031, with an option to extend for one further year subject to meeting the performance criteria defined in the contract. ### Lot Information Grounds Maintenance Services 2027-2031: General To provide grounds maintenance services across the Orkney mainland, linked south isles and Hoy. This will include grass cutting, strimming, weed control, maintenance of planting including shrubs and small trees. Note this will be a term service contract for the four year period from 1 April 2027 until 31 March 2031, with an option to extend for one further year subject to meeting the performance criteria defined in the contract. Grounds Maintenance Services 2027-2031: Pitches This procurement is for Grounds Maintenance for pitches at Bignold Park, Firth School, Market Green, Stromness Academy and St Margaret's Hope school. The contract will run for the period 1 April 2027 until 31 March 2031 with option for further 12 month extension, subject to meeting the performance criteria defined in the contract. Grounds Maintenance Services 2027-2031: Cemeteries This procurement is for Grounds Maintenance for cemeteries at Warbeth, St Olaf's and St Magnus Cathedral and potentially Firth and Stenness. The contract will run for the period 1 April 2027 until 31 March 2031 with option for further 12 month extension subject to meeting the performance criteria defined in the contract. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland | | Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG563447 | | Notice type | OJEU - F1 - Prior Information 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 | 31 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 5 Oct 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £2,000,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Orkney Islands Council | | Locality | KIRKWALL | | Postcode area | Kirkwall | | Postcode | KW15 1NY | | Country | Scotland | | ITL 1 | TLM Scotland | | ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands | | ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands | | Local authority | Orkney Islands | | Electoral ward | Kirkwall East | | Westminster constituency | Orkney and Shetland | | Delivery location | TLM65 Orkney Islands | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services ### Codes - 77314000 - Grounds maintenance services ## Release History - 31 Aug 2026 at 01:00 - Planning - OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG563447 ## Documents - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=AUG563447&idx=1 31st August 2026 - Sustainable Procurement Policy - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG563447 Grounds Maintenance Services: 2027-2031 - To provide grounds maintenance services across the Orkney mainland, linked south isles and Hoy. This will include grass cutting, strimming, weed control, maintenance of planting including shrubs and small trees. Note this will be a term service contract for the four year period from 1 April 2027 until 31 March 2031, with an option to extend for one further year subject to meeting the performance criteria defined in the contract. ## Notice URLs - http:// - http://www.orkney.gov.uk - http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk - http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=841218 - https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218 ## 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-r6ebe6-0000841218. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000841218.json.