Modification to existing contract - Management, Operation and Maintenance of Mine Water Treatment Schemes and Monitoring Sites, Mine Gas Fan Stations and Land Drainage Pump Stations

This notice is being published by way of a modification to an existing contract tendered on the OJEU portal in 2014 under the reference 2015/S 034-058548

We are intending to extend the current contract for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of mine water treatment schemes (MWTS) and associated legacy assets which was set to expire on 31 December 2024, for an additional 18 month period.

The extension provides for the provision of the same services for this additional duration.

During this extension period an open market procurement exercise will be undertaken for a new contract which will commence delivery of the services in June 2026 after a six month mobilisation period starting in January 2026.

Immediately on publication of this contract modification notice a Prior Information Notice (PIN) will be published on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender Service to inform the market of the timetable for the procurement of the replacement contract which includes further market engagement sessions on week commencing 29 January 2024.

The need for modification was brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee.

The need for this additional term of the contract has occurred because of unforeseen challenges, necessitating an adjustment to our original timeline.

These challenges have included;

A severe, unprecedented incident in Wales which saw 78 properties flooded by mine water required the focus of internal resources.

This required a coordinated effort between the Coal Authority, Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, Local Council and contractors including the incumbent contractor.

A temporary reporting structure was put in place to prioritise the solution to the water flow and impact on residents. The incident required many of the same resources as the contract renewal and has taken 14 months to complete due to the complexity of the project.

Other unforeseen incidents requiring senior leadership focus to remedy and therefore re-prioritisation and focus on MWTS performance and projects also impacted resource capacity during this time.

The capacity of the Coal Authority, a relatively small organisation, had been effected by the impacts of Covid-19, with increased employee sickness, changes in working hours, adapting to hybrid working from multiple locations with an impact on workload and capacity of delivery.

The recovery from Covid-19 has also resulted in a challenging recruitment market. A number of resources were identified that were required to deliver different aspects of the contract renewal project and to provide governance.

Immediately on publication of this notice a Prior Information Notice (PIN) will be published on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender Service to inform the market of the timetable for the procurement of the replacement contract which includes further market engagement sessions on week commencing 29 January 2024