Essex County Council - Future Highways Provision (September 2023 update)

Essex County Council's (the Council) current Highways Strategic Transformation Contract (Highways Contract) ends on the 31st March 2027 with no further option to extend. Therefore, the Council has started on our journey of discovery, regarding how the Highways Service provision could evolve and innovate beyond this date.

The purpose of this notice is to explore further the different contract models available in the highways industry, with an opportunity for Providers to give their preference, through the completion of an online questionnaire.

There will also be two live MS Teams sessions to explain each of the contract models on 22nd September at 10am and 26th September at 7.30am. Each session will be 30 mins in duration and will contain the same content. Bidders only need attend ONE session. Please note, these sessions are solely to aid with completion of the questionnaire. It is not an update on our procurement process to date.

This notice is not a call for competition, nor a 'live tender'. The purpose of this questionnaire is to learn which contract models the industry prefers and why.

To access the questionnaire pack, please log into ProContract, the Council's eSourcing portal. URL links are provided below. In 'Find Opportunities', search for "Essex County Council - Future Highways Provision (September 2023 update)" Project Reference: DN688327. You will be required to "express your interest" in the opportunity, in order to then access and complete the questionnaire.

To register a place for either live MS Teams session, please use the ProContract messaging functionality to register your place. You will be required to "express your interest" in the opportunity, in order to access the messaging functionality.

The deadline for clarifications is 12.00pm Friday 29th September 2023, and the deadline for all questionnaire returns is 12.00pm Friday 6th October 2023.

Additional information:

Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage in dialogue with the market and ascertain interest / options available. The scope of service, date of publication or potential contract value should not be taken as a final "version" of requirement.

This PIN does not constitute a call for competition to procure any works or services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. This is NOT a live tender opportunity.

Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or (lack) to this PIN. Nor shall a response to this PIN guarantee an invitation to participate in this market consultation exercise or any future procurement process that Essex County Council may conduct.

Essex County Council is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party responding to this PIN or any party who may participate in the market consultation exercise.

Essex County Council uses Proactis ProContract as its eSourcing portal. Suppliers will only be able to access further information and messaging functionality with the Council via a registered account. Registration is free of charge and gives bidders access to opportunities from several other Local Authority and Public Sector organisations. To register, visit https://procontract.due-north.com/Register The Proactis supplier helpdesk (https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/) can help with registration queries. Please direct any technical queries to the helpdesk in the first instance.

Please direct all queries via the ProContract messaging functionality linked with the advertised opportunity. Anyone contacting the Council via email will be directed to the portal for communications.