The five-lot framework is due to begin in April 2027 and could run until March 2035, although appointments will not guarantee contractors any work.
Salford City Council has launched a tender for a highways, civil engineering, bridges and landscaping framework with an estimated value of £300m excluding VAT.
The five-lot Technical and Highways Works Framework is scheduled to start on 1 April 2027. Its initial term will run until 31 March 2030, with the council intending to reopen the open framework after years three and six. The overall end date is set for 31 March 2035.
The framework will have no limit on the number of suppliers, but the council has stressed that appointment will not guarantee contractors any work. Only Salford City Council will be able to use it.
Five workstreams
The largest lot, valued at an estimated £100m, will cover minor civil engineering. This includes resurfacing roads and footways, as well as smaller network management improvements supporting Salford’s Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan.
Work packages worth up to £150,000, adjusted using the Building Cost Information Service index, will be offered through a ranked supplier system. The highest-ranked contractor will be offered each job first, with opportunities passing down the ranking if it cannot accept the work.
A £90m major civil engineering lot will cover the design and delivery of highway alterations throughout the project lifecycle. Potential schemes range from individual pedestrian crossings to active-travel corridors and major junction remodelling. Work above £150,000 will be awarded through further competitions, subject to the applicable procurement threshold when each competition is launched.
The specialist surface-treatment lot is estimated at £20m. It will cover labour, supervision, plant, materials, traffic management, testing, temporary works and associated activities, with all work awarded through further competition.
Structures and bridges work has been allocated an estimated £30m. The lot includes new highway structures and the maintenance and strengthening of existing assets, including retaining walls, bridges, footbridges, subways and signal gantries.
Packages below £75,000, adjusted using the Building Cost Information Service index, will initially be offered to the highest-ranked supplier, while larger jobs will be put to further competition up to the applicable procurement threshold.
The final lot, valued at £60m, covers hard and soft landscaping and associated maintenance periods. Packages below £75,000 will use the ranked supplier system, with larger contracts awarded through further competition.
The council said the individual lot values are estimates and may be shared between lots. They therefore should not be treated as additional spending on top of the £300m framework value.
Tender timetable
Potential bidders must submit enquiries by 3pm on 28 October. Tenders are due by 3pm on 4 November.