Essex County Council - Major Highways Schemes – Market Engagement regarding t...

Essex County Council - Major Highways Schemes – Market Engagement regarding the general Procurement approach and also for the Army & Navy Sustainable Transport Package of works in Chelmsford. The Council generally procures its major highway schemes via existing framework contracts such as the Crown Commercial Services Construction Works and Associated Services Framework, the Eastern Highways Alliance 3 Framework and the Pagabo Civils and Infrastructure Agreement. To reflect recent tender experience and to help inform and develop its ongoing procurement approach the Council would like to engage with the industry. In addition, the Council would like to engage with the industry regarding the Army & Navy Sustainable Transport Package scheme, details are outlined below. Market engagement This notice advertises the two market engagement opportunities outlined above. Questionnaires will be used to gather replies and feedback as outlined below. The deadline for responses for both questionnaires is noon on Friday 6th September 24 Questionnaire ONE - general Procurement approach: This questionnaire seeks feedback and preferences from the market regarding on the Councils general procurement approach including procurement route, price quality evaluation splits, NEC4 Main Options and X clauses. Questionnaire TWO – Army & Navy Sustainable Transport Package This questionnaire seeks feedback on some specific aspects of the scheme. Background information The Army and Navy junction in Chelmsford is a key gateway into and out of the city and was being used by up to 70,000 vehicles a day. The junction consists of a five-arm roundabout, which until 2019 had a tidal flyover that carried one-way traffic (cars only) to and from the A1060 Parkway/A1114 Essex Yeomanry Way over the roundabout. The junction is already over capacity during peak times provoking severe congestion impacting on all users. The future situation is expected to get worse unless we do something differently and there is a need to provide better options for people to travel, encouraging safer, greener and healthier ways of getting around the city, especially for shorter journeys where we want walking or cycling to be the natural choice. The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package provides the opportunity to do this. The package includes measures that will encourage increased walking, cycling and Park and Ride travel, alongside an improved Army and Navy junction. Essex County Council has been conditionally awarded funding from central government. The £81million project, which will also be part funded by Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council, has progressed after the Department for Transport approved the outline business case and agreed to contribute £68.75million of Major Road Network (MRN) funding, subject to certain conditions. The funding is dependent on planning consent and other processes, as well as a full business case. Essex County Council intends to submit a Final Business Case by Autumn 2026 to secure the funding. It is estimated that tenders for the schemes will be issued from late winter 2025 / early spring 2026 however it is possible that tenders could be issued earlier than this depending on the procurement route used. The scheme includes the following elements: Package 1 - Redesign of Army and Navy junction (Hamburger Roundabout). Package 2 - Improved walking and cycling facilities at A&N junction and on approaches. Package 3 - Improved bus priority/bus lanes on Parkway. Package 4 - Option A - Expansion and enhancement of existing Sandon Park and Ride site, including a new passenger's terminal and EV Chargers. Or Option B - Expansion and enhancement of existing Sandon Park and Ride site including EGV chargers. Package 5 - Expansion of Chelmer Valley Park and Ride site, including EV Chargers. Package 6 - Essex Yeomanry Way bus lane extension. The final composition for each of these packages is still subject to review and finalisation as outlined for the options for package 4 and the provision of a new terminal at the Sandon P&R site. The link to the web page below provides access to more detailed information regarding the whole of the scheme. https://www.essexhighways.org/highway-schemes-and-developments/highway-schemes/chelmsford-schemes/army-and-navy-taskforce The questionnaire is seeking feedback on the proposed procurement approach, grouping of the packages and delivery methodology. Important information Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage in dialogue with the market. This notice is not a call for competition to procure any works or services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or (lack) to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an invitation to participate in this market consultation exercise or any future procurement process that Essex County Council may conduct. The Council may at its sole discretion hold further conversations with individual organisations. 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. Please direct all queries through the ProContract messaging functionality linked with the advertised opportunity. Anyone contacting the Council directly via email will be directed to the portal for communications. A registered supplier account is needed to access information, but registration is free of charge. The Proactis supplier helpdesk (https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/) can help with any registration queries. Please direct any technical queries to the helpdesk in the first instance, selecting the Supplier Support option on the home page. Additional information: The process to take part All questionnaires can be accessed via the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract (https://procontract.due-north.com/Login). Search for the opportunity: Essex County Council - Major Highways Schemes – Market Engagement regarding the general Procurement approach and also for the Army & Navy Sustainable Transport Package of works in Chelmsford. Register your interest in the opportunity and you will have access to the questionnaires. The deadline for responses for both questionnaires is laid out below: - Questionnaire 1 General Procurement approach - noon Friday 6th September 24 Questionnaire 2 Army and Navy scheme - noon Friday 6th September 24 Important information Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage in dialogue with the market. This notice is not a call for competition to procure any works or services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or (lack) to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an invitation to participate in this market consultation exercise or any future procurement process that Essex County Council may conduct. The Council may at its sole discretion hold further conversations with individual organisations. 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. Please direct all queries through the ProContract messaging functionality linked with the advertised opportunity. Anyone contacting the Council directly via email will be directed to the portal for communications. A registered supplier account is needed to access information, but registration is free of charge. The Proactis supplier helpdesk (https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/) can help with any registration queries. Please direct any technical queries to the helpdesk in the first instance, selecting the Supplier Support option on the home page.