T-1165 Term Contract for the Supply of Transport Planning and Modelling Services – Managed Services Contract Pre Market Engagement

Overview

Transport Planning, Modelling and Data Services

Pre-Procurement Market Consultation Questionnaire

 

Introduction

The Transport Planning, Modelling and Data Division (TPMD) within the Department for Infrastructure (the Department) is taking forward the renewal of a managed services contract for the provision of specialist consultancy support in transport planning, modelling and data services.

As part of that process, TPMD (previously known as TPMU) is undertaking a pre- market engagement exercise to assist in understanding the feasibility of its requirements, to inform the development of the procurement strategy, service scope and delivery model so that it best meets the capability and capacity of the suppliers in the market to deliver and to also identify any possible risks or issues that may not have been considered.

We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the questions set out in this questionnaire. Responses will be used to support our preparations ahead of commencing the formal procurement process.

 

Scale, Scope and Nature of Requirement

Current Contract Arrangements

The current managed service contract (2021-2026) is structured across two Lots:

• Lot 1: Northern Ireland-wide work, including the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan area, comprising the following council areas:
  • Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council
  • Ards and North Down Borough Council
  • Belfast City Council
  • Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
  • Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

• Lot 2: North-west and Sub-Regional areas, comprising:
  • North-West:
    • Derry City and Strabane District Council
  • Sub-Regional:
    • Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
    • Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
    • Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
    • Mid Ulster District Council
    • Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

The scope of services within the existing contract includes:

• Preparation of Transport Plans
• Development and maintenance of Transport Models
• Transport Policy and Strategy development
• Appraisal of Transport Schemes
• Local Public Transport Planning and Operations
• Strategic Environmental Assessment of transport-related plans and strategies
• Active Travel Planning and Appraisal
• Transport Data Collection and Analysis
• Integrated transport and place-making schemes, including blue-green infrastructure

The contract focuses specifically on transport planning and modelling-related projects, including associated environmental assessments for transport strategies, plans or schemes.

 

Future Contract Arrangements

It is proposed that the new contract will be based on the same two Lot arrangement as exists under the current contract and that it will also include the same scope of services requirements.

However, in addition to the existing scope of services set out above, it is intended that the following additional work areas will be included in the scope of services to be provided under the new contract.

• Review of development-led transport assessments
• Parking Studies
• Corridor studies
• Feasibility studies
• Transport Decarbonisation & Policy Development
• Road Safety Planning
• AI-enabled approaches to data collection and analysis
• Support and oversight of Scheme Appraisal
• Preparation of Transport Business Cases
• Environmental and specialist Modelling
• Carbon Quantification and Monitoring
• Development and use of Geospatial tools
• Data Visualisation

The duration of the contract is expected to be 5 years based on an initial 3-year contract period with an option to extend for a further two periods of 1 year + 1 year.

Based on previous costs, it is anticipated that the total expenditure under this new contract will be between £8M to £12M with approximately 60% of the spend being on Lot 1 and 40% of the spend being on Lot 2.  

The average annual spend across both lots is anticipated to be in region of £1.6M.

Please note all expenditure will be dependent on the funding availability within Departmental budgets going forward.

 

PROCUREMENT

The final tender documents will define the full requirements, contract terms and timelines.

This competition will be run as a single stage award with competition under the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) RM 6347 Transport Technology Framework - Lot 1 Professional Services. The RM6347 Framework is a Public Sector contract comprising Framework Schedules, Joint Schedules and Call-Off Schedules, the terms of which will apply to the awarded contract.

This Contract will be awarded based on the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) assessed from the point of view of the Contracting Authority.

Suppliers will be invited to submit tenders based on a combination of quality, social value and price elements. The proposed quality/social value/price ratio is as follows:

The quality/social value/ price weightings above will be applied to the Tenderer’s applicable Quality Score, Social Value Score and Price Score.

The intended format of the competition is as follows;

• Condition of Participation (Pass/ Fail) - to include a Debarment and exclusion review, a check on legal and financial capacity and evidence of adequate relevant contract experience for the key activities identified.

 

• Most Advantageous Tender –will be determined by award criteria based on the overall tender 70/30 Quality/Social Value and Price weighted ratio as outlined above.

 

Social Value

Social Value aims to maximise the social, economic, and environmental benefits through the public procurement process. Ultimately, this allows Government Departments and their stakeholders to find new and far-reaching methods to deliver on the outcomes of the Programme for Government. Social Value became mandatory in NI public procurement in June 2022 through the introduction of Policy

In line with Procurement Policy Note PPN 01/21  PPN 01/21 - Social Value in Procurement | Department of Finance – Social Value in Procurement is at the heart of the public procurement landscape in Northern Ireland. As such social value will be an integral component of the contract with 10% of the total award criteria allocated to social value. Bidders will be asked to demonstrate how the contract will add social value based on the four broad themes as follows.

1. Increasing secure employment and skills
2. Building ethical and resilient supply chains
3. Delivering climate action
4. Promoting well-being

The successful Supplier for this Procurement will be required to deliver measurable social value outcomes. In addition to any mandatory social value requirements for this contract, the Supplier must also deliver social value outcomes to a minimum value of 100 social value points for every £1 million (and pro-rata) of the contract value. For more information on Social Value refer to the following website: Suppliers - Social Value NI.  Each Social Value theme from PPN 01/21 is broken down into a number of indicators providing information on what “good looks like” and then to initiatives detailing the metrics a supplier will be measured through delivery under the theme. Initiatives are allocated a number of Social Value points dependent on the services provided, the form of tender and the procurement approach. Contracting Authorities are required to report on Social Value outputs (initiatives) delivered on their projects to the NI Social Value unit.

 

This section explains these themes and the methods in which themes can be delivered. The four themes, indicators and associated initiatives are as follows:

1. Increasing Secure Employment and Skills

This theme aims to create employment and training opportunities, contribute to in-work progression and skills development, create opportunities for entrepreneurs and support economic growth. Some examples of ways in which a supplier can deliver on this theme are:

• Paid employment for people belonging to different priority groups.

• Paid employment apprenticeships.

• Student placements.

• Educational attainment and skills development.

 

2. Building an Ethical and Resilient Supply Chain

This theme aims to tackle employment inequality, reduce the risk of modern slavery and human rights abuses within the supply chain and promote and secure supply chains. Some ways to deliver on this theme are:

• Tackling modern slavery training for employees engaged on the contract.

• Including social and micro enterprises on the supply chain.

• Supply Chain Resilience and Capacity Action Plan.

 

3. Delivering Zero Carbon

This theme aims to promote environmental benefits, influence environmental    protection and improvement and work towards net zero (achieving a balance between the carbon put into the earth’s atmosphere and the carbon taken out of it) sometimes referred to as ‘greenhouse gas emissions. Some example ways in which a contractor can deliver on this theme are:

• Waste and Resource Efficiencies in the delivery of the contract.
• Environmental Initiatives delivered to local communities, Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise/education establishments.

• Contract specifications in the supply chain that include environmental                 sustainability commitments.

• Climate change and carbon reduction training for staff.

 

4. Promoting Well-being

This theme aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the contract workforce, tackle employment inequality, contribute to in-work progression and skills development, and improve community cohesion. Some ways to deliver on this theme are:

• Health and Wellbeing initiatives to support employees including those working remotely on the contract.
• Initiatives to influence suppliers, customers, and communities to support health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health.
• Initiatives to improve good relations between people from different religious, political, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.

• Community engagement activities related to artwork or cultural activities

 

Timescales

The high-level deliverables and indicative timings are as follows:

 

Objectives of the Market Engagement Exercise

 

The objectives of this exercise are to:

•           Gain initial supplier awareness, engagement and opinion.

•           Provide confidence around viability of concept.

•           Gain insight to the market possibilities and potential innovative solutions.

•           Understand risks and issues not previously considered.

•          Inform the Business Case.

•           Inform the Procurement Strategy

•           Prevent the Department from advertising an unachievable project.

 

Approach to the Market Engagement Assessment

Questionnaire

As part of the preparation for a new contract TPMD is running a Pre-Market Engagement exercise and is inviting suitably qualified and experienced suppliers who may have an interest in this contract to complete the attached questionnaire at Appendix A.

The purpose of the exercise is to assist the Department in understanding the feasibility of its requirements, to inform the development of the procurement strategy, service scope and delivery model so that it best meets the capability and capacity of the market to deliver and to also identify any possible risks or issues that may not have been considered

In responding, you should understand that detailed and lengthy submissions are not necessary at this stage. Nonetheless, we welcome any pertinent information on your company’s capability and views on an approach to the provision of a range of required services.

Within the questionnaire you can also request a follow-up with an online meeting in relation to this exercise. This is to provide an opportunity for further mutual discussion and understanding of any potential issues around this procurement including any risks or issues that may not have been previously considered or areas that could be improved upon.

Depending on the number of organisations that request a follow-up meeting, it may be conducted on an individual basis or as a group forum for interested parties. Either way a summary record of what was discussed and concluded will be made and this information will be made available anonymously at tender stage to all firms that take out tender documents.

 

Instructions for responding to the Questionnaire

Interested parties are requested to complete this questionnaire and return it by 3pm on Friday 21st August 2026.

Any requests for clarification relating to this exercise must be communicated using the secure messaging function on the Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service) eSourcing tool.

Responses to requests for clarification will be communicated to all interested suppliers through the eSourcing messaging system.

Your response must be uploaded within the eSourcing portal via the relevant messaging function. Instructions on how to submit your response can be found within the portal.

Help for Suppliers – eSourcing

Contact the eSourcing helpdesk on 0345 410 2222 or via email to info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

 

Freedom of Information and Commercially Sensitive Information

All information provided in this exercise will be treated in confidence and will NOT be considered in any future tender evaluation exercise. Information gathered will only be used in the development of a business case / tender on the most suitable approach to meeting the operational and management needs of the Department.

Respondents’ views or submissions will NOT be individually identified or revealed to third parties. However, any information provided as part of this exercise together with any responses received will be made available anonymously at tender stage to all firms that take out tender documents.

Any information provided in response to this pre-market engagement exercise marked as commercially sensitive will be treated as such. Participants are asked to identify any of the information supplied during this exercise which should not be disclosed because of its sensitivity. In doing so participants must specify the reasons for its sensitivity and specify the period for which the information will remain sensitive.

The Department will endeavour to consult with a concerned participant about sensitive information before deciding on any Freedom of Information requests received. However, the final decision on any Freedom of Information request rests with the relevant public body, subject to applicable law.

 

Disclaimers

Any information provided reflects current proposals and is subject to change.

This exercise is not a call for competition and does not form part of any formal procurement process.

This exercise does not constitute an offer or guarantee of any contract opportunity

This document sets out the objectives of the exercise, provides background information and outlines the scope of services to be provided by prospective suppliers. Any submission received in response to this exercise will not constitute any contractual agreement between the respondent and the Department.

 The Department accepts no liability for reliance on information within this document.

Interested parties shall bear their own costs of participation in this pre-market engagement exercise of whatever nature. The Department shall not be liable for the costs, expenses or losses howsoever arising (including, without limitation, any loss of profit or other economic loss incurred) regardless of the outcome of the pre-market engagement exercise.

 

The next stage in the process will be to initiate the procurement through the GCA/ CCS Framework which is anticipated to commence by the end of 2026.