T-1166 Term Contract for the Maintenance & Supply of Motorway Control Outstation Equipment

Overview

1. INTRODUCTION 

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is the sole road authority in Northern Ireland responsible for over 26,000km of public roads, 9,700km of footways, 5,800 bridges, 290,000 streetlights and 1,240 traffic signal installations.  

DfI operates as four client Divisions, Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western. It also has an internal consultancy and direct labour organisation. Traffic Information & Control Centre (TICC) operates as a Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) related matters and manages a range of contracts associated with the safe and effective management of the road network.  

DfI is undertaking premarket engagement to understand current industry capability, innovation, delivery models, and commercial approaches relating to the maintenance of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) equipment, with additional options for the supply and installation of ITS equipment and associated minor works. 

Insights gathered through this market engagement will help DfI shape a potential future procurement strategy and ensure the authority’s requirements reflect market best practice, realistic lead times, and achievable service levels. 

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

 

2. BACKGROUND 

Currently DfI have a single contract for the supply and maintenance of both motorway Instation and Outstation equipment; this contract is due to expire at the end of March 2027.   

DfI are now looking to separate the Instation and Outstation elements into two separate contracts to deliver best value and the highest service levels to the people of Northern Ireland. 

This document pertains only to the services anticipated under the Motorway Control Outstation Equipment Contract.  

 

3. SCALE, SCOPE AND NATURE OF REQUIREMENT 

DfI wishes to ensure that the new Outstation contract shall support a modern, resilient and expandable ITS estate across Northern Ireland, with the objective of improving network resilience and performance through reduced equipment downtime and maintaining the highest levels of service. 

DfI manages a growing inventory of Intelligent Transport System assets across its operational network; these include, but are not limited to: 

• Motorway Emergency Response Telephone network 

• Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling (MIDAS) 

• Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and associated equipment 

• Permanent Variable Message Signs (VMS) 

• Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras 

• Networked traffic management system interfaces 

• Associated cabinets, power supplies, and civil infrastructure 

• A communication network of fibre and copper along the motorway network 

The existing ITS equipment contributes directly to several DfI strategies including Road Safety Strategy and the Regional Development Strategy among others. 

High Level Requirements 

DfI is currently developing a contract that may include some or all of the following options: 

• Technical support arrangements 

• Reactive and Preventative Maintenance 

• Fault response, resolution and management during the Contract Period 

• Storage and maintenance of an inventory of DfI owned spares 

• Provision of an Asset and Fault Management System 

• Asset lifecycle management and obsolescence planning 

• Supply of ITS equipment and fixings  

• Provision of services for the installation of ITS equipment  

• Provision of services for undertaking minor works  

• Completion of Handover tasks.  

The duration of the contract is expected to be 8 years based on an initial 3-year contract period with an option to extend for a further three periods of 2 years + 2 years + 1 year. Average annual spend is anticipated to be in excess of £1m. This will be subject to funding availability within departmental budgets. 

Security  

Cybersecurity as well as physical security is a fundamental requirement for this contract. All the equipment provided must be physically robust and have appropriate access controls to ensure that it will be accessed only by legitimate users and must have security controls commensurate with the standards stated. All equipment should be patched and updated as required/specified by the manufacturer.  

Existing Infrastructure 

The existing infrastructure consists of: 

• 54 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules 

• 211 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules, as well as its instation facilities  

• 330 Variable Message Sign (VMS) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules  

• 215 Emergency Roadside Telephone (ERT) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules  as well as its instation facilities  

• 106 outstations + 9 transponders Automatic Incident Detector (MIDAS) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules  

• 63 Advanced Motorway Indicator (AMI) and all its associated hardware and software elements and modules 

• 705 Roadside cabinets 

• 414 Power supply cabinets 

• Private copper and fibre network along the motorway network 

• sim cards to communicate with remote VMS installations not on the fibre/copper network.  

Key deliverables for the proposed solution must include: 

• The provision of a planned maintenance regime 

• The provision of reactive maintenance within the timescales specified 

• The provision of remote monitoring systems as specified 

• The supply and installation of motorway control outstation equipment to the required standard and within specified timescales.  

• Equipment supplied must integrate with existing systems and must not be related in any way to entities on the UK Sanctions List:  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list  

or on the US Entity List: 

https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/policy-guidance/lists-of-parties-of-concern/entity-list 

• Cybersecurity protection of all equipment and systems provided to national Government standards 

• A Northern Ireland based maintenance depot to meet the storage and response times required 

• An experienced and highly trained local workforce capable of maintaining both new and existing infrastructure 

• sufficient resources and sub-contractors available to comply with the appropriate service levels, therefore ensuring assets continue to deliver to the public 

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 

As part of the preparation, the Department for Infrastructure is running a Pre-Market Engagement exercise and is inviting suitably qualified and experienced bidders who may have an interest in this project to complete the attached questionnaire at Appendix A. This will allow the Department to gain a better understanding of the feasibility of their requirements, the most appropriate approach, the capacity of the market to deliver and any possible risks or issues that may not have previously 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 our approach to the provision of a range of required services. 

Respondents’ views or submissions will not be individually identified or revealed to third parties.  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 be used in the development of a business case / tender on the most suitable approach to meet the operational and management needs of the Department. 

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

Participants should seek their own legal advice on the application of FoI legislation. The Department for Infrastructure will consider statements of confidentiality and commercial sensitivity that are provided by participants.  

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 for Infrastructure. 

Interested parties shall bear their own costs of participation in this pre-market engagement exercise of whatever nature. The Department for Infrastructure 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 CCS Framework which is anticipated to commence in May 2026, subject to Department business case approval and funding availability. 

Meetings 

In addition, depending on the volume of responses, the Department may wish to follow up the questionnaire with a meeting with respondents.  

Each meeting will provide an opportunity for further mutual understanding of any potential issues around this procurement including any risks or issues that may not have previously been considered. 

Please advise if your organisation would wish to take up the opportunity of a meeting, each meeting would be scheduled for a period of up to two hours (e.g. 10am to 12pm or 2pm to 4pm). Whilst we will attempt to accommodate respondent’s preferences, meetings will be scheduled on a first come basis. Such meetings will be online, although face-to-face meetings can be accommodated, if desired, at the Traffic Information & Control Centre at 1b Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DY.  

In advance of this meeting you should send us any questions that you would like to discuss at the meeting or any specific issues that you would like to raise. The session will be strictly restricted to six attendees (per session) to allow maximum interaction and discussion. The Department will have key personnel in attendance. 

If the Department cannot accommodate the volume of individual meeting requests, the Department reserves the right to make a random selection against the times and dates scheduled. 

4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE 

Interested parties are requested to complete this questionnaire and return it by 3pm on 19/03/2026. 

Any requests for clarification relating to this exercise must be communicated using the secure messaging function on the 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