National Highways has taken the first step in a lengthy procurement process for a 10-year renewals and enhancements framework that could be worth £30bn.
According to a prior information notice (PIN), the Integrated Delivery Framework (IDF) will look to procure contractors and consultants to support the government-owned company in the delivery of the next phases of its Roads Investment Programme.
The IDF is a replacement for the existing Delivery Integration Partners framework and may also replace the Technical Assurance framework.
It will provide national coverage for future road investment periods, primarily providing design and construction works for renewal and enhancement schemes and is likely to be divided into lots.
The framework will incorporate a number of different roles including contractors, designers and potentially an integrator role, or roles.
The PIN gives the estimated value of the framework at £25bn, and between £20bn and £30bn. However, it is unclear how much spending will be available for new enhancement schemes in the next roads investment period (2025-30).
The current (2020-2025) Road Investment Strategy (RIS) includes more than 30 projects, including the A1 Doncaster to Darrington (pictured) that ministers asked National Highways to develop, for possible delivery in future road investment periods.
However, earlier this month, the Department for Transport’s permanent secretary warned of ‘very limited’ headroom for new enhancement projects in the next roads period due to the cost of projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing and A303 Stonehenge Tunnel carried forward from the current RIS.
National Highways has started market consultation ‘to understand marketplace limitations, opinions and suggestions, with an aim to help shape the Commercial and Procurement Strategy and Contract Documents’.
Market engagement activities will include weekly workshops on key themes to aid in the development of an IDF strategy, the first of which took place on Wednesday (15 February), and an IDF launch session, currently pencilled in for the summer.
The estimated date of publication of the contract notice is stated to be 5 February 2024.
