Asset Management Technical Services Framework

Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, has identified the need to establish a Multiple Supplier Framework Agreement. This Multiple Framework Agreement for Asset Management Technical Services covers services crucial to allowing Transport Scotland to meet statutory, legal and contractual obligations and aimed at driving continuous improvement in how we manage and analyse Scottish Trunk Road asset data. The services consider national standards and codes of practice, maintenance processes/procedures, asset performance and budget assignment to deliver value for money and innovation.

The Framework will consist of four Lots covering:

1) Asset Management Improvement Programme (AMIP) Lot which will include lifecycle planning; network resilience; scheme identification, prioritisation and optimisation; updates to road asset management policy, strategy and planning; information management; performance management as well as staff support and training.

2) Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) Development and Maintenance Lot. AMPS is an existing IT management and service delivery tool that is essential to the effective management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network and the delivery of the Operating Company Contracts. The service will through its lifetime require development and maintenance in order to improve functionality aimed at driving future improvements in Transport Scotland’s asset management practices through improved analytical capabilities and fully integrated management tools that deliver value for money solutions.

3) Geotechnical Certification Services Lot. The principal services shall comprise the provision of an independent geotechnical services for the certification of ground investigations, geotechnical design and other geotechnical activities related to the Scottish Trunk Road network. This shall include both the performance of the service and the provision of advice in relation to the service. In addition the services shall comprise providing advice in relation to technical specifications or publications. Other geotechnical-related services may be required to be undertaken from time to time, including similar services related to railway and other transport infrastructure.

4) Asset Management Technical Advice Lot. This will cover Design Standards and Professional Services which covers the review and provision of advice in relation to Departures from Standards including the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW), and all other Transport Scotland and UK wide Design Guidance and Technical Documents (or an equivalent to each of these documents). In addition this Lot will cover Transport Research to enable research and development work to deliver improvements in safety, construction, operation, and maintenance of the Scottish road network.

The proposed framework will be in place for a period of 4 years.

Transport Scotland will conduct the proposed procurement process for the Framework Agreement on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. In the event of the conclusion of the Contract, it is the intention that the Contract will be entered into between the Scottish Ministers and the most economically advantageous tenderers. The Framework Agreement will operate in accordance with the Scottish Government's Model Services Framework Agreement, and the Call Off Contract Terms and Conditions will be based on the Scottish Government's Conditions of Contract. Each economic operator shall be invited to submit a Tender on the same contract terms. TS envisage appointing three service providers to each Lot. To be considered for this procurement competition, economic operators should complete a SPD through the Public Contract Scotland portal and submit the completed SPD by no later than 12 noon GMT on 22 November 2023.

The Scottish Ministers shall not evaluate any SPD submission received past the specified deadline, unless the delay is caused by a situation outwith the control of the economic operator, the determination of which shall be at the sole discretion of the Scottish Ministers. Compliance in achieving the specified deadline is the sole responsibility of the economic operator. Economic operator are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time.

Economic operators who alter their composition after making a submission or whose position has materially changed will be the subject of re-evaluation. Transport Scotland reserves the right, at any point, to request current and up-to-date information to enable re-evaluation of any economic operator. As set out in accordance with section II.2.9 above, an economic operator who no longer has the requisite: technical or professional ability; educational and professional qualifications; or economic and financial standing, as required under the Contract Notice shall be excluded from this procurement competition.

Any request by economic operators for clarification of any part of the documentation shall be made using the Question and Answer feature on the Public Contracts Scotland portal. If the query is commercially sensitive, then it should be made to the following email address:

[email protected].

Please refer to the Supplementary Additional Information Document for full additional information.

Please note there are minimum Cyber Security requirements for this contract.

Tenderers will be asked to confirm that they will pay staff based in the UK that are involved in the delivery of services under the Framework Agreement at least the real Living Wage.