Development Management, Road Safety and Active Travel Support Services Framework

Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers have identified the need for a framework (the current framework was let in 2019) that will support the Scottish Ministers to fulfil their duties under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)(Scotland) Regulations 2013, and their duties in relation to Development Planning and Management under Planning Circulars 6/2013: Development Planning and 3/2013: Development Management Procedures.

The Development Management Team provides advice to developers and planning authorities on planning applications and development plan related issues where development may impact on the performance and safety of the Trunk Road network.

The main objective to be delivered by the Framework Contractors is audit and advisory support to Transport Scotland on all aspects of the development management processes and to offer more specific support to address road safety objectives as set out in the Scottish Government's Road Safety to 2030 Framework and the Strategic Road Safety Plan. This framework will promote a safe systems approach, by integrating development management and road safety services, and by providing specific advice and support for road safety policy and delivery. The framework is to be expanded from its current scope to support active travel delivery on the Trunk Road Network, and to further support the Scottish Government's Sustainable Transport and Net Zero policy, as well as taking cognizance of the emerging National Planning Framework 4.

The proposed framework will be in place for a period of 3 years with the possibility of a 1 year extension period.

The Scottish Government's Model Service Framework Agreement will be used to award the Framework, and Call Off Contracts will use the Scottish Government's Conditions of Contract.

The Framework's Contractors will be procured in accordance with the Restricted procedure as stated in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Transport Scotland will manage the proposed procurement process on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. In the event of the Framework award, the Contract will be entered into between the Scottish Ministers and the successful Contractors.

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 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.

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 BST on 4 April 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 to avoid any last minute problems.

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.