The purpose of this tender is to put in place a framework agreement to procure asset management (coring) services which may be accessed to undertake coring works in highway reinstatements on the highway networks of organisational bodies participatory to the framework.

The purpose of this tender is to put in place a framework agreement to procure asset management (coring) services which may be accessed to undertake coring works in highway reinstatements on the highway networks of organisational bodies participatory to the framework. This will allow compliance with national reinstatement specifications, as given in the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH) 1st, 2nd, 3rd and future editions or updates, dependent on the completion date of the reinstatement, to be determined. Providers must provide evidenced interpretive reports documenting certain physical properties of each of the cores taken. All core extraction, sampling and testing shall be carried out by a UKAS accredited laboratory approved to undertake such tests in accordance with the procedures of the relevant British or European standards. Providers must be accredited for the appropriate work categories under the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) including for the extraction of core samples from the highway. It is intended to appoint a minimum of 3 providers to the framework agreement subject to there being sufficient tenderers satisfying the criteria laid down within the tender process.

Contracts called-off from the framework agreement will be awarded on a cascade basis, with the tenderer submitting the Most Economically Advantageous Tender being appointed as the first provider to the relevant lot, which will be contacted in the first instance in respect of any service requirements. Should the first provider not have the capacity and/or capability and/or not be willing to provide the services then the second provider and third provider would be contacted in turn. Alternatively, contracting bodies accessing the framework agreement may re-open competition to all providers capable of meeting the requirement within the framework agreement via a ‘mini competition’ process within the applicable lot(s).

The services provided under the framework agreement will be made available to members and associate members of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and other participating authorities and organisational bodies as named within this Contract Notice. The Invitation to Tender documentation contains further details on those organisations intending to use this framework agreement at its outset. The estimated number of cores from all classifications of carriageways and footways to be called-off the framework agreement for indicative purposes only is shown within the Invitation to Tender documentation. None of the named organisations will however be obliged to procure through the framework agreement. Economic operators should note that inclusion on the framework agreement is not a guarantee that any call-off contracts will be awarded.

The framework agreement will initially run for a period of 2 years and will allow for 2 further periods of extension of 12 months each. The maximum duration of the framework agreement will be 4 years.