The purpose of this tender is to establish a framework agreement for visual and structural
inspection and testing services of street lighting columns and traffic sign poles (or other
similar structures) to determine their condition which can be accessed by organisational
bodies participatory to the framework. The framework agreement will consist of 9 lots based
on indicative, strength and other test methods that are specified in the Institution of Lighting
Professionals (ILP) Guidance Note 22 ‘Asset Management Toolkit: Minor Structures’.
The framework agreement consists of the following Lots: Lot 1: Indicative Test Method - Visual Inspection; Lot 2: Indicative Test Method - Loss of Section monitoring; Lot 3: Indicative Test Method - Ultrasonic Testing (Guided Waves); Lot 4 : Other Indicative Test Methods, Lot 5: Strength Test Method - Static Loading; Lot 6: Strength Test Method – Ultrasonic Testing; Lot 7: Strength Test Method – Loss of Section Monitoring; Lot 8: Strength Test Method – Magnetic Particle Inspection; Lot 9 : Other Strength Test Methods.
The purpose of this tender is to establish a framework agreement for visual and structural
inspection and testing services of street lighting columns and traffic sign poles (or other
similar structures) to determine their condition which can be accessed by organisational
bodies participatory to the framework. The street lighting equipment will generally be
located on trunk roads, main roads, residential streets, footpaths, car parks and other similar
areas. Visual and structural inspection and testing shall be applied to steel, stainless steel,
aluminium and concrete lighting units. The street lighting units will typically be circular,
hexagonal or octagonal in cross section and will typically be 4 metres, 5m, 6m, 8m, 10m or
12m in height. Traffic sign units will typically be circular or box in cross section and will
typically be 2,2 metres, 3m, 4m or 5m in height. Occasionally, fold-down street lighting
columns or traffic sign poles may be included. Street lighting columns and traffic sign poles
will mainly be of the planted root type, however on occasion they will be of a flange plate
type.
The framework agreement will consist of 9 lots based on indicative, strength and other test
methods that are specified in the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) Guidance Note
22 ‘Asset Management Toolkit: Minor Structures’. All of the test methods must meet the
recommendations of that guidance note and follow the guidance of the British Standards
Institute's BS5649 and BS EN 40. The services provided must comply with all the standards
and regulations stated in the specification within the Invitation to Tender document. It is the intention to appoint between 3 and 5 providers to each lot, subject to there being sufficient
tenderers who satisfy the criteria laid down within the tender process.
Call-off contracts will be awarded on a direct award basis, with the contracting bodies
assessing which provider's tender offers the Most Economically Advantageous Tender for
their testing requirements from the different types of tests/lots. This provider and/or
combination of providers will be appointed as the 1st Provider. The 1st Provider will be
contacted in the first instance by contracting bodies in respect of any requirements for
services. Should the 1st provider not have the capacity and/or capability and/or not be
willing to provide the services then the contracting bodies would then contact the 2nd
Provider and 3rd Provider in turn, or by means of re-opening 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 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and other
participating authorities and organisational bodies named in the Invitation to Tender
documentation. The Invitation to Tender documentation contains further details on those
organisations intending to use the framework agreement at its outset, with the estimated
number of inspections to be called-off from the framework agreement being shown for
indicative purposes only 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.