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Scope

Reference

I-1325

Description

Waste Disposal Authorities (including Unitary Authorities) are required to provide residents with a place to dispose of their household waste, under Section 51(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the "1990 Act").

The Council intends to procure a contractor to manage and operate its Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) network across 6 HWRC Sites with materials management at one additional site - 7 sites. The HWRCs are in:

• Alkerton HWRC, near Banbury

• Ardley Fields HWRC, Bicester

• Redbridge HWRC, Oxford

• Drayton HWRC, Vale of White Horse

• Oakley Wood HWRC, South Oxfordshire

• Stanford in the Vale HWRC, Vale of White Horse

• Dix Pit HWRC, West Oxfordshire (haulage operations and materials management only)

The contract will include:

1. The management and operation of six Household Waste Recycling Centres ("HWRC Sites") (Alkerton, Ardley Fields (relocated to Bicester during the Contract Period), Drayton, Oakley Wood, Redbridge and Stanford Vale), including the provision of the following services:

a. Reception operations:

i. meet and greet;

ii. managing and checking bookings;

iii. checking for waste Acceptance Criteria and unsorted waste;

iv. checking all vehicles required to have permits have the correct permit to access the HWRC Site;

v. charging for Chargeable Waste, including DIY Waste above the free allowance and other Chargeable Waste, and for Commercial Waste, where applicable; and

vi. enforcement of the above.

b. HWRC Sites operation:

i. maximising the Re-use, Recycling, Composting and Recovery of Contract Waste deposited by Customers according to the waste hierarchy;

ii. management of waste collected under Waste Collection Authorities duties ('WCA Waste');

iii. management of Chargeable Waste;

iv. management of Commercial Waste services, where applicable;

v. unsorted waste segregation, including by encouraging customers to separate reuse and/or recycling from any mixed or unsorted waste brought to site;

vi. managing Re-use hubs, where applicable;

vii. appropriate and effective compaction of materials deposited as necessary;

viii. provision and management of Plant, Vehicles and Equipment;

ix. monitoring services and reporting to the Council including online reporting; and

x. managing weighbridges, where applicable.

c. Site management and maintenance:

i. maintaining appropriate signage and road markings;

ii. site cleansing;

iii. site repair and maintenance; and

iv. site security.

d. Support with HWRC Sites re-development and re-location:

i. Redeployment of Contractor's Staff for the duration of Redbridge Site's closure;

ii. Transfer of Contractor's Staff and Assets from Ardley Fields HWRC Site to Bicester HWRC Site;

iii. Mobilisation of the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site and new Bicester HWRC Site.

2. Haulage operations and materials management of seven HWRC Sites (Alkerton, Ardley Fields (relocated to Bicester during the Contract Period), Dix Pit, Drayton, Oakley Wood, Redbridge and Stanford Vale), including the provision of the following services:

a. onward haulage of Council Retained Waste from the HWRC Sites to Council Contracted Sites for the treatment of Green Waste, Residual Waste, Bulky Waste and POPs;

b. onward haulage of Contractor Retained Waste to appropriate Treatment Sites; and

c. marketing and sale of Contractor Retained Waste.

This procurement is part of the Council's initiative to enhance its waste management services and develop new HWRC sites.

The procurement includes two Service Delivery Options for the funding of Capital Assets:

1. Service Delivery Option A: the Council funds all Capital Assets.

2. Service Delivery Option B: the Contractor funds all Capital Assets.

The procurement includes seven Anticipated Changes:

1. Anticipated Change 1: Commercial Waste Services and management of a weighbridge at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site

2. Anticipated Change 2: Re-Use Services at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site

3. Anticipated Change 3: Transfer Services at the re-developed Redbridge HWRC Site

4. Anticipated Change 4: Closure of Ardley Fields HWRC Site before the new Bicester HWRC Site opens

5. Anticipated Change 5: Re-Use Services at the new Bicester HWRC Site

6. Anticipated Change 6: Management and operation of Dix Pit HWRC Site

7. Anticipated Change 7: Management and operation of a Council owned offsite Re-Use shop in the South Oxfordshire area

8. Anticipated Change 8: Local Government Reorganisation leading to novation of the Contract to two or more contracting authorities

Brief background to LGR in relation to the services and the intention:

In accordance with the plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the Contracting Authority will become either one, two or three unitary authorities. Central Government are expected to decide on the formation of Oxfordshire in summer 2026. This Contract with all property rights and liabilities will pass to the new unitary council(s) once formed, which is anticipated to be in April 2028.

Three different unitary models have been submitted to replace the existing two-tier county and district council system:

• One Unitary Model: Proposed by Oxfordshire County Council, creating a single, county-wide authority to manage all local services.

• Two Unitary Model: Proposed by Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse District Councils. This splits the area into an "Oxford and Shires Council" and a "Ridgeway Council" (which includes West Berkshire).

• Three Unitary Model: Proposed by Oxford City Council, featuring a "Greater Oxford Council" (the city and surrounding green belt), a "Northern Oxfordshire Council", and a "Ridgeway Council".

The Contract Period will be 8 years, with a break clause anticipated at 4 years to allow for the required reorganisation following LGR. Further details are to be confirmed during the procurement period and as part of dialogue. The overall value of the 8 year Contract is estimated at approx. £59.5 million (including VAT) and £49.6 million (excluding VAT). This estimate is based on the current contract annual spend with predicated inflation and service changes which are subject to change. There will also be the option of a 3 year extension to the contract.

Total value (estimated)

• £49,630,215 excluding VAT
• £59,556,258 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

• 1 October 2027 to 30 September 2035
• Possible extension to 30 September 2038
• 11 years

Description of possible extension:

the 8 year initial term with option to extend by up to 3 years in accordance with the terms of the Contract.

Options

The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.

The procurement includes two Service Delivery Options for the funding of Assets:

Service Delivery Option A: the Council funds all Assets.

Service Delivery Option B: the Contractor funds all Assets.

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

• 90500000 - Refuse and waste related services
• 90700000 - Environmental services

Contract locations

• UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

Justification for not using lots

Following pre-market engagement and feedback from the market it was determined that there would be greater interest in one contract. Further this is more likely to deliver economies of scale.

Participation

Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation

Please refer to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and accompanying instructions for the full conditions of participation requirements.

Technical ability conditions of participation

Please refer to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and accompanying instructions for the full conditions of participation requirements.

Particular suitability

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
• Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Submission

Enquiry deadline

6 July 2026, 5:00pm

Submission type

Requests to participate

Deadline for requests to participate

20 July 2026, 10:00am

Submission address and any special instructions

Tenders are to be submitted through the South East Business Portal which is the tendering portal used by Oxfordshire County Council.

/

Tenders may be submitted electronically

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

English

Award decision date (estimated)

27 March 2027

Award criteria

Other information

Payment terms

30 days

Description of risks to contract performance

Local Government Reorganisation Uncertainty Risk: Local Government Reorganisation will be taking place in Oxfordshire during the lifespan of this contract. The future unitary council(s) are due to be confirmed by central government during the summer of 2026 and are therefore unknown at present. Service continuity is expected to remain stable, but there is risk around the legal/commercial mechanics of transferring, splitting, varying, or terminating the contract if the future governance model changes (e.g. 1 2 or 3 unitary councils). The contract includes a break at 4 years to allow for the LGR if required by the new unitary councils.

Contract Costs Risks:

The contract price will be set at award. There is a risk that the contract costs increase as operating costs may rise over the lifespan of the contract due to market inflation / materials market volatility. Increases due to bidder costs will be at the bidders risk, and the risk for the council will sit more in profit share and materials costs. Mitigations will be addressed through dialogue with bidders, as the council will be exploring contractor-funded capital equipment and plant options, but contract price will be set at award, with no opportunity to re-price during the contract term.

Site Changes Risks:

There are planned HWRC site changes and closures required during the lifespan of the contract. The council will share its current known position regarding these changes and their current known timelines with bidders during the dialogue phases.

Additional Information

Access to Procurement Documents and Portal

• All procurement documents for this opportunity are available via the Council's online procurement portal 'Proactis' (the "Portal").

• Bidders must register on the Portal to access the tender documentation and to submit a response. Registration is free of charge.

• To register, bidders should follow the link provided in this notice and create a supplier account. Once registered, bidders will be able to access the full suite of procurement documents, receive updates, and submit clarification questions via the Portal.

• All communications relating to this procurement (including clarification questions and responses) must be conducted through the Portal. Submissions made outside of the Portal will not be accepted.

• The Council reserves the right to amend or update the procurement documentation via the Portal. It is the responsibility of bidders to ensure they monitor the Portal for any updates or additional information.

Reservation of Rights and disclaimer

The Contracting Authority reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to:

• amend, suspend, cancel or abandon this procurement procedure at any time;

• not award any contract as a result of this procurement; and

• vary the structure, timetable or requirements of the procurement process.

• The Contracting Authority shall not be liable for any costs, expenses or losses incurred by any economic operator arising from participation in this procurement, including where the procurement is cancelled, abandoned or does not result in an award.

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes

Procedure

Procedure type

Competitive flexible procedure

Competitive flexible procedure description

This Tender Notice relates to the award of a public contract through a Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with section 20(1) and 20(2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 ('PA 2023').

For a description of the process to be followed, including conditions of participation to be applied in the selection of suppliers, the process for submitting initial and final tenders (including dialogue sessions), and award criteria and assessment methodology, refer to the associated tender documents made available together with this Notice. The associated tender documents include the 'Procurement Specific Questionnaire' and accompanying documents are available on the e-tendering portal - South East Business Portal. The Contracting Authority reserves its right to rely on section 24 PA 2023 to refine award criteria as part of the competitive flexible procedure. Refinements to the award criteria may include but are not limited to:

· refining award criteria weightings

· adding sub-criteria or more detail to the sub-criteria (relevant to the existing main criteria).

In addition, the Contracting Authority may also rely on section 31 PA 2023 to modify the terms of the procurement as set out in this tender notice or the associated tender documents.

When assessing tenders for the purposes of contract award under section 19 PA 2023, the contracting authority will apply a set of pass/fail criteria (including minimum score thresholds) that only apply to the assessment of final tenders (and not of initial tenders). Such pass/fail criteria, and when and how they are to be applied, are fully set out in the assessment methodology. For the avoidance of doubt, applying the final tender-specific pass/fail criteria only at final tender stage (and not at initial tender stage), in accordance with the published assessment methodology, does not constitute a refinement of award criteria under section 24 nor a modification of terms of the procurement under section 31 PA 2023.

Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice

It has been published. See reference ocds-h6vhtk-051071

Documents

Associated tender documents

Documents to be provided after the tender notice

yes in draft format, see the portal - /

Technical specifications to be met

Please refer to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and accompanying instructions for the full conditions of participation requirements.

Contracting authority

Oxfordshire County Council

• Public Procurement Organisation Number: PZNW-8281-MHNM

County Hall, New Rd

Oxford

OX1 1ND

United Kingdom

Email: ProcurementandContractManagement.Enquiries [at] Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Region: UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government