National Highways is procuring its Maintenance and Response 2 (M&R2) Framework, covering maintenance, incident response and associated works across more than 4,500 miles of England's strategic road network.
The framework has an estimated value of £7.96 billion excluding VAT (£9.55 billion including VAT) and will be divided into seven geographical lots. One supplier will be appointed to each region, creating seven main delivery contracts across the programme.
The anticipated framework period runs from January 2028 to July 2037. Successful lot suppliers will also be appointed to an overarching framework, allowing National Highways to maintain resilience if another delivery partner is unable to fulfil its contract.
What work is included in M&R2?
The scope covers a broad range of strategic road network activities, including:
- cyclical maintenance;
- reactive and urgent maintenance;
- incident response;
- severe-weather and winter operations;
- operational roadside technology maintenance and schemes; and
- selected asset renewals.
Renewal activity can include road markings, soft estate, lighting, signs, road restraint systems and fencing. The procurement also contains extensive classifications covering highways works, resurfacing, traffic technology, lighting, barriers, drainage, cleaning and winter maintenance.
Seven regional lots
National Highways has divided the programme geographically:
- Lot 1 – South West: £671.0 million excluding VAT
- Lot 2 – South East: £1.094 billion
- Lot 3 – East: £977.4 million
- Lot 4 – Midlands West: £799.4 million
- Lot 5 – Midlands East: £726.5 million
- Lot 6 – North West: £953.2 million
- Lot 7 – Yorkshire & North East: £901.7 million.
Suppliers can apply for as many regions as they wish at the conditions of participation stage. However, a supplier can ultimately be awarded no more than two lots.
How will National Highways select suppliers?
M&R2 uses the competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. The first stage assesses conditions of participation, including bidders' legal and financial capacity and technical ability. National Highways will shortlist a maximum of 15 applicants to progress to the tender stage.
The conditions of participation timetable includes:
- Enquiry deadline: 12 October 2026 at 11:59pm
- Deadline for requests to participate: 26 October 2026 at 10:00am
The shortlisted organisations will then receive the full tender documents. At tender stage, the evaluation is weighted 60% quality and 40% commercial. The quality submission will include one or more social value questions, while commercial submissions will be assessed using model services and schemes to establish a total tender price for each relevant lot. The estimated award decision is November 2027.
What does the framework structure mean for suppliers?
M&R2 is highly selective. Rather than appointing a large pool of framework suppliers, National Highways intends to select a single principal supplier for each region.
For organisations bidding as prospective lot suppliers, the submission therefore needs to demonstrate the capability to take responsibility for a substantial regional maintenance programme over a long contract period.
Areas to consider include:
- mobilisation and regional delivery capacity;
- incident and emergency response;
- severe-weather and winter resilience;
- management of specialist subcontractors and supply chains;
- highways asset and technology capability;
- health, safety and operational performance;
- workforce capacity and skills;
- social value delivery;
- continuous improvement and innovation; and
- commercial sustainability over a long-term programme.
The framework structure is also relevant to businesses that are unlikely to bid as a prime contractor. Each regional delivery partner will need access to a substantial and diverse supply chain, creating a potential route into M&R2 for specialist highways, technology, maintenance and asset-management suppliers.
How will the framework maintain network resilience?
The seven successful suppliers will form the overarching M&R2 framework as well as receiving their regional contracts.
If a delivery partner becomes unable to fulfil its contract, National Highways can reallocate work temporarily without competition or undertake a secondary competition between the remaining framework suppliers for the residual term.
This places additional importance on suppliers demonstrating resilience, scalable delivery capability and the ability to operate beyond their initial regional allocation if required.
Get support with your National Highways bid
M&R2 represents a major long-term opportunity, but competition for the seven regional contracts will be demanding from the conditions of participation stage onwards.
Thornton & Lowe works with infrastructure and construction suppliers on complex public-sector bids, including SQs, PSQs, framework tenders, quality responses and social value. Our team can help you develop a clear strategy, coordinate evidence from across your organisation and produce a submission aligned with National Highways' evaluation requirements. Contact our bid specialists to discuss your bid for National Highways M&R2.
