North Lincolnshire Council has launched a new £108 million Highways Framework, offering opportunities for civil engineering, road maintenance and surfacing contractors. The framework is divided into three lots covering highways civil works, surface treatments and surfacing activities. It is intended to support infrastructure works across North Lincolnshire and the wider Yorkshire, Humber and Lincolnshire regions.
The tender submission deadline is 12pm on 30 November 2026. For contractors considering this opportunity, understanding the differences between the three lots and preparing relevant technical and commercial evidence will be central to a competitive submission.
North Lincolnshire Highways Framework overview
The framework will provide a route for procuring highways construction, repairs and maintenance services. The scope includes bridges and structures, drainage, highway construction, street lighting, traffic safety measures, barrier repairs, traffic signals and active travel schemes.
Key details include:
- Contracting authority: North Lincolnshire Council
- Framework reference: TM0000000260-1
- Estimated value: £108 million including VAT
- Number of lots: Three
- Initial term: 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029
- Extension option: Up to 31 March 2031
- Enquiry deadline: 23 November 2026, 12pm
- Tender deadline: 30 November 2026, 12pm
The procurement uses an open procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable for participation, subject to meeting the relevant tender requirements.
What are the three framework lots?
Lot 1: Highways civil works
Estimated value: £27 million including VAT
Lot 1 covers a broad range of highways construction, engineering, maintenance and repair activities. Works may include bridges and structures, drainage, highway construction, street lighting, traffic management, safety schemes, barriers, signals and active travel infrastructure.
This lot is particularly relevant to civil engineering contractors capable of delivering varied infrastructure projects. Applicants should consider whether they can demonstrate experience managing multidisciplinary highways works, coordinating specialist subcontractors and maintaining safe operations around existing road infrastructure.
Lot 2: Highways surface treatment works
Estimated value: £27 million including VAT
Lot 2 focuses on road surface treatments and maintenance techniques. The scope includes road recycling, surface dressing, micro-asphalt, slurry sealing, high-friction surfacing, asphalt retexturing and associated minor civil engineering works.
Contractors considering this lot should prepare evidence of technical competence, appropriate equipment, quality control and delivery of comparable road maintenance programmes. The ability to manage working conditions, weather-related constraints and programme coordination may also be important.
Lot 3: Highways surfacing works
Estimated value: £54 million including VAT
Lot 3 is the largest element of the framework. It covers road reconstruction, plane-and-inlay schemes, permanent patching, overlays and associated minor civil engineering activities.
These works require effective planning, suitable plant and resources, quality assurance and robust traffic management arrangements. Contractors should use examples demonstrating relevant surfacing experience, programme delivery and the management of works on operational highway networks.
Who can use the framework?
Although North Lincolnshire Council is establishing the agreement, other eligible public bodies across Yorkshire, the Humber and Lincolnshire may also be able to use it. These include local authorities, education establishments, emergency services, NHS organisations, charities and other eligible public bodies. The wider customer base may create additional opportunities for appointed contractors beyond the Council's immediate highways programme.
How will bids be evaluated?
The published evaluation weightings are:
Evaluation criterion | Weighting |
|---|---|
Cost | 60% |
Quality | 30% |
Social value | 10% |
Cost is the dominant element of the evaluation, making pricing accuracy and competitiveness important. Nevertheless, the technical and social value responses account for a combined 40% and provide an opportunity for contractors to demonstrate the strengths of their delivery approach.
The Council has not specified a maximum number of framework suppliers in the notice. Detailed appointment requirements and call-off procedures should be confirmed through the tender documents.
What should highways contractors focus on?
Relevant experience and project delivery
Contractors should use examples from comparable highways projects, clearly identifying the type of works undertaken and the results achieved. For civil works, this may involve complex infrastructure schemes or projects requiring several specialist trades.
For surface treatments and surfacing, examples should demonstrate the relevant methods, equipment, quality standards and operational arrangements. Measurable performance evidence can help show how the contractor has delivered similar projects successfully.
Health, safety and traffic management
Working on highway infrastructure requires careful management of risks to operatives, road users and the public. Bidders should review their procedures for temporary traffic management, worksite safety, workforce competence, incident reporting and coordination with other parties. Strong responses should explain how these procedures operate in practice and use relevant project examples to demonstrate their effectiveness.
Programme management and reliability
The ability to deliver works within programme constraints is important across all three lots. Contractors should prepare evidence of resource planning, scheduling, plant availability, subcontractor coordination and managing unforeseen disruption. Where relevant, explain how the organisation maintains service continuity during urgent repairs or changes to planned works.
Quality assurance
Quality evidence should be tailored to the type of highways work being delivered. Relevant examples could include inspection and testing arrangements, material quality checks, defect management, site supervision and procedures for ensuring completed works meet the specification. A clear explanation of responsibilities and quality controls can help evaluators understand how the contractor manages delivery risks.
Social value
Social value accounts for 10% of the evaluation. Contractors may wish to consider commitments involving local employment, apprenticeships, work placements, supply chain development and environmental improvements. Any proposed commitments should be relevant to the work and supported by practical delivery arrangements.
Commercial competitiveness
With cost carrying 60% of the evaluation, contractors should review the commercial schedules carefully. Pricing should account for labour, specialist equipment, materials, mobilisation, traffic management, subcontractors and any additional requirements identified in the procurement documents. A competitive submission should demonstrate value for money while maintaining a sustainable delivery model.
How to apply for the Highways Framework
North Lincolnshire Council is managing the procurement through its electronic tendering portal. Interested contractors should register at North Lincolnshire's procurement portal and locate the opportunity using reference TM0000000260-1.
The deadlines are:
- 23 November 2026, 12pm: Enquiry deadline
- 30 November 2026, 12pm: Tender submission deadline
The full notice is available on Find a Tender under reference 103415-2026. Suppliers should review the specification, conditions of participation, pricing requirements and supporting documents before selecting their preferred lots.
Bid writing support for highways contractors
The North Lincolnshire Highways Framework offers opportunities for civil engineering, surface treatment and surfacing contractors seeking public sector infrastructure work. Its three lots provide routes for businesses with different technical specialisms, while the commercial and quality evaluation requires a carefully prepared response.
Thornton & Lowe supports highways contractors with bid writing, tender management and bid reviews. We help organisations demonstrate their experience, present their delivery methods and develop competitive submissions. If you're preparing a bid for the North Lincolnshire Highways Framework, contact our team to discuss how we can support your application.
