Five local authorities are preparing a major South West Wales Regional Civil Engineering Contractors Framework for 2027. Led by Carmarthenshire County Council with Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea, the framework is estimated at £800 million excluding VAT and £960 million including VAT.
The planned structure is deliberately broad. Value-banded county and regional lots create routes for contractors of different sizes, while specialist lots cover individual civil engineering disciplines. SMEs are specifically identified as suitable.
If your business operates in South West Wales civils, speak to Thornton & Lowe about selecting the right lot and preparing for the October tender.
How the framework is expected to be structured
The framework is currently organised into three main lot groups, although the final detailed lotting may change when the tender is published.
County-specific civil engineering works
These lots are expected to include very small works up to £75,000 and small works up to £750,000. This creates a practical route for local and SME contractors that would not normally target a framework with a headline value close to £1 billion.
Regional civil engineering works
Regional value bands are expected to cover medium works from £750,000 to £3 million and large works above £3 million. Ancillary construction may also be commissioned where it forms part of a larger civil engineering scheme.
Specialist civil engineering works
The proposed specialist areas include:
- demolition
- public lighting and electrical works
- lining and road marking
- surfacing
- ground investigations
- marine works excluding coastal works
- traffic management
- bridge maintenance
- hard and soft landscaping and landscape maintenance
The official planned procurement notice provides the current value bands and timetable.
Unlimited suppliers and clear SME routes
The framework does not set a maximum number of suppliers. Call-offs may be awarded with or without competition, and the participating authorities include the five establishing councils, with additional potential access for Powys County Council, Natural Resources Wales and council-owned companies.
The value-banded structure is one of the strongest reasons for smaller contractors to pay attention. A supplier does not need to position itself for £3 million-plus schemes if its strongest evidence is in smaller local works.
Our highways and civil engineering tenders guide provides wider advice on demonstrating delivery, safety, quality and programme control in infrastructure bids.
What contractors should prepare
Although final award criteria have not yet been published in the planned notice, contractors can prepare the core evidence that is likely to be relevant across the framework:
- completed civil engineering projects within the target value band
- health, safety and environmental performance
- site and traffic management
- programme control and resource planning
- supply-chain management
- quality assurance and inspection
- community liaison and stakeholder management
- carbon reduction and environmental management
- social value, local employment and skills
- cost control and change management
Specialist bidders should build evidence around their specific discipline rather than relying on general civils examples. For example, a bridge-maintenance supplier should show inspection, access, structural coordination and working-around-users experience that is clearly relevant to bridge assets.
Key dates
- Planned procurement notice published: 28 August 2026
- Estimated tender publication: 5 October 2026
- Enquiry deadline: 9 November 2026 at 2:00pm
- Tender submission deadline: 16 November 2026 at 2:00pm
- Estimated award decision: 18 January 2027
- Planned framework start: 8 February 2027
- Initial term: Three years
- Possible extension: One further year
Pick the value band that matches your track record
This framework is large enough to attract major contractors, but the planned lot structure is designed to support a much wider supplier market. The best starting point is to identify the value band, geography and specialist disciplines where your evidence is strongest.
Thornton & Lowe supports civil engineering and construction suppliers with framework strategy, tender writing and independent review. Contact our bid team if you want support preparing for the South West Wales framework.
