PRO004337-Works-Contract-Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme

Description

United Utilities Water Limited (UU) proposes to deliver a scheme titled Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP DPC Project) via Ofwat’s Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) approach, engaging a Competitively Appointed Provider (CAP) to design, build, finance and maintain this major water resilience supply project. The HARP DPC Project comprises the replacement of 6 tunnel sections of the existing Haweswater Aqueduct (HA), connections to existing multiline siphons between the tunnel sections and associated facilities. It also includes the commissioning and ongoing maintenance of those works for a period of approximately 25 years after completion. Due to the complexity and profile of the HARP DPC Project, the precise detail of the underlying technical regime remains in development as at the date of this contract notice. Lot 1: Works and services for delivering the HARP DPC Project are set out in the ‘additional information’ section. Project agreement - The CAP will be appointed under a bespoke project agreement with UU, the term of the project agreement will be 25 years, plus a construction period. Further details are included in the project agreement. Structure of the CAP - The tender process is designed to accommodate the participation of multi-party consortia, alongside other participants. Further details are included in the tender documents. Independent Technical Advisor - Assurance for UU and customers under the project agreement will be provided by an Independent Technical Advisor (ITA) and Approved Assurer (AA). The ITA and AA will be appointed through a separate procurement process. Bid costs - UU will pay a contribution to the tender process costs incurred by each of the unsuccessful bidders, terms of where this is due are included in the tender documents. Please note that the proposed payment of a contribution to the costs of an unsuccessful bidder is included in this tender process in recognition of the unique nature of the HARP DPC Project. It is not intended to set a precedent for future UU (or any other DPC) tender processes. Planning - Planning submissions have been made by UU for the whole of the HARP DPC Project and UU currently anticipates that the outcome for each planning determination will achieve a consent from the relevant local planning authority prior to the submission of Final Tenders by the bidder however, it should be noted that the works on all six initial tunnel sections remain subject to planning determinations and the actual timing of receipt of these is beyond the direct control of UU. Whilst not currently anticipated, the failure of the planning determinations to grant the necessary consents (as sought by UU), or a significant delay to the planning determination, could make it impossible or not feasible to carry out and complete the works on a tunnel section. In those circumstances, UU may elect to remove one or more of the initial six tunnel sections from the scope of the HARP DPC Project, but reserves the right to continue with the procurement process on the basis of the reduced scope. This would have the effect of reducing both the scale and the value of the HARP DPC Project. Any such reduction would be confirmed to the short-listed bidders prior to the submission of final tenders. Further details are included in the tender documents. Please note that the questions in both the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) are designed to be equally applicable (in terms of, respectively, setting appropriate pre-qualification requirements and identifying the most economically advantageous tender) where the scope of the HARP DPC Project is reduced in this way. UU does not, therefore, anticipate that the removal of any one or more of the tunnel section(s) from the scope would necessitate the re-running of the PQQ stage or any material changes to the submission requirements and evaluation criteria in the ITN. Access to documents - Interested parties will be able to access the suite of tender documents on the electronic tendering portal (EU Supply) including; PQQ and associated appendices ITN and associated appendices and forms Project agreement and schedules Other supporting documents UU standards and specification will be held on the UU Data Room, interested parties contact UU via the messaging tool on EU Supply in order to be granted access to view these documents. Further information regarding the Ofwat methodology for DPC and HARP's designation as a DPC project can be viewed via the following links. https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Appendix-9-Direct-procurement-FM.pdf https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/publication/direct-procurement-for-customers-project-designation-direction-issued-to-united-utilities-harp-scheme Additional information: Disclaimer - This notice shall not have contractual effect between UU and any other person. The tender process that is launched by this notice is subject to the rights of UU as set out in the tender documents. Without limiting that, UU reserves the right not to enter into the project agreement, or any other contract or arrangement, pursuant to this tender process or at all.