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Design and installation of an infant / junior play area at Greatness Recreation Ground, Mill Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5BX

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

Sevenoaks Town Council

LOCATION

North East England, United Kingdom

VALUE

£240,000

DEADLINE

February 28, 2026 at 23:59

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

43325000

REFERENCE

008533-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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View Original

Original Tender Description

Background Greatness Recreation Ground has become more and more popular as a local open space facility. It is developing from an original open space recreation ground into a more formal park. This is likely to only increase with a neighbouring development of approximately 900 dwellings to be started within the next five years. It is also the home of the very successful Sevenoaks Town Football Club, which brings many visitors to the park. During 2026 the football club's new pavilion is due to be completed. Bearing in mind all these changes Sevenoaks Town Council carried out a community survey relating to the future of the open space and its facilities. From the responses it was clear that the current play area which has been in place for fifteen years needed to be reviewed and upgraded. Following consultation, it was also agreed to move its location to enable families who were already on the grass area to have a child use the play area without crossing the car park. The proposed new location would also be nearer the new pavilion which will have toilets and a café. Key Points 1. The tender is for a completely new playground on a field. Therefore, infrastructure e.g. drainage, fencing, safety surface, entry gates required. 2. Aimed at primary school children 3. Natural look equipment rather than bright colours, meeting ROSPA standards 4. Requires some DDA compliant inclusive play equipment 5. Requires some shading (preferably natural e.g. trees). Must retain the existing tree, ideally within the proposed footprint, or otherwise just outside of it) 6. To create a wetpour base with a new wetpour safety surface which compiles with BSEN 1176 and has a minimum guarantee of 2 years but preferably longer. A maintenance plan is a desirable extra service we would like. The product should have been tested in accordance with BS EN 1177 and BS EN 7188. 7. Timetable • May 2026 public consultation on preferred options A1 size image of play area to be provided. • July 2026 appointment of contractor • October 2026 installation 8. Size of play area Existing: Approx 32.7m length x 19.5m width New: 41.5m length x 17m width Budget for the Project Maximum budget for the play area project is £200,000. £240000 inclusive of VAT. Questions 1. What level of inclusivity is required (for example, units with wheelchair-accessible ramps), and how will this be scored? Please meet the principles of PIPA. The score is in the assessment criteria. 2. We discussed the requirement for trees and agreed it may be preferable for the council to supply and plant these separately. Is this agreeable? Yes the council to supply and plant the trees. 3. What does "play value" mean to the council, and how will this be assessed? The play value will mean how much play you can get of each piece of equipment. The score is in the assessment criteria. 4. When you mention that "a maintenance plan is a desirable extra service," what is envisaged here? The council means equipment that is easy to maintain with lasting quality. 5. How will best value and/or equipment be scored or interpreted? The score is in the assessment criteria. 6. There is a 500-word limit per response. Given a £200k design, this may make it difficult to adequately explain each proposal. Is there any possibility of increasing the word limit? Yes we can increase the word limit to whatever is needed. 7. Are wetpour graphics and colours required, or is plain black wetpour acceptable? Options would be welcome. 8. What type of fencing is preferred around the play area? Bow top fencing - 1 metre. 9. It was discussed on site to provide a path from the play area to the gym equipment, with all gym items located on a single wetpour pad. Is this desirable, or would you prefer individual wetpour pads beneath each item with grass in between? Options would be welcome. 10. How will you be scoring price? The score is in the assessment criteria. 11. It was discussed on site that it could be that we are to just remove the existing play equipment and leave in the existing safer surface and fence as this will be dealt with when the car park extension is done. Are you able to confirm that this is what is required? Yes please price separately to remove the existing play equipment - this is not part of the tender price it will be classified as extra.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are explicitly stated in the provided tender information.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific eligibility requirements (e.g., company registration, specific certifications, minimum turnover) are explicitly stated in the provided tender information.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Design and install a completely new playground on a field.
  • Provide all necessary infrastructure, including drainage, fencing, safety surface, and entry gates.
  • Design the playground specifically for primary school children.
  • Ensure all equipment has a natural look, avoiding bright colours.
  • Ensure all equipment meets ROSPA standards.
  • Include DDA compliant inclusive play equipment.
  • Meet the principles of PIPA for inclusivity in play equipment design.
  • Incorporate shading, preferably natural (e.g., trees).
  • Retain the existing tree, ideally within the proposed playground footprint or immediately outside it.
  • Install a wetpour base with a new wetpour safety surface.
  • The wetpour safety surface must comply with BSEN 1176.
  • The wetpour safety surface must have a minimum guarantee of 2 years (longer preferred).
  • The wetpour product must have been tested in accordance with BS EN 1177 and BS EN 7188.
  • Ensure equipment is easy to maintain and of lasting quality.
  • Install 1-metre high bow top fencing around the play area.
  • Provide an A1 size image of the proposed play area for public consultation by May 2026.
  • Complete the installation by October 2026.
  • Design the new play area to be approximately 41.5m in length and 17m in width.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Adhere to a maximum budget of £200,000 for the play area project (excluding VAT).
  • Adhere to a maximum budget of £240,000 for the play area project (inclusive of VAT).
  • Provide a separate price for the removal of existing play equipment, as this is considered an extra service and not part of the main tender price.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Submit an A1 size image of the proposed play area.
  • Provide detailed responses to questions, with the word limit increased to "whatever is needed" (from an original 500 words per response).
  • Offer options for wetpour graphics and colours (plain black is acceptable, but alternatives are welcome).
  • Offer options for the path from the play area to the gym equipment (e.g., single wetpour pad for all gym items or individual pads with grass in between).
  • Include a separate price for the removal of existing play equipment.
  • Submit the bid by the deadline of 2026-02-28T23:59:00+00:00.
  • Respond to a 'Tender Questionnaire' (though the document itself is unavailable).

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HTM
Attachment A-10754
Administrative DocumentsA-10754.html
Summary:
This document is a "Page not found" error message from the Find a Tender service, indicating that the requested tender document could not be accessed.
HTM
Attachment A-10755
Submission FormsA-10755.html
Summary:
Although the content of this 'Tender Questionnaire' document is currently unavailable ('Page not found'), it is typically a required submission form for bidders to provide detailed responses regarding their proposal for the new playground project.
DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data008533-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
Sevenoaks Town Council seeks a contractor to design and install a new, natural-look, DDA-compliant playground for primary school children at Greatness Recreation Ground, including infrastructure and a wetpour safety surface, with a budget of up to £200,000.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data008533-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
Sevenoaks Town Council is seeking a contractor to design and install a new, natural-looking, inclusive playground for primary school children at Greatness Recreation Ground, including infrastructure, safety surfacing, and shading, with a budget of up to £200,000.
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information008533-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
Sevenoaks Town Council seeks a contractor for the design and installation of a new, natural-looking, inclusive play area for primary school children at Greatness Recreation Ground, including infrastructure, safety surfacing, and fencing, with a budget of up to £200,000, to be completed by October 2026.
HTM
Tender Notice
Administrative Documents008533-2026.html
Summary:
Sevenoaks Town Council seeks proposals for the design and installation of a new, natural-looking, DDA-compliant playground for primary school children at Greatness Recreation Ground, including infrastructure and a wetpour safety surface, with a maximum budget of £200,000.

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54
Fair

Tender Quality Score

This tender provides a clear project description with good sustainability considerations, but is significantly hampered by the unavailability of required submission documents and the complete absence of evaluation criteria, severely impacting legal compliance, clarity, completeness, and fairness.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance50/100

The tender suffers from critical legal compliance issues, primarily the unavailability of the 'Tender Questionnaire' which is marked as required, and the explicit absence of evaluation criteria. While the procedure type and CPV codes are correctly defined, these fundamental omissions are significant.

•Required 'Tender Questionnaire' document is 'Page not found'.
•No evaluation criteria specified, despite being referenced in Q&A.
Clarity60/100

The project description, background, and technical requirements are generally clear and well-articulated. However, the complete lack of specified evaluation criteria, despite repeated references to them in the Q&A, creates significant ambiguity for potential bidders regarding how their proposals will be assessed.

•Evaluation criteria are not specified, making it unclear how proposals will be judged.
Completeness50/100

While basic information like title, organization, value, and deadlines are present, the tender is critically incomplete due to the unavailability of essential documents, particularly the 'Tender Questionnaire', and the absence of evaluation criteria. This prevents bidders from having all necessary information to submit a comprehensive bid.

•Required 'Tender Questionnaire' document is unavailable.
•Evaluation criteria are missing.
Fairness45/100

Fairness is severely compromised by the lack of full document access (required forms are missing) and the complete absence of transparent evaluation criteria. Bidders cannot prepare competitive and compliant proposals without knowing the full requirements or how they will be judged. The lack of e-submission also limits equal access.

•No full document access for required submission forms.
•Evaluation criteria are not objective or transparent as they are missing.
Practicality50/100

The tender faces significant practical challenges due to the 'Page not found' error for required documents, which creates a major barrier for bidders. The absence of electronic submission further complicates the process for potential contractors.

•Required documents are inaccessible ('Page not found').
•No electronic submission supported.
Data Consistency70/100

Most key fields are populated, and there are no disputes or suspensions. However, there is a notable inconsistency between the stated 'Contract Duration: 2 months' and the 'Installation: October 2026' timeline, given a 'Contract Start: 2026-06-30'. This requires clarification.

•Inconsistency between 'Contract Duration' and 'Installation' timeline.
Sustainability75/100

The tender demonstrates a good focus on social sustainability through requirements for DDA compliant and PIPA-principled inclusive play equipment. It also includes some green aspects like 'natural look equipment' and retaining/planting trees. However, it lacks explicit innovation focus or broader environmental/social criteria.

•No explicit innovation focus.
•Not EU funded (often associated with higher sustainability standards).

Strengths

Clear project description and scope.
Strong focus on inclusivity (DDA, PIPA) and natural aesthetics.
Value and key timelines (contract start, installation) are specified.
CPV code is appropriately assigned.
Flexibility shown in Q&A (e.g., word limit increase).

Concerns

Critical required submission documents are unavailable ('Page not found').
Evaluation criteria are completely missing, despite being referenced.
Lack of electronic submission capability.
Inconsistency in the project timeline (contract duration vs. installation date).
Absence of explicit eligibility or mandatory exclusion grounds in the provided summary.

Recommendations

1. Immediately rectify the accessibility of all required tender documents, especially the 'Tender Questionnaire'.
2. Clearly define and publish the full evaluation criteria and their weighting to ensure transparency and fairness.
3. Consider implementing an e-submission platform to enhance accessibility and streamline the procurement process.

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Tender Quality Score
54/ 100 · Fair
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