Cambourne to Cambridge Construction Procurement

This preliminary market engagement notice effectively outlines the procurement strategy for a significant construction project, inviting market feedback, but suffers from a lack of transparency regarding estimated value and direct document access.

The notice appropriately defines the project and the intent for a two-stage design and build process, with reasonable deadlines for market engagement. However, the classified estimated value presents a transparency concern, even at this preliminary stage, impacting full compliance with disclosure principles.

The description of the project, the intended procurement strategy (two-stage design and build, competitive flexible procurement), and the requirements for market testing are clear and unambiguous, providing a good understanding of the authority's objectives for this preliminary phase.

While essential project details, timelines, and duration are provided, the notice is incomplete due to the classified estimated value and the requirement to manually request the 'Market Testing Questions' document, hindering immediate access to all relevant information. Formal evaluation criteria are also not yet defined, which is expected for a planning notice but a future gap.

The classified estimated value and the 'on request' method for obtaining key documents significantly reduce transparency and equal access to information, impacting the overall fairness of this preliminary market engagement. The absence of e-submission further limits accessibility.

The absence of electronic submission support and direct document URLs, coupled with the classified financial information, creates practical hurdles for interested parties to engage efficiently with this market testing phase. While the contract start date and duration are known, these practical limitations are notable.

The provided information is internally consistent, with logical dates and populated key fields for a planning notice. There are no reported suspensions or disputes, indicating a well-structured preliminary notice in terms of data integrity.

The notice explicitly lacks any mention of green procurement, social aspects, or innovation focus. This indicates a missed opportunity to integrate sustainability considerations into the early stages of this significant construction project, aligning with modern procurement best practices.