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United Kingdom270 days leftOpen

Southampton Channel Deepening - The provision of dredging services at the Port of Southampton

Tender Overview

LOCATION

Inner London - West, United Kingdom

VALUE

Not disclosed

DEADLINE

October 31, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

45252124

REFERENCE

002310-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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Original Tender Description

Associated British Ports (ABP) is the UK's largest ports group with 21 ports across the UK, providing essential gateways for trade and enabling the green infrastructure essential for the UK's energy transition. ABP directly employs over 2,400 individuals across the UK and handle approximately a quarter of the country's seaborne trade. The Port of Southampton is largest UK export port and a critical gateway handling container, automotive, cruise, and bulks. ABP is looking to appoint a suitably qualified Principal Contractor to provide capital dredging services for proposed channel deepening works at the Port of Southampton and in the Nab Deep Water Channel. The works involve dredging for disposal at sea, and the relevant enabling activities including mitigation measures for the risk of marine UXO. The works will include dredging adjacent to an operational quay wall and in areas with buried pipelines for which the Contractor will be required to have the appropriate plant and equipment, and proven experience of similar scale works. The works are to be planned by the Contractor to avoid disruption to Port navigation traffic and quayside operations. A Competitive Flexible Procedure will be issued, with the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) due to be released to the market in mid-January 2026. This notice services to notify the market of this upcoming procurement.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are detailed in this market notification.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The bidder must be a suitably qualified Principal Contractor.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The bidder must be capable of providing capital dredging services.
  • The bidder must be capable of performing dredging for disposal at sea.
  • The bidder must be capable of providing relevant enabling activities, including mitigation measures for the risk of marine UXO.
  • The bidder must possess appropriate plant and equipment for the works.
  • The bidder must have proven experience of similar scale works.
  • The bidder must be capable of performing dredging adjacent to an operational quay wall.
  • The bidder must be capable of performing dredging in areas with buried pipelines.
  • The bidder must plan the works to avoid disruption to Port navigation traffic.
  • The bidder must plan the works to avoid disruption to quayside operations.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific financial requirements are detailed in this market notification.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Bidders must await the release of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) in mid-January 2026.
  • Bidders will be required to complete and submit the PSQ as part of the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
  • The final submission deadline for the tender is 2026-10-31 00:00:00.

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PDF
Official PDF Version
PDF002310-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
This notice announces Associated British Ports' upcoming restricted tender for capital dredging services at the Port of Southampton, requiring a suitably qualified Principal Contractor with proven experience and appropriate equipment to avoid disruption to port operations.

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63
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender notification provides a high-level overview of significant capital dredging works, clearly outlining the scope and technical challenges. However, it currently lacks crucial details necessary for potential bidders to fully assess the opportunity and prepare a comprehensive response.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance100/100

The tender outlines a 'Restricted' type and 'Competitive Flexible Procedure,' implying specific legal frameworks will be followed. However, the current notification lacks essential details regarding mandatory exclusion grounds and specific financial requirements, which are fundamental for legal compliance and transparency in public procurement.

•Missing specific details on mandatory exclusion grounds.
•Absence of specific financial requirements.
Clarity40/100

The description of the works is clear regarding the technical scope and operational constraints. However, several key eligibility and technical capability requirements are vaguely defined, which could lead to subjective interpretation during the pre-qualification or evaluation stages.

•Vague definitions for 'suitably qualified Principal Contractor,' 'appropriate plant and equipment,' and 'proven experience of similar scale works.'
Completeness75/100

As a market notification, it provides a good initial overview. However, it is significantly incomplete for a full tender process, lacking critical information such as the estimated value, full tender documents, detailed evaluation criteria, and specific financial requirements.

•Estimated value not disclosed.
•No tender documents attached.
Fairness40/100

The vague nature of key requirements (e.g., 'suitably qualified,' 'proven experience of similar scale') could inadvertently limit competition or allow for subjective shortlisting, potentially favoring incumbent or specific contractors. The 'Restricted' procedure type, without clear pre-qualification criteria, also raises fairness considerations.

•Vague requirements could lead to subjective interpretation and potentially limit fair competition.
•Risk of requirements being tailored to specific companies due to broad and undefined experience/qualification criteria.
Practicality40/100

Bidders cannot practically prepare a comprehensive response or even a robust decision to participate without the estimated value, detailed requirements, and the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). The current information serves primarily as a 'heads-up' rather than a basis for detailed preparation.

•Inability for bidders to properly assess the opportunity or prepare without estimated value and detailed PSQ.
•Lack of full tender documents.
Data Consistency100/100

The provided information within this notification is consistent and does not contain any apparent contradictions.

Sustainability0/100

While the description mentions ABP's role in 'green infrastructure,' the tender itself lacks any specific environmental, social, or governance (ESG) requirements for the dredging services, beyond mitigation for UXO which is a safety/environmental risk management.

•Absence of specific green procurement criteria.
•No social criteria specified.

Strengths

Clear description of the project scope and technical challenges.
Early market notification allowing potential bidders to prepare.
Emphasis on avoiding disruption to port operations and navigation.
Identification of critical risks like marine UXO and buried pipelines.

Concerns

Lack of estimated contract value, hindering bidder assessment and resource planning.
Vague eligibility and technical requirements risking subjective evaluation and limited competition.
Absence of detailed tender documents, evaluation criteria, and specific financial/exclusion grounds.
Potential for requirements to be tailored to specific companies due to broad and undefined criteria.
No explicit sustainability or social criteria.

Recommendations

1. Disclose the estimated contract value as soon as possible to aid bidder planning and resource allocation.
2. Provide clear, objective, and measurable definitions for all eligibility and technical capability requirements in the PSQ.
3. Publish comprehensive tender documents, including detailed evaluation criteria and specific financial/exclusion grounds, promptly.

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Tender Quality Score
63/ 100 · Good
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