The line up in the chase for the prized five-year MoD job are: joint venture Carillion Enterprise; Interserve (Defence); Babcock Support Services; and a joint venture between Turner Facilities Management and Henry Brothers (Magherafelt).
The Regional Prime Scotland and Northern Ireland framework is the first of Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s four contracts to deliver maintenance and repairs at defence bases from 2013.
Bidders are being encouraged to link up with specialist subcontractors during the tendering process.
Steve Rice, Head of DIO’s Next Generation Estate Contracts Programme, said: “Our top priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations, but value for money must underpin everything we do for the defence frontline.
“This requires closer collaborative business partnering in key regions like Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“We’ve received a strong response to this contract opportunity, and the evaluation of pre-qualification questionnaires has been intensive but thorough. The onus is now on finding the right industry partner for Scotland and Northern Ireland. I am delighted that we have a strong and competitive shortlist of bidders with whom to discuss our requirements.”
The client team used electronic tendering software to evaluate evidence of bidders’ capacity and capability, submitted in pre-qualification questionnaires.
This included technical capability, health and safety, financial standing, quality assurance, environmental management, and equal opportunity and diversity.
John Brennan, DIO’s contract project manager, said: “This is a challenging area of the estate, requiring an innovative, flexible and value-driven partner, so we have worked exhaustively to ensure that every questionnaire is given consistent analysis, so that we leave no stone unturned.”
The contract is expected to be in-service from early to mid 2013, replacing the current regional prime contract for Scotland and two separate ‘term service’ contracts for the estate in Northern Ireland.
Bidders will now enter a competitive dialogue, with a view to submitting their final ‘tender solutions’ from December 2011.
It is expected that a preferred bidder will be announced by August 2012.
