Liverpool City Council has launched a significant new tender for its highways professional services framework, set to commence in October 2026.

This strategic procurement aims to secure consultancy expertise across a range of critical highway-related services, underpinning ambitious plans within the city and the wider Liverpool City Region for the next four years.

The new framework, a successor to the current arrangement expiring in October 2026, will be split into four distinct service lots, each tailored to different but complementary aspects of highways and transport infrastructure delivery.

Lot 1 focuses on sustainable transport planning and policy advice. This area addresses the growing emphasis on sustainable transport solutions, requiring suppliers to provide extensive consultancy support including feasibility studies and detailed design work centred on sustainable transport and policy matters. The objective is to assist Liverpool City Council in aligning its highways projects with broader environmental and transport sustainability goals, a priority that many local authorities are increasingly pursuing.

Lot 2 encompasses highways and infrastructure design support services. This lot is wide-ranging, requiring expertise that covers everything from conceptual planning to detailed design and operations for highways, streets, and urban design projects. Suppliers will work on schemes that include major highways improvements, bus priority measures, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, junction and crossing redesigns and public realm enhancements. The inclusion of landscaping and placemaking signals a holistic approach to urban highway development, enhancing not just transport usability but also the surrounding environment and community spaces.

Lot 3 provides project and programme management and NEC (New Engineering Contract) contract administration support services. This lot focuses on ensuring project controls and programme governance align with best practices, supporting the Highways Capital Programme. Consultancy support will span all project lifecycle phases – from feasibility and business cases to detailed design and client-side project management. The inclusion of NEC contract roles speaks to the council’s commitment to robust contract management and delivery oversight, critical for managing complex infrastructure projects efficiently and mitigating risks.

Lot 4 covers commercial and contract management support services, integral for successful delivery across capital and maintenance highways programmes. This lot will address the commercial governance side including cost control, procurement processes, contract administration, risk management and compliance monitoring. Ensuring sound commercial management is vital for Liverpool City Council to meet budgetary expectations and maintain timelines, particularly across extensive and varied portfolios of works.

The estimated value of the framework stands at £100M excluding VAT (£120M including VAT), reflecting the scale and importance of this initiative within the council’s transport and highways agenda. The contract term is anticipated to span from 6 October 2026 to 5 October 2030, providing a substantial period for suppliers to contribute to Liverpool’s evolving infrastructure landscape.

Bidders interested in this framework will be shortlisted at the procurement questionnaire stage, with eight bidders invited to tender for lots 1, 2 and 3, and six for lot 4. The final framework will then appoint four suppliers each for lots 1, 2 and 3, and three for lot 4. This multi-supplier approach allows the council to access a broad range of expertise and capacity.

Pricing schedules will be requested during the tender stage, ensuring transparent and competitive rates that underpin the framework’s value for money objectives.

Notably, this framework will not exclusively serve Liverpool City Council but is also open to various partners across the Liverpool City Region. These include neighbouring borough councils such as Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, as well as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, their related entities, and Transport for Liverpool City Region (previously Merseytravel). This broad applicability highlights the framework’s role in supporting a coordinated and consistent approach to highways and transport infrastructure across the wider region, promoting regional cohesion and shared infrastructural goals.

Providers interested in bidding must note critical dates: the enquiry deadline is set for 26 June 2026 at midday, while final tender submissions are due by 12pm on 8 July 2026. The council aims to make award decisions by early September 2026, enabling a seamless transition to the new framework start date in October.

Liverpool City Council’s new Highways Professional Services Framework reflects both the complexity and ambition of modern local authority transport infrastructure delivery. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, comprehensive design support, rigorous project management, and robust commercial governance, this procurement offers a critical opportunity for consultancy firms to partner with one of the UK’s most dynamic city regions as it seeks to transform its highways network to meet future demands.

Last year, Liverpool City Council appointed contractors including Sisk, Aureos and Graham to its £850M highways planned works framework.

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