UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

Northern Ireland Housing Executive is responsible for the maintenance of 1453ha of ‘soft’ open space comprising circa 1197ha of grass, 134ha of planted area, 108km of hedges, 130,000 trees and 122ha of ‘hard’ areas (incl. tarmac, concrete, pavior and cobbles). The NIHE Grounds Maintenance function is a Regional based Client service providing a comprehensive Grounds Maintenance service to the Area Offices in each of the 3 Regions (North, South, and Belfast). The Housing Executive intends to advertise lot contracts in April 2023 with a view to the award of Contracts by winter of 2023 with a Contract start date of 1st February 2024 in order to continue to deliver it’s (business as usual) Grounds Maintenance service. The areas covered and approx. annual value of each Lot is as follows: Lot 1 - Belfast (North, West (Shankill) & Dairyfarm) - £2.2M Lot 2 - Belfast (South & East / Lisburn & Castlereagh) - £2M Lot 3 - North (East Area) - £1.2M Lot 4 - South (North Down & Ards / South Down) - £1.2M Lot 5 South (South Area) - £1.1M Lot 6 South (South West Area & Mid Ulster) - £1.1M The actual value for each Lot shall be subject to the reactive nature of the service. It is proposed that the contract period will be 2 years with an option to extend for a further period(s) of up to 4 years however this is subject to change at the Contracting Authorities discretion. The Tender will be advertised using the Open Procedure. Each lot will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender with an assessment on social value (minimum 10%) additional quality criteria and price. The successful Economic Operators will be required to provide those social value requirements identified as mandatory from 1st September 2021, as per Procurement Policy Note 01/21 - Scoring Social Value. In order to inform the market of the upcoming opportunities, NIHE will host a Meet the Buyer event on Wednesday 22nd February 2023 at 14.00. The event will be conducted online via the WebEx portal. If you wish to attend this event please confirm your attendance by email to joseph1.mccluskey@nihe.gov.uk no later than 5pm on Friday 3rd February 2023. Any economic operator who wishes to attend the event must complete the request for information which will be issued with the event invitation. The information gathered will be used to assess the best approach for the tendering and awarding of the new contracts and assure best value for money across the regions. All information contained within this PIN such as, the above tender strategy, indicative date of publication of the contract notice, and scope of works is subject to change at the contracting authority’s absolute discretion following feedback obtained from the meet the buyer event and request for information exercise.

The Housing Executive requires information regarding potential costs in the provision of an occupational exposure monitoring service. Please see Section II.2.4 Description for further details.

ALL ECONOMIC OPERATORS ARE ASKED TO NOTE THAT THE SUBMISSION DATE FOR THIS TENDER IS CRITICAL. ALL ECONOMIC OPERATORS INTENDING TO SUBMIT A TENDER MUST ENSURE THEY HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND INTERNAL APPROVALS (IN REQUIRED) IN PLACE TO COMPLETE THEIR SUBMISSION BY THE STATED DATE AND TIME. The Contracting Authority intends to enter into an NEC4 Term Service Contract with the successful Economic Operator(s) for the maintenance, repair, servicing, replacement of boilers and heating systems within its properties to meet its obligations as a landlord. The maximum number of lots that may be awarded to any one tenderer will be 1 (one), this is subject to a sufficient number of responses being received. The Contract includes any properties or land owned or controlled by the Contracting Authority and other properties/land where the Contracting Authority requires work to be undertaken. The service required is comprised of: Periodic Servicing and Inspections - The undertaking of statutory or periodic ordered services including any inspection, testing, recalibration and certification required to heating appliances, whole house heating installations, thermostatic mixing valves, and any other associated assets identified by the Contracting Authority. To include any repairs, renewals and maintenance works including renewal of any defective or missing parts, or parts. A detailed description of the requirement will be provided in the Contract Documentation. Routine and Responsive Comprehensive Maintenance - The undertaking of day-to-day repairs and maintenance works including response to breakdowns and other emergency works ordered at any time. To include technical inspections, compliance inspections or safety checks, asbestos - identification, surveying, sampling, testing, analysing, reporting, seeking statutory authority approvals, removal and disposal, oil remedial works - identifying, surveying, testing, reporting, removal and disposal of contamination and all remedial action to remedy the outcomes of oil spillages, as instructed by the Contracting Authority. A detailed description of the requirement will be provided in the Contract Documentation. Renewal of whole house Heating Installation or Boiler (any type) - The renewal of heating appliances and of whole house heating installations including any survey, design, consultation with customers, scheduling, programming, elemental breakdown of the works, installation, construction, repairs, renewals, reinstatement or replacement works or works of improvement to all fuel sources and associated works. In addition, research, design, installation and repairs of alternative heating controls for pilot scheme(s) to assist the Contracting Authority in meeting its future carbon emission and renewable energy plans. A detailed description of the requirement will be provided in the Contract Documentation. The Contract is to include the undertaking of other works required to ensure the Contracting Authority meets its obligations including, but not limited to, any design, installation, renewals or removals in respect of all sources of fuel, chimneys, customer installed appliances, focal point fires, flues and associated controls, asbestos removal works, oil remediation works and renewal of electric storage, space and water heating appliances or installations; for example commissioning boilers, relocating radiators etc. following works carried out by the Contracting Authority's other contractor(s), change of tenancy works, energy performance certificates, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, roof space insulation, renewable technologies, etc. A detailed description of the requirement will be provided in the Contract Documentation.

A suitably qualified, experienced and competent Contractor is required to carry out servicing, inspections, preventative / responsive maintenance and to carry out tasks / repairs / works in respect of the Housing Executive's specialist mechanical and electrical service installations and equipment. The scope will be confirmed in the tender documents but is expected to includes the provision of such services to the Employer’s Offices, DLO Depots, Hostels and the communal areas of residential high rise buildings (5 stories and above).

The Contracting Authority recently published a Contract Notice for response maintenance and improvement works in mid and east Antrim. Economic Operators must disregard the date shown in section II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice of this PIN because the Contract Notice was published on 26th September 2022.

Request for Information - CTO113 Response Maintenance and Improvement Services

The Housing Executive intends to advertise a Contract for the provision of multi-disciplinary services (all stages from survey through to completion of works on site) in relation to Health and Safety repairs and other associated works to two Tower Blocks Beechwood House and Woodland House. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • Woodland and Beechwood House(s) are 15 storey tower blocks located within the Rushpark estate, Newtownabbey. The blocks are of the same size and construction. • These blocks are situated on an extensive area of open green space, with vehicular access via Beechwood Avenue/Shore Road or Woodland Drive from within the wider estate. • Woodland House contains 56 nr. 2 bedroom flats - 15 NIHE flats and 41 sold properties • Beechwood House contains 56 nr. 2 bedroom flats - 16 NIHE flats and 40 sold properties • The blocks were originally constructed in 1965 by F.B. McKee of a reinforced concrete frame with external elevations of facing brickwork, exposed slab edges, exposed aggregate concrete panels and projecting concrete balconies. Estimated Fees - £130K - £180K The scope of the services will relate to:- 1) Windows – replacement 2) Balcony repair/replacement 3) Structural/concrete repairs 4) Upgrade and installation of CCTV 5) Roof 6) Gable end cavity insulation It envisaged that the provision of the services required for points 1 to 6 will be split into 4 stages as follows:- Stage 1 – Briefing, survey, consultation, economic appraisals and NIHE internal Scheme Design Approvals Stage 2 – Consultation, Statutory approvals and tender action (including drafting of NEC Contract documents for the works) Stage 3 – Contract administration on site, supervision on site and project completion Stage 4 – Defects period, release of retention and agreement of final account The Housing Executive currently has an estimated budget for construction works of £2million, it should be noted that the Construction works cost will be subject to the final findings from the outcome of the professional services appointment, budgetary constraints and the final package of works required/approved to be completed.) It is envisaged that upon completion of the initial survey and findings. Works costing will have to be submitted for departmental approval. These costs will include the professional services costs associated with the scheme. It is expected that any professional services provider will have / obtain and maintain appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance to the satisfaction of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive The open procedure is expected to the used, the award Criteria is expected to be set at 90 percent price and 10percent quality(Social Value). Among other things, successful Economic Operators will be required to provide those Social Value requirements identified as mandatory from the 1st June 2022, as per Procurement Policy Note 01/21 – Scoring Social Value. The Tender will be advertised via the etendersNI electronic tendering Portal in the coming weeks. Should potential Economic Operators wish to participate, have any queries, please email at the address provided above. All information contained within this PIN such as, the tender strategy, indicative date of publication or the contract notice and scope of services is subject to change at the contracting authorities discretion.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive's Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) is the inhouse maintenance provider for response repairs across approximately 24,000 domestic dwellings. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is planning on holding a supplier engagement event(date to be arranged) to engage with potential service providers to better understand how or if we could rationalise our supply chain and explore alternative methods for sourcing and distributing materials to the point of use.

The NIHE is undertaking a feasibility study for ‘New Build Housing.’ This study will investigate and compare different types of Construction including Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and a traditional approach. The MMC options include volumetric systems, panelised systems, ICF and site based versions however other versions of MMC not listed will be considered for inclusion. 1.2 The feasibility study will provide the Employer (NIHE) with design solutions that are robust and cost effective and that the NIHE could potentially adopt for the future re-development of demolished or disused housing stock. 1.3 Feasibility Study Objectives: • To compare the performance of different construction methods that will meet statutory requirements and the needs of the NIHE as a minimum by providing warm, dry, robust dwellings that are quick to erect and easy to maintain. • To provide comparable cost information on the prescribed types of MMC which can be directly compared to traditional masonry construction, to inform the NIHE in identifying the building approach that best meets its needs. 1.4 As part of the feasibility study, the NIHE is asking input from the industry to aid the comparison process between the differing methods and inform the end result for the provision of housing to a site at no.s 2-4 Good Shepherd Road, Belfast. The proposal will comprise of 3no. 2 bedroom, 3 person, terraced units and 1 no. 2 bed, 3 person detached fully accessible single storey unit. The site specific information, layouts and performance specification will be provided by the NIHE. 1.5 The Consultant is responsible to the Employer for the provision of detailed information, as described in this brief, regarding their specialist building method and the performance thereof. Feasibility Study Outputs 1.6 The employer will provide a performance specification for the provided site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections upon appointment. To fulfil the objectives of the feasibility study, the Consultant will be required to provide:- • Detailed description of the type of MMC being proposed and its specific benefits for comparative purposes. • Design of the structure, materials and finishes, based on the layouts to be provided • Detailed information to be provided regarding the extent of the works to be completed on site to enable delivery of the offsite product. • Proposed u-value calculations for walls, floors and roofs, for the unit design provided. • Proposed programme in the form of a Gantt chart or similar, for the building as a whole, from design stage, through to manufacture (if applicable), to construction on site and completion. • Life cycle costs estimate. • Estimated cost of construction, excluding the cost of groundworks, foundations, statutory fees and professional design fees with the budget cost estimate also for the scheme proposed to attain Passivhaus (PH) standard. • Carbon performance information and figures for embodied, operational and circular. Quality, Technical Standards and Compliance 1.7 The dwelling designs should meet the following standards: • Partially or fully prefabricated off-site and delivered to the client specification as a minimum. • Construction detailing to meet the standards of the current N.I. Building Regulations as a minimum, unless otherwise stated. • Target SAP to meet Part F1 as a minimum for standard unit and option to meet Passivhaus standard if available for PH option. • DER (dwelling emission rate) to meet or exceed TER (target emission rate) in accordance with the Building Regulations of NI.* • To attain airtightness target of max 5 m3/(h.m2) at a pressure difference of 50 Pascals and for the PH option, Air permeability target of 0.6 ACH 50 pa in accordance with PH criteria. • Provision of intermittent ventilation or whole house mechanical ventilation system suitable for the proposed air permeability target. • NIHE provided performance specification. • An estimated off-site production of less than 6 months if applicable. • Low maintenance solution so as to maintain the fabric of the building and the fixtures in a cost effective manner. • Warranties: Details to be provided regarding warranties / accreditations, held by the proposed system. • Full compliance with all relevant, current, environmental legislation. Cost Summary to be provided in accordance with SMM7 and set out within the template to be provided. Any assumptions are to be listed and breakdown of miscellaneous or sundry items to be provided.

The Housing Executive is seeking to appoint a developer to deliver its vision for a residential-led, regeneration scheme on this two-acre site at Hope Street, Belfast. Hope Street is a strategically important city centre development site in an area that is benefitting from significant long term investment with the completion of the new Belfast Grand Central Station, and the commencement of the Weavers Cross mixed-use regeneration scheme on surrounding land (About Weavers Cross). The development opportunity at Hope Street is fundamentally aligned with ‘The Belfast Agenda’, Belfast City Council’s first Community Plan (Belfast Agenda) to promote inner city living with a renewed focus on delivering city centre accommodation and supporting a vibrant, liveable city centre. The area surrounding Hope Street currently comprises a mix of commercial, residential and leisure uses, and it is in close proximity to the city’s two main hospitals and universities. As the Strategic Housing Authority for Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive aims to provide a variety of housing choices at Hope Street that addresses the multi-tenure housing need in the area, including social homes and a mix of intermediate and private homes for sale or rent. The transformation of Hope Street has the potential to enhance the connectivity between the local residential community of Sandy Row and the city centre economy by creating strong links through the site to surrounding areas that are animated by vibrant, safe, green open spaces and light commercial activity.

The works to be provided under this contract will consist of Electrical Inspection and Testing of the 'fixed' electrical parts of electrical installations within NIHE's Domestic properties, to be checked (periodically inspected and tested) by a qualified and competent person within a 5-year planned cycle. The electrical installations must meet the required standards, as per BS7671, the Requirements for Electrical Installations, set out within the IET Wiring Regulations Eighteenth Edition, as amended, and current at the time of the work. The contractors will record any non-compliances with BS7671, as amended and use observation classification codes, C1, C2, C3 and FI to indicate where remedial work and or further investigation must be undertaken. If observations are made with the electrical installation, requiring classification codes C1, C2 and FI, then remedial work will be required, these remedial works should be undertaken by the Contractor during the completion of the inspection and testing. Upon completion of the remedial works relating to observations classified as C1, C2 and FI. The Contractor is to provide a fully completed Electrical Installation Condition Report with a Satisfactory overall assessment of the installation in terms of its suitability for continued use. The work also incorporates the replacement of Smoke and Heat detectors which have already achieved or will achieve a 10-year life within the next 1 year. Core Works which is Periodic Electrical Inspection and Testing including other Works, but not limited to, Electrical Installation Works, Fire Detection Alarm test and replacement Fire Detector's, and Consultancy services associated with this contract when required. All electrical work is to be undertaken by an organisation that is a registered user/subscriber to an accepted electrical licence to practice system. All electrical workers engaged in the delivery of the service must be registered with and hold a valid Licence to Practice (LtP), issued by an approved electrical Licence to Practice system as set out by the Department of Finance. LtP systems which are currently recognised as providers under the LtP initiative are SparkSafe and ECS Check Northern Ireland (provided by the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme). All electrical work is to be undertaken by an organisation that is registered, operates, and maintains a UKAS accredited third party electrical certification system. Government-approved registering bodies in Northern Ireland are NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) and NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers. All information contained within this notice is indicative only and subject to change at any time without notice. Full details of the Conditions of Participation and Scope will be detailed in the Associated Tender Documents. The contract is focused on Domestic properties only. Periodic Electrical Inspection & Testing to non-domestic properties will be subject to a separate procurement. Note, the total contact values (both with and without VAT) have been rounded up to the nearest 100. Precise values relating to the pre-tender estimate for each lot will be provided in the ITT.

The aim of ECM is primarily to protect the Housing Executive's built assets by maintaining the fabric of the dwellings, the external works within the curtilage and adjacent un-adopted areas. The final scope will be subject to change and contained in the final tender documents published for tender.

This competition will involve 4 lots: South Belfast East Belfast South West South Down Historically, South & East Belfast were delivered as a single contract covering approximately 10,000 units. This area will be segmented into two distinct Lots in this Competition. The lot contracts will deliver responsive maintenance, emergency repairs, void property works, civil engineering, asbestos services, fire safety works, and associated inspections across the Contracting Authority's properties within the relevant region. The Suppliers will provide a 24/7/365 responsive repairs service, undertake technical and compliance inspections, manage multi‑trade repair tasks, and support statutory landlord obligations. Services include working in occupied and unoccupied homes, communal areas, and Contracting Authority-owned land and buildings. The Suppliers must meet extensive requirements in health and safety, customer care, IT integration, appointments, reporting, social value, environmental sustainability, and performance management, and must collaborate with the Contracting Authority. No minimum volume of work is guaranteed. In accordance with the Procurement Policy Note 01/21 - Social Value in Procurement, this Contract will deliver measurable social value outcomes. Under this Procurement Suppliers will be required to support the Contracting Authority's social value objectives. Accordingly, Contract performance conditions and Award Criteria may relate, in particular, to social value. Information relating to the Pre-Tender Estimate will be provided within the Tender Notice and associated tender documents. It is expected that the following changes may be made to the associated tender documents: - Updated specification(s) - Revised Schedule of Rates from v6.3 (2007) to v8 (2022) - KPI Targets adjusted from 90-95% range to 85-90% - MAP adjusted from 80-90% range to 80-85% - Performance damages expected to be assessed on a quarterly average rather than a monthly basis - Inclusion of mechanism(s) for ongoing collaboration and joint improvement planning - 5-year flat contract term Full details of the Scope and any associated changes will be set out in the associated tender documents. The content of this notice is indicative only and subject to change with or without notice. Please note that the contract start and end dates shown herein relate solely to the South West Lot. These fields were mandatory, and the system did not allow entry of the corresponding dates for the remaining Lots. The contract start and ends dates for all Lots are, however, provided within the Planned Procurement Notice and will be provided in the ITT.