Ground Investigations

Location

Milton Keynes

Description

Ground investigation surveys to inform many aspects of the infrastructure design including slope angles for earthworks, foundations for all structures, suitability of material for reuse as fill, contaminated land, retaining wall, drainage design and design of temporary works. modification but that this is properly characterized as the operation of the contract as originally awarded. However as regards the additional ground investigation surveys, now required EWR acknowledges that this will involve a contractual modification to extend the scope.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 45000000 - Construction work

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

Primary justification - Regulation 88(1)(b) UCR 2016 (Additional services) The modification is required to procure additional works of the same type from the original contractor which have become necessary for the continued delivery of the programme and were not included in the original procurement. As design develops to take account of consultation feedback and identifications of new risks and opportunities it is not unusual for additional surveys to be required. The conditions for Regulation 88(1)(b) are satisfied as follows: 1. Necessity of additional services • Provision of additional ground investigation surveys is required to support ongoing rail infrastructure development by informing the design and ensuring on-time delivery of the East West Rail Development Consent Orderr • These additional surveys/ boreholes clearly do not change the overall nature of the contract 2. Inability to change contractor for economic / technical reasons without major inconvenience or cost duplication • The contracting entity has recently procured a replacement contractor, Kier Integrated Services Limited ("Kier") to lead Surveys Phase 2 through the SCAPE Utilities Works and Services Framework. Part of the responsibilities of the replacement contractor include surveys, including ground investigation surveys. Kier has been appointed from the SCAPE framework to provide the works and are expected to commence works in June 2026. Given this appointment it would not be feasible to hold a further competitive tender to make a short-term interim appointment to deliver the additional ground investigations required surveys prior to the commencement of the replacement Surveys Phase 2 contract with Kier. To do so would cause major inconvenience by delaying the EWR programme and impacting on the process of obtaining the Development Consent Order. Such an appointment would also involve cost duplication, for example by having two separate contractors incur mobilization costs) given that Kier will separately be mobilising. Therefore, only practicable step to deliver the approximate additional ground investigation surveys is to modify the existing appointment to facilitate this.

Other Information

The value of this contract was initially estimated ( before commencing the procurement) as a below threshold contract. The contract was procured competitively through the RISQS qualification system using a competitive process akin to the restrictive procedure and a contract summary was published from contract finder. This summary indicated that the actual value of the contract, as awarded, was in fact above threshold.