River Thames Scheme - Construction Partner - Market Engagement

The Environment Agency are looking to bring on board a Construction Partner for the River Thames Scheme. Our current project programme aims to initiate a procurement exercise in autumn of 2022 with contract award anticipated summer 2024 (subject to required approvals).

Up to July 2020, the RTS included a flood channel in three sections but, following confirmation of the funding position, channel section 1 is now removed. The scope of the Construction Partner Contract and main works include the detailed design and construction of new flood channel built in 2 channel sections:

First section (Runnymede channel) – Egham Hythe to Chertsey

Second section (Shepperton channel) – Laleham to Shepperton

Other works include the following areas:

Includes increasing the flow capacity of existing Sunbury, Molesey and Teddington weirs

Increasing the capacity near the Desborough Cut

Utility diversion works

New road and pedestrian bridges to accommodate the new channel sections

New permanent compounds for Environment Agency operational use

Demolition of residential properties to make way for the Runnymede channel

Landscaping works including creation of areas for community use post construction and areas of habitat created to mitigate impacts during construction

Earthworks including excavation, material storage, treatment, logistics and disposal of material including landfill waste, topsoil, alluvium and gravels.

The following areas sit out of scope from the construction partner contract main contract:

Further design and construction works on M3 motorway assets. The approximate value of the design and construction works is expected to be approximately £250 - £275 million.

The market engagement exercise will be carried out in phases and each phase will have a different focus. The phased market engagement process is due to run from July 2021 – Autumn 2022, at which point the Environment Agency will progress with the pre- tender briefing phase.

An overview of each phase and anticipated timescales have been provided below:

Phase 1 Strategy Testing (July – December 2021): This phase will test and seek market feedback on our procurement and contract strategy and current commercial approach;

Phase 2 Tier 2 and SME engagement (August 2021 – Jan 2022): This is a targeted engagement event to receive feedback from Tier 2 and SME’s in the NEC scope planning and risk approach;

Phase 3 Design, scope and site information (April – September 2022) : An opportunity for the market to review our outline design proposals, survey information, summary of our constraints, construction planning, site information etc. that will become part of the NEC ECC Scope;

Phase 4 Contract Testing (February – May 2022: This phase will test and seek market feedback on the draft contract, contract risk allocation, incentive model etc;

Phase 5 tender briefing (November 2022): This phase will provide an overview of our tender process and tender requirements prior to issuing the formal contract notice and tender documents.

Additional information will be provided via the Defra e-sourcing portal, Bravo, which can be accessed using this link defra.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html ↗. Interested suppliers must register on the portal, then search for the project code – 33469 or project title – River Thames Scheme – Construction Partner, in the “Current Opportunities” area.

Please ensure that your organisation is registered in order to gain access to the briefing documents and questionnaires to take part in the Phase 1 Strategy testing of the market engagement process. In case of any queries, please email: RTS_Commercial@environment-agency.gov.uk