SWAST-5149-E- Exeter Main Operating Base

This is an initial market scoping exercise to see who would be interested in the South West area. The market engagement is to determine that the tender approach and design level is sufficient to be able to complete the project.

1. Project brief

The project summary is:

• New Main Operating Base (MOB) for the provision of the following:

o Offices for operation and administrative teams.

o Meeting rooms.

o Training rooms.

o Vehicle preparation space (similar to a garage, but to clean and re-stock ambulances between shifts).

o Vehicle maintenance space (garage space for repairs and servicing of ambulances).

o A drugs room & dirty utility (likely to be the only clinical space).

o Sundry other space eg computer rooms, storage areas, battery stores etc.

o Plant space.

o New sub-station and connection to existing Eon heating network.

o General external space eg parking, re-fuelling, bin compounds, cycle stores, soft landscaping etc.

o Vehicle washdown area.

• The approximate contract sum is anticipated to be £15m exc VAT.
• A main contractor appointment is proposed to be made in the spring of 2027, pending governance process.
• The planning reference is 22/2825/MFUL, where the drawings for the project can be viewed.
• The client has appointed a full design team.

2. Proposed procurement process

The following items detail the anticipated procurement process:

• The level of design will be early RIBA4.
• The contract is proposed to be a fixed price contract, either as an NEC4 Option A or JCT Design and Build 2024.
• The main contractor will be required to take on the design provided in the tender period and develop it to full RIBA4 and then commence construction.
• The main contractor will be able to novate the architect and civil / structural engineer into their design team. The building services engineer is proposed to remain employed by the client.
• The tender process is proposed to be an open tender with 3-4 phases, broken down approximately as follows:

o Phase 1: Initial enquiry.

Bidders will be required to demonstrate basic compliance commonly seen in public procurement exercises, with checks on credit worthiness, basic H&S, environmental compliance.

There will also be a requirement to demonstrate local market knowledge and experience of constructing these types of buildings.

It is anticipated that the tender list will be reduced significantly, with approximately 8-12 tenderers passing into phase 2.

o Phase 2: Developed enquiry.

This phase will examine the shortlist’s detailed skillset, looking more carefully at each prospective bidder’s experience. There may also be an early pricing component to this phase.

It is anticipated that approximately 6-10 tenderers will pass into phase 3.

o Phase 3: Detailed enquiry.

This phase will interrogate the remaining bidders in terms of their resourcing, their method statements, their social value commitments and other detailed quality-related elements.

A shortlist of 4-7 tenderers would pass into the final phase.

o Phase 4: Pricing.

It is proposed that this final phase would be judged purely on price.

This process is subject to change. For example, phases 2 and 3 could be merged into a single phase.

The scoring methodologies are also still to be developed.

3. Invitation for prospective contractors to provide their input

Prospective tenderers are invited to provide comments about the proposed procurement methodology outlined in this document.

Input is welcomed across a range of subjects varying from the tender process itself (ie the proposed phases), the design level which is completed by the time of tender and any other observations that prospective bidders may have.

We request that feedback is limited to 300 words.

Please submit your information to stephen.walker@swast.nhs.uk