Professional Services Contract for Highways and Infrastructure

Norfolk County Council (NCC) is planning to procure a new multi-disciplinary professional services contract (PSC) to replace its current highways contract, which expires on 31 March 2028. The estimated annual contract value is £7 million (excluding VAT) with indexation provisions. The PSC will provide comprehensive professional services across highways, bridges, transport planning, spatial planning, environmental services, and infrastructure-related advisory work. Services will be delivered collaboratively with NCC's in-house teams and the council's term maintenance contractor, Kier. Key service areas include: highway design and project delivery, bridges and structures design, business case development for funding applications, transport and spatial planning, flood and water management, heritage and archaeology advisory services, quantity surveying, and construction phase support. NCC is conducting extensive pre-market engagement to gather supplier feedback and ensure a fair procurement process. The contract will be procured under the Procurement Act 2023 using the competitive flexible procedure. NCC is particularly seeking input on how the contract can accommodate local government reorganisation (LGR) and mayoral devolution proposals affecting Norfolk and Suffolk. Face-to-face engagement meetings with potential suppliers are scheduled for 30 June and 1 July 2026 at Bird & Bird LLP's London offices. The formal procurement is anticipated to launch following summer 2026. NCC has appointed Bird & Bird LLP, a respected legal and procurement firm, to lead the procurement design and ensure transparency and equal opportunity for all bidders.