Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-03-20
Buyer: Oslo Kommune v/Bymiljøetaten
Country: NO
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 15981320 | 42912300 | 43313000 | 65120000 | 65122000
Estimated value: 75000000 NOK

Technical requirements: Oslo Municipality, the Agency for Urban Environment, plans to enter into a supplementary contract with NCC Norge AS for an extension of the contract for a snow disposal site in Oslo. The contract will be extended for 1 year for the period 1 April 2020-31 March 2021 with an option for a further 1 + 1 year extension, if the parties are in agreement. A supplementary contract for an extension will be signed pursuant to the public procurement regulations PPR § 28-1 (1) letter f changes, independent of value, which are not significant, cf. § 28-2.
The value of the addition includes an extension for 1 year, as well as an option for a further 1 + 1 year extension, if the parties are in agreement.
The collected snow can include micro-plastics, rubbish, environmental toxins, salts and other nutrients that can harm the environment. The County Governor in Oslo and Viken has, therefore, strict requirements for approving emissions. Sand, gravel, larger elements, heavy metals and micro-plastic are generally not particularly difficult to remove from the snow by a mechanical cleaning plant. The salt content, however, is very challenging to remove, so the melt water that includes salt must be emitted to deep salt water. We are not aware of other current satisfactory solutions for handling snow that can comply with the County Governor's requirements.
Oslo Municipality, the Agency for Urban Environment and Trondheim Municipality, Urban Development, are collaborating on an innovative procurement for the removal of polluted snow in the cities. Our future goal is the removal of snow in an efficient, future-orientated, climate and environmentally friendly, circular-economic and scaleable way. We receive assistance from the National Programme for Supplier Development (LUP), which is an initiator that helps government and municipal entities to create innovation through their procurements. A dialogue conference is scheduled for the end of May 2020.
The Agency for Urban Environment believes that the current contract with NCC for a snow disposal site can be extended pursuant to the public procurement regulations § 28-1 (1) letter f changes, independent of value, which are not significant, cf. §28-2. The overall character of the procurement has not changed as the same services will be delivered. The contract was originally announced with a duration of 8-10 years. The contract will now be valid for 10 years, with an option for an extension for 1 + 1 year, if the parties are in agreement. After an assessment, the mentioned extension is not deemed to be a significant change to the contract.
The original contract was signed in 2011 for a duration of 8 years. A contract duration of 8-10 years was indicated in the tender documentation, which was to be subject to negotiatons. As a starting point, the then Transport Department in Oslo Municipality (now the Agency for Urban Environment) wanted a duration of 10 years. However, in the subsequent negotiations before the contract was signed, a duration of 8 years was agreed. The Transport Department had started a project in collaboration with the Agency for Water and Wastewater Services, c/o Bekkelaget Treatment Facility, for a snow disposal site, which was expected to be in operation within 6 years. It was therefore an economic risk to enter into a 10 year contract with the expectation of a new solution after 6 years.
Since the contract was signed, there has been Concept Selection Review (KVU) on the new sewage treatment facility at Bekkelaget treatment facility. The audit has taken a long time as the premises, decisions, actual conditions and challenges have changed. The KVU had to be revised before a satisfactory decision basis was put in place for further work on snow disposal. A final decision has not yet been made in the municipality.


Winner: NCC Norge AS
Award value: 75000000