Public procurement notice: Services Concession
Published: 2020-11-20
Buyer: The Council of the City of Sunderland
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Concession award procedure
CPV classification: 32400000 | 32500000 | 48200000 | 48500000 | 48800000
Estimated value: 80000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2020-12-21
Award criteria: Other

Technical requirements: Sunderland City Council (SCC) is seeking a private sector partner (PSP) to co-invest in and form a Joint Venture (JV) to design, build and operate a 5G Neutral Host across the SCC boundary area and adjacent areas. The contract term will be for a period of 20 years. The PSP/JV will be required to recruit customers including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to use the Neutral Host and stimulate demand for the use cases and their development. A range of street and network assets will be made available by SCC to the JV to deliver the scheme. SCC provides free public Wi-Fi in certain areas of the City Centre and Roker as well as a series of road sensors. SCC will require the JV to continue to provide and enhance this service. SCC will be able to buy back data services from the JV during the contract term and there will be opportunities for the JV to offer the provision of private networks to industry, 3rd parties and SCC.
The objective of the JV is to achieve a ubiquitous 5G Neutral Host across the entire administrative area of SCC. Ubiquitous means high speed, low latency wireless communications with 99 % (by area) outdoor coverage and Low Power Wireless Access Network with 100 % coverage with indoor penetration.
The initial deployment will be for the City Centre/Riverside Sunderland development. The JV will deliver 5G and strategic network infrastructure to accelerate the regeneration of Riverside Sunderland and City Centre. There are opportunities to takeover and expand the existing network at the Nissan site in Sunderland.
Full details of SCC’s requirements are set out in the Specification, which is available via the NEPO portal at www.nepo.org (NEPO Reference: DN467791). The draft Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) will be released on the portal during the SQ return period and bidders should monitor the portal to check for its availability.
The estimated value of the opportunity is between GBP 70 million to GBP 80 million over the 20-year term. However, potential returns will depend on many commercial factors including (but not limited to) market conditions. Bidders should seek independent legal and commercial advice in relation to the potential value of the opportunity.
The PSP/JV may be required to actively participate in the achievement of social and/or environmental policy objectives relating to recruitment and training and supply-chain initiatives.
The PSP/JV is expected to contribute to the delivery of social, economic and community objectives including supporting digital education and training programmes (including in collaboration with schools, Further and Higher Education institutions in Sunderland) as well as employment and enterprise support.
The primary focus of the JV will be to deliver a ubiquitous 5G Network across Sunderland over the 20-year JV term. At the end of this term the parties may decide to continue to operate the JV assets in Sunderland. The JV may also pursue other delivery and network opportunities outside of Sunderland, once the SCC area has been built out. The parties will review the future activities of the JV prior to the end of the initial 20-year term.
Expressions of interest applications must be by way of completion and return of the selection questionnaire (SQ) (in accordance with the requirements set out in the SQ by the time limit in Section IV.2.2 above). Economic operators who wish to participate may obtain the SQ and the accompanying procurement documents from the NEPO portal at ‘www.nepoportal.org’, NEPO Reference DN467791. Please note that economic operators will firstly need to register for free through the NEPO portal and obtain log-in details in order to access the documents.
A virtual Market Engagement/Bidders’ Event will be held at 9.30 a.m. on 26 November 2020. Potential bidders are required to e-mail the Authority's named contact, so that a meeting invite can be issued.
In accordance with Regulation 47 (Notice of decision to award a concession contract); Regulation 48 (Standstill period) and Regulation 52 to 63 of the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (‘CCR 2016’). Following any decision to award the concession contract, SCC will be providing debriefing information to unsuccessful bidders (in accordance with Regulation 47 CCR 2016) and observe a minimum 10-day standstill period (in accordance with Regulation 48 CCR 2016) before the concession contract is entered into.
Bidders should note that the draft procurement documents made available provide indicative information of SCC’s intended approach in the procurement process and are for general information only. SCC reserves the right to vary, amend and update any aspects of the procurement documents and final details and versions of the procurement documents will be confirmed to applicants successful in being selected to participate in the relevant tender stages of the procurement procedure.
The Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (CCR 2016) applies to the competition. SCC intends to follow a process similar to the Competitive Dialogue procedure in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (PCR 2015). It reserves the right to deviate from the formalities of the PCR 2015 in conducting the competition due to the flexibilities permitted by the CCR 2016.
SCC reserves the right not to award the opportunity or to award only part (or a different arrangement) of the opportunity described in this Concession Notice. SCC also reserves the right to cancel or amend the procurement process and does not bind itself to accept any tender. SCC shall not be liable under any circumstances for any costs or expenses incurred by any bidder or prospective bidder in responding to this notice or in taking part in this procurement process.


Award value: 80000000