Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2022-06-17
Buyer: TROMS OG FINNMARK FYLKESKOMMUNE
Country: NO
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 30144300 | 34932000 | 34970000 | 34972000 | 35125100: Sensors
Submission deadline: 2022-09-09
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The aim of the procurement is to challenge suppliers to develop innovative systems that answer the contracting authority's needs.
The procurement is be made as a pre-commercial procurement, partially financed by a subsidy from Troms Holding AS. Pre-commercial procurement is a method for the procurement of research and development services in accordance with the exemption provision in the regulations, section 2-5 (the R&D exemption).
The pre-commercial procurement starts as an idea contest where the market is invited to solve a concrete challenge. The product ideas are evaluated against the award criteria. Troms og Finnmark County would like to enter into research and development contracts with the suppliers that have the best idea proposals. Call-off contracts will be signed for phases 2 and 3 that are based on the research and development contract. The innovation contest is scheduled to be held October 2022 - June 2024. Refer to the tender documentation for more information. In addition see www.tffk.no/smartfremkommelighet
Troms og Finnmark County has the owner responsibility for 4500 km county roads, of which approx. 12% of the road network are roads with a total road width that is less than 5 metres. In practice this means that two large vehicles do not have room to meet. Nationwide, this makes up approx. 10% of county roads. In addition much of the road network has horizontal and vertical curvature with blind corners, so it can be difficult for vehicles to see coming traffic. These 'bottlenecks' are on open air roads, in tunnels, and on narrow bridges.
In narrow tunnels it is challenging that large vehicles must often reverse. Dangerous situations arise as well as damage to vehicles and tunnels whilst manoeuvring inside narrow tunnels. On steep gradients the challenge is that vehicles must often stop due to coming traffic and then cannot get going again on icy surfaces, this is a particular problem for heavy traffic.
At the same time, many of the county roads are very important transport routes for industry, such as the fishing industry. Commercial transport largely starts and ends on a county road.
These challenges are currently solved through physical expansions to tunnels and road widths, which requires investments far beyond realistic budgets for the county road network, which have a relatively low use and user frequency. Large road developments often lead to large interventions in nature and emissions of climate gases in the execution phase. Compared to costly and radical road projects, innovative, smart systems can contribute to a cost reduction and less impact on the climate and environment.
The relative low use and user frequency on parts of the county road network can contribute to less respect for traditional traffic light regulation for some users. This can result in drivers being stationary for a longer period of time, without any coming traffic. Based on feedback, this has resulted in drivers being impatient and driving despite having a red light, which has resulted in dangerous traffic situations.
The gain of developing innovation systems that improve accessibility and that increase traffic safety will be great for the users of the county road network, value creation for industries and the environment. As 10% of the county road network in Norway has a width that in practice means that two large vehicles do not have room to meet, the expectation is that there is a large national, and also international market potential.