Derbyshire County Council is inviting contractors to bid for a £40 million contract to carry out surface dressing and related highway maintenance across its rural and urban road network.
Comprehensive surface dressing programme
The contract covers all labour, plant, materials and equipment required for surface dressing and ancillary tasks. This includes pre-treatment preparation, masking of ironwork, supplying and managing chippings, applying surface dressing and seal coats, lockchipping, sweeping, and defect rectification.
Work will be delivered across various highway classifications within Derbyshire. The programme follows standards set out in the Specification for Highway Works, NHSS 13, and the Roads Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and ADEPT Code of Practice for Surface Dressing.
Contract details and assessment criteria
Bids must be submitted by 11am on 9 October 2026, with an enquiry deadline of 25 September 2026. The contract is planned to start on 1 December 2026, running initially for one year.
Derbyshire County Council retains the option to extend the contract by up to three additional 12-month periods, bringing the maximum term to four years, ending in November 2030.
Tender submissions will be evaluated 70% on price, 20% on technical quality, and 10% on social value. The council has specified the contract is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Impact of local government reorganisation
The tender notice highlights a potential impact from local government reorganisation in the area. The contract could be novated to a successor council or modified mid-term under the Procurement Act 2023, depending on how the reorganisation proceeds.
This contract forms a significant part of Derbyshire’s strategy to maintain and improve its highway surface condition, addressing wear from traffic, weather and seasonal effects.
