The south-west Wales civils framework opens for tender, inviting contractors for up to £800m of works over three years from 2027. The framework covers 16 lots, including small jobs and major schemes, across five councils.
Framework open for bids until late November
Carmarthenshire County Council leads the procurement on behalf of itself, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea councils. The tender opened on 15 October 2026 and closes at 2pm on 26 November 2026, with contract awards expected by 18 January 2027.
The framework runs from 8 February 2027 to 7 February 2030, with an option to extend for a further year. The anticipated spend of £800m excludes VAT and covers a wide range of civil engineering disciplines. Councils make no guarantee of work volume.
How the framework works
A civil engineering framework lists approved contractors, who then compete for individual projects via call-offs either directly or by mini-competition. The councils plan to appoint multiple contractors per lot and may maintain reserve lists to ensure resilience.
The 16 lots range from small-scale resource contracts under £100,000 to schemes exceeding £3m. Contractors may bid across certain lots but are restricted from combining some categories to balance competition and specialisation.
Scope of work across 16 lots
Lot 1 covers small civil engineering tasks up to £100,000. This includes kerbing, fencing, bricklaying, stone masonry, welding, bridge painting, concrete repairs, shuttering and emergency response. These roles support councils’ in-house teams.
Lots 2A to 2D cover civil engineering works under £1m, split by area: Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea combined, and Ceredigion. Lot 3 is for works between £1m and £3m across all areas, while Lot 4 includes projects over £3m.
Nine specialist lots cover demolition; public lighting and electrical works; lining and road marking; surfacing; ground investigation; marine works excluding coastal; traffic management; bridge maintenance and associated infrastructure; and hard and soft landscaping plus maintenance.
Price versus quality weighting
Price has a higher weighting for smaller jobs. Lot 1 scores 90% on price and 10% on quality. Area lots weigh price at 80%. Specialist lots assign 70% to price. Larger civils works (Lots 3 and 4) assess tenders 60% on price and 40% on quality.
This approach allows small firms to compete on cost for routine work, while rewarding higher quality for major projects valued over £1m.
Framework use and access
Other public bodies such as Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council, the Mining Remediation Authority, CWM Environmental, and joint committees in Mid and South West Wales may also use the framework without obligation.
Bidders can submit tenders in Welsh or English via the eTenderWales portal. The councils have marked the framework as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). An enquiry deadline of 19 November is set, and Business Wales is hosting a free webinar for interested contractors on 3 November.
Next steps for south-west Wales contractors
The previous framework contractors have not been disclosed. The coming weeks will decide which firms secure places to deliver civils works across multiple disciplines in south-west Wales for at least three years from 2027.
