IN Brief:
- Portsmouth City Council is hosting market engagement for a coastal and flood works framework valued at up to £75m excluding VAT.
- The structure includes Lot 1a (c.£10k–£100k), Lot 1b (c.£250k–£5m), and Lot 2 (c.£50k–£1m) call-offs.
- The programme sets a Teams briefing on 26 February and targets framework commencement on 1 December 2026.
Portsmouth City Council, acting as host authority for the Southern Coastal Group and SCOPAC, has published a preliminary market engagement notice for a new Coastal and Flood Works framework, setting out the proposed lot structure, call-off ranges, and a procurement timetable intended to take the framework live by December 2026.
The notice describes a three-lot structure split across two specialisms. Lot 1a covers minor coastal and flood civil engineering works, with indicative call-offs in the £10k to £100k range. Lot 1b covers general coastal and flood civil engineering works, with indicative call-offs of around £250k to £5m, while Lot 2 covers specialist beach management works, with call-offs typically between £50k and £1m. The authority also proposes a “dovetail” arrangement for work estimated between £100k and £250k, allowing contracting authorities to use either Lot 1a or Lot 1b depending on complexity and risk profile, including the option to run expressions of interest or a sifting brief to shape shortlists.
For each lot, Portsmouth proposes appointing four contractors to a primary tier and a further two to four to a secondary reserve tier. The notice states there is currently no intention to restrict the number of lots suppliers may bid for or be appointed to.
Scope is set out as a broad coastal and flood risk management civils offer, spanning repair and replacement of defences, emergency works response, marine, harbour, and river works, natural flood management, piling, rock works, precast and in situ concrete works, and timber structures including groynes and revetments. The notice also includes provision for early contractor involvement and, where required, design responsibility or principal designer duties.
Framework access is intended primarily for Southern Coastal Group and SCOPAC member authorities, listed as Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, Chichester District Council, Dorset Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Havant Borough Council, Isle of Wight Council, New Forest District Council, Portsmouth City Council, and Southampton City Council. The notice also states the framework will be accessible to contracting authorities within the Southern and Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committees’ areas.
The proposed agreement is due to commence no later than 1 December 2026 and run for an initial four years, with an option to extend by up to a further two years. The published estimated total value is £75m excluding VAT (£90m including VAT), with an upper value intended to account for inflation, wider framework usage, and expected funding rule changes from April 2026.
Portsmouth has set out a formal timetable, including a market briefing via Teams on 26 February 2026 at 11:30, with market engagement questionnaires due by 20 March 2026 at 17:00. The authority indicates it plans to issue the tender notice on 13 April 2026, with a two-stage procurement programme targeting award in early September and framework mobilisation for December.
