Bus Shelter Infrastructure and Advertising Concession Contract - Soft Market Engagement

Plymouth City Council ("The Council") is currently working on a major project for the commissioning of upgrading, and maintaining the city's public transport infrastructure and associated advertising within bus shelters and on static totems, columns and kiosks that will deliver income generation and improve public transport facilities in line with The Council's Corporate Plan, Plymouth Plan and the wider Joint Local Plan. For that reason, The Council is keen to explore certain elements of the proposed new Contract, and solutions that may be currently available in the market for these services including the supply, installation and maintenance of Bus Shelters, static totems, columns, kiosks and associated digital and non-digital advertising across Plymouth.

The Council is therefore conducting a soft market assessment to explore these elements and better understand business, technological and innovative solutions that are available. In addition, this will allow The Council to gauge the level of market interest, and on what terms solutions can be delivered.

Additional information: The current contract for Sponsored Supply and Maintenance of Street Furniture will terminate on 31st December 2020, with a new Concession contract anticipated to commence on 1st January 2021. It is envisaged this will have an initial term of ten (10) years with provision to extend by a further two (2) periods of five (5) years.

It is envisaged the new Contract will include but not be limited to, provision of Bus Shelter infrastructure and static advertising totems, columns and kiosks including supply, installation maintenance, and delivering digital and non-digital advertising revenue opportunities. The estimated date of publication of the Concession notice is April 2020 and it is anticipated that The Council will be using the Open procedure, with an option of Negotiation.

If you are interested in assisting with The Council's market assessment, then please register your interest to access the Soft Market Test Questionnaire via https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk Project reference DN456107. Please complete the 'Information Required' sections, and return it electronically, via the Portal, by 12:00 on Thursday 20th February 2020.

As a result of the completed questionnaires, some potential providers may be invited to soft market engagement sessions with key Council representatives. It is anticipated these sessions will be held between Monday 9th March - Friday 13th March 2020 inclusive.

The Council reserves the right to limit the number of potential providers invited to these engagement sessions. However, this does not mean that potential providers not invited to attend such a meeting will be excluded from the procurement at that stage.

Any further information surrounding this soft market assessment including any information on the soft market engagement sessions and The Council's aims, objectives and priorities will be made available to all registered parties via https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk, Project reference DN456107. This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is an indication of potential future procurement activity and is subject to change. The PIN, soft market test questionnaire and any subsequent market engagement sessions form no part of any pre-qualification or selection process and as such, this implies no commercial commitment by The Council.