Pre-Tender Market Engagement - Business Case Development (from OBC to FBC) for Project CASTLE

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority Group, seeks to engage the market through this Pre-Tender Market Engagement (PTME) exercise in preparation for the procurement of an impartial consultant to prepare and author a Green Book-compliant Business Case for Project CASTLE. The Connected Automated Strategic Teesside Logistics Ecosystem (CASTLE) project aims to drive technological and economic transformation across Tees Valley.

Project CASTLE aims to deliver a step-change in regional passenger mobility, logistics, and innovation by establishing a Connected and Automated Mobility (CAMhub) at Teesside International Airport (TIA). This demonstrator site will serve as the foundation for proving Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) concepts, airside automation, and data-led operational innovation, with a view to regional deployment of CAMTrams (autonomous bus shuttles) into 5 town centres, (1 per local authority), which will enhance inclusive mobility across Tees Valley.

This PTME aims to: • Understand the market's capability and appetite to deliver a Green Book-compliant Outline Business Case (OBC) trough to Full Business Case (FBC) for complex, CAM innovation-led transport projects. • Validate suppliers' experience in transport business case development, with a focus on connected & automated transport systems. • Assess market capacity, availability of specialist expertise (e.g. CAM, passenger services and logistics), and anticipated delivery timelines. • Explore indicative costs, delivery models, and dependencies-particularly relating to regulatory interfaces, stakeholder engagement (e.g. airport, DfT, CCAV), and cross-sector coordination. • Provide potential suppliers with the opportunity to raise queries, identify delivery risks, and suggest approaches that could enhance the specification or value for money of the commission. The final commission is expected to include development of the Outline Business Case through to Full Business Case, structured around HM Treasury's Five Case Model and aligned with Department for Transport and Connected & Automated Mobility (CAM) guidance, where applicable.

Please refer to the Pre-Tender Market Engagement documents for further detail. These can be found on the ProContract e-tendering portal: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=c212650... You will need to register as a supplier to gain access to the documentation. Registration is free.