The Environment Agency (EA) is inviting Tier 2 suppliers and SMEs to participate in a market engagement exercise for the £275 million River Thames flood defence scheme.

River Thames Scheme map showing new channel and weir improvements

The Agency, working in partnership with Surrey County Council (SCS), has already developed outline design proposals and an initial procurement and contract strategy for the delivery phases of the scheme, which will involve a range of works to reduce flood risk from the River Thames between Egham Hythe, Staines and Teddington weir.

The EA and SCS have now issued a Prior Information Notice with the aim of seeking organisations that would like to take part in market engagement exercises. The Agency intends to test the strategy and the outline design proposals through Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the Market Engagement whilst undertaking the Environmental Impact Assessment and preparing for the consenting process.

The EA said:

“We are seeking feedback from the supply market to help us shape our current strategy, design, contracting and risk management proposals to ensure delivery in the most efficient and effective way.”

The EA are looking to bring on board a Construction Partner for the River Thames Scheme. The current project programme aims to initiate a procurement exercise in summer of 2023 with contract award anticipated in early 2025 (subject to required approvals).

The scope of the Construction Partner Contract and main works include the detailed design and construction of new flood channel built in 2 channel sections:

• First section (Runnymede channel) – Egham Hythe to Chertsey – including demolition of residential properties to make way for the channel
• Second section (Shepperton channel) – Laleham to Shepperton

Other works include increasing the flow capacity of the existing Sunbury, Molesey and Teddington weirs, increasing the capacity near the Desborough Cut, utility diversion works and new road and pedestrian bridges to accommodate the new channel sections, together with new permanent compounds for Environment Agency operational use.

The market engagement exercise will be carried out in phases and each phase will have a different focus. The phased market engagement process which began with Phase 1 Strategy Testing from July to December 2021, is due to run until the end of 2023, at which point the Environment Agency will progress with the pre- tender briefing phase.

Phases 2 to 5 and anticipated timescales are as follows:

• Phase 2 Tier 2 and SME engagement (February - April 2022): a targeted engagement event to receive feedback from Tier 2 and SMEs in the NEC scope planning and risk approach;
• Phase 3 Design, scope and site information (June – November 2022) : An opportunity for the market to review the outline design proposals, survey information, summary of our constraints, construction planning, site information etc. that will become part of the NEC ECC Scope;
• Phase 4 Contract Testing (November 2022 – February 2023: This phase will test and seek market feedback on the draft contract, contract risk allocation, incentive model etc;
• Phase 5 tender briefing (June 2023): This phase will provide an overview of the tender process and tender requirements prior to issuing the formal contract notice and tender documents.

Suppliers may also be invited to one to one meetings.

Market engagement briefing documents and questionnaire will be available during February and March 2022 and the questionnaire return deadline is 31 March 2022. The Agency commented:

“The results of the market engagement exercise (including any 1-to-1 discussions) may be used to shape and refine the Environment Agency's proposition before any formal procurement commences.”

The Scheme will reduce flood risk to communities in Surrey and South West London - more than 11,000 homes and 1,600 businesses will benefit from reduced flood risk. Road, rail, power and water networks will also be more resilient.

Estimated date of publication of the formal contract notice is 1 June 2023. Click here to access the Prior Information Notice