Telecommunications services

Tender description

The council, on behalf of the Connecting Cheshire Partnership, intends to procure further coverage of NGA broadband infrastructure (capable of delivering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps) in areas within its programme area where such broadband is currently unavailable, by 2023. Connecting Cheshire Partnership is made up of Halton Borough Council, Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council. To this end, Cheshire East Council has previously invested public funds through two contracts, to extend the availability of NGA infrastructure in areas where no commercial plans were available from market players as verified through State Aid Public Consultations. The Council intends to run a new procurement to secure a telecom provider(s) to deploy Next Generation Access solutions – those capable of achieving a minimum of 30Mbps download speed – for the remaining areas in scope for NGA deployment. Interested suppliers are requested to submit the expression of interest and code of conduct documents by 20 July 2020. The procurement will be a single lot to further extend coverage of NGA broadband infrastructure (capable of delivering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps) in areas within its programme area where such broadband is currently unavailable, by 2023. The bidder’s solution must be designed to target as many qualifying business premises as possible and maximise the project’s list of eligible premises with the overall focus of delivering a solution to premises in rural areas. ERDF funding of GBP 4.25 million is required to be utilised on eligible businesses by 31 March 2023.