A9 Dualling - Tomatin to Moy - Archaeological Investigation

Tender description

Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, has identified the need to appoint a suitably experienced archaeological contractor (“Contractor”) to carry out non-invasive and invasive pre-construction archaeological investigations for the A9 Dualling – Tomatin to Moy Scheme. The main objective to be delivered by the Contractor will be to reduce the effect of the A9 Dualling Programme on the archaeological resource through the acquisition of a full archaeological record and an evidence based interpretation of that record. As a minimum this will include non-invasive and invasive archaeological investigations, earthwork and landscape surveys, metal detector survey, building survey, a programme of trial trenching, followed by a post-excavation assessment and reporting, with potential strip, map and excavations, and further post excavation assessment and reporting. Lot 1: Transport Scotland is an agency of the Scottish Government and contracts in the name of and on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland has identified the requirement to appoint a suitably experienced Contractor to undertake non-invasive and invasive pre-construction archaeological investigations for the A9 Dualling – Tomatin to Moy scheme. It is intended that the contract will be in place for a period of approximately 25 months covering two main phases of work: (i) Phase 1 – Archaeological Trial Trenching, Surveys, Reporting and Archiving, estimated to approximately 5 months. (ii) Phase 2 (if required following Phase 1) – Archaeological Strip, Map and Excavation, Reporting, Post-Excavation Analysis, and Publication, estimated to approximately 20 months. Transport Scotland will manage the proposed procurement process for the non-invasive and invasive pre-construction archaeological investigation contract (the “Contract”) on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. In the event of the contract award, the Contract will be entered into between the Scottish Ministers and the successful tenderer. The contract terms and conditions will be based on Infrastructure Conditions of Contract Archaeological Investigation Version August 2011. Each selected economic operator shall be invited to submit a Tender on the same contract terms. The Contractor will be procured through a competitive tender procedure, in accordance with the restricted procedure as stated in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. This is a two-stage procedure, comprising a prequalification stage and a tender stage. Section II.2.9 of this Contract Notice describes the criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates. In order to be considered for the prequalification stage, economic operators are required to complete and submit an SPD, which can be downloaded via the Public Contracts Scotland portal (www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk). It is anticipated that a total of 5 economic operators will be invited to tender stage. Due to the specialist archaeological expertise required for this project, the non-invasive archaeological investigations, the archaeological trial trenching, post-excavation assessment and reporting, any potential archaeological strip, map and excavation, associated post-excavation assessment and reporting are to be performed under a single contract and as such shall not be divided into lots. Requirement: The requirement for archaeological investigation is evaluated in the Environmental Statement (ES) for Scottish Trunk Road schemes. It was identified in the cultural heritage chapter and the Schedule of Environmental Commitments in the A9 Dualling – Tomatin to Moy Environmental Statement (ES) that archaeological investigations would be required for the scheme. The investigation is required in order to reduce the effect of the scheme on the archaeological resource through the acquisition of a full archaeological record and an evidence based interpretation of that record. The services required are likely to include: non-invasive and invasive archaeological investigations, and post-excavation assessment, analysis, reporting and publication. The non-invasive archaeological investigations are likely to include: earthwork and landscape surveys, metal detector survey, and a building survey. The invasive archaeological investigations are likely to include: trial trenching, followed by potential strip, map and excavation, with subsequent post-fieldwork assessment, analysis, and reporting.