Supply and Delivery of Sand

Tender description

Orkney Islands Council (“the Council”) is seeking to appoint a contractor to supply and delivery sand on an as needed bases to the Council owned Cursiter Quarry, Grimbister, Firth for an initial contract period of 36 months, with two Authority held options to extend by 12 months each. The Authority has a requirement for the Supply of sand for Cursiter Quarry. The quarry uses sand in several products that it sells, such as hot rolled asphalt (HRA) and sand and chips for use in concrete. Sand is therefore imported and mixed with the quarries own products to create these. It is currently imported from a single supplier, based in Orkney. The quantities of sand can vary year to year depending on the type of works and the materials needed. In farming terms, if building grants are available, then consumption can rise quite significantly over that period of availability. Also, if the roads department need a significant amount of HRA, then the tonnage may rise also. Sand is therefore purchased on an as needed basis, dependent on customer demand. It is not possible to stockpile large amounts as they would become wet and therefore unsuitable for use. Therefore, the Authority needs to purchase small amounts, as driven by customer need, at a frequency that is almost impossible to predict. The flexibility to do this is a key factor in the supply arrangements. Given the ongoing, variable, need for a consistent supply and the rigorous testing process to which any new supplier would be subject the proposal is for a five-year contract with a duration of 36 months plus 2 x 12 month extensions.