Looking for new traffic management tenders? Start here…

Are you aware of the four types of traffic management tenders that you can bid on? Do you also know that you need to have an NHSS certification in place to provide traffic management services?

Well, in this blog, we have identified the four most common types of traffic management tenders. We also explain what an NHSS certification is, and why you need to have it. Keep reading to find out more…

The 4 main types of traffic management tenders

When sourcing traffic management tenders, you need to know what sector your services fall under. There are four main types of traffic management tenders, these are:

1. Permanent traffic management tenders

Permanent traffic management tenders are issued when a permanent fixture is needed. This could include the following:

• Permanent traffic lights
• Speed humps
• Roundabouts
• Extra road lanes.

This will have been brought about by thorough investigation into roads and the surrounding areas. By implementing permanent fixtures, it ensures continued road safety and smooth operations.

2. Experimental traffic management tenders

Experimental traffic management is another type of traffic management tender you can bid on. This kind of traffic management are measures put in place, lasting no longer than 18 months. The intended purpose of this is to carry out a road analysis. What this means is, certain fixtures will be put into place to investigate how the road operates. This will be to determine what permanent changes can be made. This will include:

• Temporary road humps
• Temporary traffic lights
• Lane/road closure barriers.

3. Temporary traffic management tenders

Temporary traffic management tenders are issued when there is a need for roads to be temporarily closed or partly closed. This is because there will be planned work being carried out, either on the road, or the surrounding areas. For example, there may be a need for landscaping work to be carried on a busy motorway. Therefore, temporary barriers will be put into place to slow traffic down and move it away from the planned work.

Temporary traffic management tenders will include the supply and delivery of:

• Part-time/temporary traffic lights and signals
• Temporary road signage
• Road/lane closure barriers
• Convey systems.

4. Special event traffic management tenders

The clue is in the name! Basically, there will be traffic management tenders issued when there is a planned event that will impact the roads. This will be to close roads and create diversion routes to navigate the traffic whilst the event is taking place. These contracts will usually be short-term, from one day to a week-long.

National Highways Sector Schemes Certification – What is it and do you need it?

All companies who wish to provide traffic management services, must have the National Highways Sector Schemes (NHSS) certification in place. Therefore, before you even begin sourcing new traffic management tenders, this would be your first step.

The NHSS is a quality management certification. It is required to be in place for anyone who works on UK roads. These are basic standards that must be followed when providing specific requirements in regard to roadworks. The certification ensures all work is carried out professionally, using properly trained staff and is of a high standard. It also puts into place the necessary health and safety procedures.

Who needs to be NHSS certified?

If you supply any form of services to Highways England, then you must have the NHSS certification in place. However, this does not apply to the suppliers who manufacture the products used in traffic management. If you use sub-contractors for the work, you yourself do not need to be registered, but your subcontractors do. This is a requirement under the Specification for Highways Works (SHW).

If your services include any of the following, then you must have an NHSS certification in place:

• You are the main contractor or sub-contractor working on a motorway, or road network
• Carrying out work on or beside the roads, i.e., landscaping works or tree surgery works
• You are installers/repairers of products used on roads
• Highway designers and consultants working on site.

3 benefits of having the NHSS Certification

When bidding for new traffic management tenders, having an NHSS certification in place can have its advantages, such as:

• It shows to the buyers that you have a thorough understanding of risk management, with appropriate processes in place
• You have a competitive edge over other bidders. It can make you stand out against those who don’t have the certification. But it can also open new possibilities that are only given to those with the certification in place.
• It enhances your credentials; buyers are more likely to trust in you and your services.

Summary

When looking to source traffic management tenders, you need to ensure that you have a National Highways Sector Schemes certification. This is a standard requirement to be able to carry out work on UK roads. It is outlined in the Specification for Highways Works (SHW) act.

Having this in place will be beneficial for a number of reasons, with the main three being:

1. Shows a throughout understanding of risk management
2. Gives you a competitive edge over other suppliers
3. Enhances your credentials.

From this, you can then begin to source new traffic management tenders and start the tendering process.

The most common types of traffic management tenders can fall under these four categories:

1. Permanent traffic management
2. Experimental traffic management
3. Temporary traffic management
4. Special event traffic management.

You need to establish what you and your business offer. You may find you can crossover into more than one category, increasing the range of possible opportunities.

How can Transport Tenders help?

If you are looking for new traffic management tenders, you’ll likely search the term via Google. It may be how you came across this blog! The great news is that you are in the right place, and we have the information you need.

If you simply use a search engine like Google to find tenders, you’ll be met with thousands of sites. All of these sites will feature contracts differently. Many of them will only be lengthy tender documents that can take ages to read. The key details you’re looking for will be buried within these pages. This could be the information that determines whether you are even eligible for the contract. Having to do this over and over can quickly become tedious. Thankfully, there are tools available to make this stage of the tendering process far easier, and faster.

You can use tender portals to locate contracts based on your requirements. For example, our Transport Tenders portal allows users to adjust search results based on filters. This can include budgets, keywords, and locations. We don’t use CPV codes. Meaning there is no risk of our users missing the perfect contract due to a code error. Plus, we send daily tender notifications to keep you up to date! By using Technology Tenders, you can quickly see the key information you need to know before downloading the tender documents. Therefore, you only need to read the necessary documents of the tenders you actually want to bid on.

Here are five traffic management tenders we have previously sourced on Transport Tenders:

Provision of Traffic Management Services

Pembrokeshire County Council – Wales – Budget: £3,000,000

Crawley BC & Horsham DC – Traffic Management Services

Crawley Borough Council – South East – Budget: £650,000

Traffic Management Order Making Services

London Borough of Lambeth – London – Budget: £900,000

2022 Traffic Management for Games Route Network & Local Area Traffic Management

West Midlands Combined Authority – West Midlands – Budget: £4,400,000

Corporate Events – Traffic Management

City of Lincoln – East Midlands – Budget: £400,000

Want to save even more time? Discover Elite can help…

If you want to streamline the process even further, you can sign up to Discover Elite via your chosen portal. With this service, a dedicated Account Manager will find live bids on your behalf. They’ll speak with you weekly to discuss opportunities that may interest you. This is especially helpful for those with little time to spare due to busy schedules.

Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity even when you’re busy!

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:

• An annual subscription to a maximum of two Discover portals of your choice
• Up to five bid breakdowns per month to help you make your bid or no-bid decision
• Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable leads and tendering opportunities
• Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf
• Public and private buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid strategy.

Need help writing your next traffic management tender?

If you don’t have the resources or time to write a winning bid, why not outsource it? Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bidding experience. They offer four bid writing support packages to help you on the path to success. Whether you’re new to tendering, or simply need someone to proof your written response before you submit – we can help.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next tenders.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written a tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect occupational health tender but don’t know where to start – we can help. Send the specification to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

To get started in your next search for traffic management tenders, get in touch with us today!