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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Exploratory Research into Automated Pavement Compliance Testing (ACT) to Improve Safety on the Strategic Road Network

National Highways Limited · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 26 Sept 2026, 07:52.

Opportunity overview

National Highways (NH) is a government owned organisation responsible for operating,, maintaining and improving the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England. NH is undertaking exploratory research into innovative approaches for pavement compliance testing on the SRN. This work aligns with the Home Safe & Well vision that no one should be harmed while travelling or working on the SRN. Pavement compliance testing is essential to ensure customer safety and the quality of highway renewal works. It is currently estimated that compliance testing activities account for approximately 98,500 work hours on the SRN each year. At present, much of this testing is carried out at night by operatives working adjacent to live traffic, exposing them to significant risks including vehicle incursions and people–plant interface hazards. There is an urgent need to explore and accelerate the adoption of automated compliance tests (ACT) that can remove operatives from high-risk live traffic environments. Early research indicates that such technologies have the potential not only to significantly improve workforce safety, but also to enhance pavement quality, deliver smoother roads, and improve the overall customer experience.

Classification

  • CPV73110000 — Research services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
ocds-h6vhtk-06dc68
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
No
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Communication

Future Notice Date
5 Oct 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Dec 2026, 00:00
Ends
31 Mar 2027, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
73110000
Description
Research services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKC
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 2
Region
UKD
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 3
Region
UKF
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 4
Region
UKG
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 5
Region
UKH
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 6
Region
UKJ
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 7
Region
UKK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
The purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to undertake exploratory research and gather insight from industry on the readiness, capability, and applicability of automated pavement compliance testing solutions. This engagement seeks to understand the state of the art, identify risks and barriers to adoption, and understand opportunities for pilot trials and collaborative innovation. Organisations with experience in pavement materials, automated testing technologies, digital inspection methods, or related research are invited to contribute to this exploratory engagement by completing an online questionnaire, available through the following link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/D5Q2RMd13x Responses should focus on innovation potential, research collaboration, and early-stage deployment rather than commercial delivery. This notice is issued as part of a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise under the Procurement Act 2023. Participation does not constitute a commitment to procure or award any contract, nor does it provide any guarantee of involvement in future commercial opportunities. Information gathered may be used to inform technical decision-making, standards development, and potential future procurement strategies.
Due
31 Aug 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
074204-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
5 Aug 2026, 13:27
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
National Highways Limited
Id
GB-PPON-PGMJ-3793-VBBN

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PGMJ-3793-VBBN

Address

Street Address
Three Snowhill, Snow Hill Queensway
Locality
Birmingham
Postal Code
B4 6GA
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKG31

Contact

Telephone
0300 123 5000

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Birmingham · UKG31 · B4 6GA · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKC · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKD · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKF · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKG · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKH · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKJ · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 074204-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·