Quarrying - North District
- Buyer
- Forestry Commission
- Value
- £2,416,500
- Closes
- 9 November 2026
- Where
- Bristol, the North West
- Type
- Sets up a framework (suppliers apply to join)
In plain English
Forestry Commission is seeking contractors to carry out quarrying operations in northern England. Work involves drilling, blasting, and extracting rock aggregate used to build and maintain forest roads. This is a framework agreement split into two lots: drilling and blasting services, and extraction and processing services.
What the buyer wants
• Lot 1 (Drilling and blasting): Supply qualified personnel (explosives supervisors, shotfirers, drillers, blast designers) and carry out all drilling and blasting operations at 2-5 sites per year, handling 20,000-35,000 tonnes per blast, in compliance with Quarries Regulations 1999 and Explosives Regulations 2014 • Provide all plant, equipment, explosives, survey work, testing certifications (PUWER), blast designs and reports, and handle any misfires • Lot 2 (Extraction and processing): Extract and process rock aggregate using crushing equipment at designated quarry locations throughout the year as needed
Lots
- Drilling and blasting
- Extraction and processing/crushing
Likely requirements
Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.
This contract will disqualify most small businesses immediately. You must hold current explosives supervisor and shotfirer qualifications, have insurance covering blasting operations, own or lease expensive specialist quarry plant (drills, crushers, blast measurement equipment), and demonstrate 5+ years' experience in regulated quarrying with a proven safety record. Without explosives licences and competent personnel already on your team, you cannot bid.
How to bid
This is a framework: the buyer picks a set of suppliers now and awards work to them over several years. If you are not on it when it is awarded, you usually cannot win work from it until it is re-tendered, so this is the window to bid.
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