BWL Supports Major UK Power Networks Vegetation Management Tender
Client: Confidential
Client Sector: Utilities / Vegetation Management
Contract: UK Power Networks – Tree Cutting & Vegetation Management of HV and LV Electricity Lines / 33kv
Industry / Type of works: Arboricultural tree cutting and vegetation management on electricity distribution networks
Location: South East England
Result: Successful
Scope of the Client’s Contracts
UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd issued a Request for Proposal for the provision of tree cutting and vegetation management services across its South Eastern Power Networks (SPN) and Eastern Power Networks South (EPN South) regions. The contract covers clearance and management of vegetation in proximity to high voltage (HV), low voltage (LV), and 33kV overhead electricity lines, carried out in compliance with Engineering Recommendation G55 and UK Power Networks’ own technical standards and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) policies.
The procurement is organised across 14 lots spanning the SPN and EPN South licence areas, covering locations from Brighton and Crawley through to Maidstone, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne, and the Purfleet, Enfield, Stevenage, and Hemel Hempstead areas. The framework contract runs for an initial term of six years from 1 April 2026, with an option to extend by a further two years, subject to agreement on revised contract rates.
Our Client engaged BWL Group to support the development and submission of their tender response through our bid writing services and bid management services.
BWL Support
BWL assigned a dedicated bid management team to work alongside the Client’s team throughout the tender process. The bid was led by Bid Consultant Joseph Luksza, with Senior Bid Writer Chris Thompson providing additional bid writing support.
The team began by reviewing the full RFP documentation pack, including the instructions to tenderers, the draft framework contract and its schedules, the KPI regime, the rate card, the HSE audit templates, and UK Power Networks’ controlled technical standards. From this review, the team developed storyboards for each of the 24 quality responses across both evaluation stages, structured to address the buyer’s scoring methodology and the specific sub-questions set out in each section.
The tender followed a two-stage evaluation model. Stage 1 assessed health, safety, and environmental capability on a pass/fail basis across 12 questions. Stage 2 assessed ability to deliver, cost savings and added value, with 12 further questions addressing delivery structure, competency management, personnel resources, standby and emergency response, compliance with ER-G55/4, environmental operations, works management, resilience and innovation, stakeholder management, local knowledge, business continuity, and mobilisation.
Joseph and Chris worked with our Client’s subject matter experts to draw out the evidence, experience, and operational detail needed to populate each response. The BWL team managed a workflow of storyboarding, drafting, internal review, and finalisation to produce a compliant submission across both stages.
Challenges
The tender presented several areas of complexity. The HSE stage operated as a gateway, requiring tenderers to score at least 80% to progress to Stage 2, with automatic deselection for any score below 65%. Each individual HSE question also carried a minimum score threshold of 8 out of 10. The BWL team worked closely with our Client to produce responses that demonstrated legislative compliance, policy compliance, and practical, evidenced arrangements for managing the specific risks associated with tree cutting near live electricity lines.
A further challenge was the breadth of the Stage 2 quality questions. The evaluation required our Client to demonstrate capability across a wide range of areas, from emergency response commitments through to detailed compliance with ER-G55/4 (the industry standard for safe tree working near overhead lines). The Local Knowledge question, carrying the highest individual weighting at Stage 2 (6 out of 10 maximum points), required the tenderer to evidence specific understanding of topographical features, operational constraints, and specialist treatment requirements within the targeted lots.
The BWL team also needed to navigate the contract’s operational requirements around UK Power Networks’ bespoke IT systems. Responses needed to demonstrate how our Client would integrate with these systems and meet demanding performance targets from day one of operations.
Outcome
The submission successfully secured our Client a position on the six-year framework contract (with a two-year extension option). The award strengthens their presence in the utilities vegetation management sector and provides a long-term platform for delivering planned and reactive works across UK Power Networks’ electricity distribution network in South East England.
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