Hertfordshire County Council has invited bids for a highway services contractor offering the promise of a £1.95bn deal that could stretch to 21 years.

Incumbent contractor Ringway’s term is due to expire in September 2025, ending a 12-year relationship with the council which is understood to have been worth over £600m.

Under the next arrangement, the selected supplier would take on delivery of highways services for an initial term of seven years, potentially extending in increments up to 21 years.

The authority is on the hunt for service providers that can create an ‘exciting, new approach’ to the delivery of highways and related services.

It wants firms to help it meet its ambitious environmental targets and embrace best practice, innovations and new technologies, enabling the service to continuously evolve and improve.

Interested firms must complete and submit prequal responses by 26 February 2024. Tenders will then be sent to three shortlised bidders in mid-March.

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