Birmingham City Council has opened the bid race for multiple places on the reset deal to deliver highways and infrastructure worth around £1bn over eight years.

The Highways and Infrastructure Works Framework will be used to deliver road, public realm and utilities upgrades across the city and wider Midlands.

It replaces an ill-fated PFI contract that was due to run until 2035. This was first won by Amey in 2010. The contract collapsed after a protracted legal battle with the council, with Kier drafted in as interim operator and formally appointed in 2023 to complete the PFI programme.

But the Department for Transport later pulled support for the restructured business case, withdrawing PFI credits and forcing the council to switch to a fully publicly funded model.

The new P1228 framework will fill the gap with multiple firms set to be appointed.

The Council has split the deal into five lots ranging from sub-£200k jobs up to schemes topping £10m, with a separate utilities lot running without an upper value cap. NEC4 terms will govern all work.

Of the expected total spend, Birmingham will account for £640m, with the balance open to other West and East Midlands public bodies including Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and major housing associations.

The framework runs as an “open” scheme meaning it will be reopened twice during its eight-year life, allowing new contractors to join and existing players to re-bid.

Quality accounts for 50% of scoring, price 40% and social value 10%.

Bids must be lodged through the Council’s In-tend portal by noon on 9 January 2026. An award decision is expected on 27 February.

Click here for bid information.