How to win: T26-142CAP Strabane Leisure Centre and Road Realignment (Design and Construct) Preliminary Market Engagement

A works contract from Derry City and Strabane District Council, worth £29,000,000. Below: what it involves and how to write a winning bid for it.

Buyer

Derry City and Strabane District Council

Value

£29,000,000

Closing date

20 November 2026

About this contract

Derry City and Strabane District Council intend to commence a robust, credible and transparent preliminary market engagement exercise to develop a deliverable and affordable option for Strabane Leisure Centre in order to achieve a successful contract award by June 2027. The purpose of this preliminary market engagement (PME) is to gather insights and feedback from the market to inform the development of the procurement strategy and specification for Strabane Leisure Centre and road alignment as well as assisting Derry City and Strabane District Council to ensure that the most efficient and effective methods of procurement are considered. The first phase of the market engagement exercise will be participation from the supply base through the attached questionnaire. Responses to these questions will help Derry City and Strabane District Council gather comprehensive information about potential suppliers and the services they offer. This will allow us to make informed decisions regarding our specification and procurement strategy before entering the market with a full procurement competition. At this stage, any information gathered through this engagement exercise will solely inform in

How to win contracts like this

✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Derry City and Strabane District Council scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
✓At £29,000,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins works work.
✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar works contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
✓Start early: it closes 20 November 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

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