Smart Motorways Alliance

The Smart Motorways Programme (SMP) is designed to increase lane capacity on National Highways (formally Highways England) strategic road network through embedding roadside technology and converting hard shoulders to all-lane running. The SMP is a national programme with the aim to have exemplar performance in safety, cost, time and quality; and to drive standardisation in delivery.

The SMP was procured through an alliance model comprising National Highways and six delivery partners under NEC4 Alliance Contract 2018, forming the Smart Motorways Alliance (SMA). The SMA is responsible for the development, design and construction of the SMP and associated works that supports the delivery of National Highways wider construction and maintenance programme, including Road Investment Strategy (RIS) 1, 2 & 3, over a 10-year core period.

The WeBid team were appointed from the outset to support the successful Joint Venture (JV) between two major civils and construction contractors as part of the PQQ and ITT Stage. We attended all launch workshops to support development of the Alliance Strategy and led the planning and writing sessions for the following quality submissions: Social Value, People & Organisation, Mobilisation, Supply Chain, and Collaboration. We interviewed subject matter experts linking solutions to key alliance aims, maximising space throughout responses by designing a series of branded graphics to portray complex information, maintaining reader focus.

Having worked with many Clients on this type of contract, the WeBid team interviewed ‘critical friends’ and industry experts to understand the common pitfalls in mobilising this type of contract as part of a lessons learned exercise. This insight meant that our comprehensive tender responses identified and addressed potential issues, providing National Highways with high levels of confidence in our Client’s approach.