Procurement contract Tunnels and shafts

Tunnels and shafts – 1 procurement of 2 contracts

The construction of tunnels and shafts will be carried out in two contracts – one for E70 Northern wastewater tunnel and one for E80 Southern wastewater tunnel. The works will be procured as a single package, in which tenderers may choose to submit bids for one or both contracts. The most advantageous combination will be awarded.

Bygge av Citytunneln i Malmö — Photo from the contruction of the Citytunnel in Malmö

Following solid planning, dialogue with the industry, and a decision on full financing, the procurement of the two tunnel projects for the MAXIMA wastewater system is now being launched. The plan is for construction works to begin in 2028 and be completed around 2032.

─ We are looking for the contractor or contractors best suited to deliver these projects, in close collaboration with the client organisation. It is important to us that the contracts are designed to be mutually beneficial and balanced from a risk perspective. In this way, we create strong conditions for efficient execution with high quality, says Stefan Milotti, Deputy Project Director for the Tunnel project.

Procurement process for Tunnels and shafts

The Tunnels and shafts procurement is a combinatorial procurement covering both contracts: E70 Norhtern wastewater tunnel and E80 Southern wastewater tunnel. The procedure will be conducted as a negotiated procedure with prior publication. A negotiated procedure means the procurement is carried out in two stages, where contractors first apply to be prequalified for tendering.

Contractors who are prequalified will be invited to submit bids, which may cover one or both contracts. The procurement form is a design-build contract, meaning that VA SYD is seeking a main contractor for each contract.

Contractors submitting bids for both contracts, and who consider it advantageous, will be given the opportunity to offer a discount, which will be taken into account in the tender evaluation. The discount will apply provided that the bidder is awarded both contracts.

VA SYD considers that there may be coordination advantages if a single contractor is responsible for both contracts. This will also be taken into account in the evaluation.

The final award may therefore be made either to two different contractors or to a single contractor for both E70 Northern wastewater tunnel and E80 Southern wastewater tunnel, depending on which option is deemed overall the most economically advantageous for VA SYD.

Procurement timeline

Summer 2026 – publication of prequalification invitation
End of 2026 – publication of the tender documents to qualified contractors

General information on future construction contracts

The contracts will be carried out as design-build contracts in accordance with the Swedish standard agreement General Conditions of Contract for Design and Build Contracts for Building, Civil Engineering and Installation Works (ABT 06), with certain amendments and additions to be specified in the contract documents.

VA SYD has prepared a Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) for each contract, setting out VA SYD’s assumptions regarding ground conditions.

Tunnel excavation will be compensated at a unit rate per meter of tunnel driven in different excavation classes based on assessed ground conditions, with compensation adjusted according to the actual ground conditions encountered. Excavation works will be compensated with fixed amounts.

The contract agreement will form part of the tender documents and will be distributed to invited bidders together with the invitation to tender.