Project record

Port of Workington maintenance dredging framework 2026-2030

Aerial view of the Port of Workington in West Cumbria, including the enclosed dock, approach channel and adjacent industrial land

Cumberland Council; Port of Workington aerial context published with the February 2026 land-remediation announcement, not evidence of dredging mobilisation

Cumberland Council's February 2026 award notice names Boskalis Westminster Limited, Dutch Dredging B.V. and Van den Herik Kust -en Oeverwerken B.V. on a Port of Workington maintenance-dredging framework with an estimated value of GBP 1.28 million excluding VAT. The framework is intended to cover standard annual trailing-suction hopper dredging with plough or bed-leveller support plus smaller or emergency work using mechanical marine plant. The first mini-competition result, call-off, assigned contractor, dredger, mobilisation date, measured quantity and acceptance remain undisclosed.

Project signal

Award in United Kingdom

Current status Four-year framework awarded to Boskalis Westminster, Dutch Dredging and Van den Herik; the first mini-competition, call-off, assigned vessel, dredged quantity and acceptance remain unconfirmed Source confidence Confirmed

Location

United Kingdom / Europe

Segment

Maintenance dredging and operating-port access

Status

Four-year framework awarded to Boskalis Westminster, Dutch Dredging and Van den Herik; the first mini-competition, call-off, assigned vessel, dredged quantity and acceptance remain unconfirmed / Confirmed

Last checked

4 August 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Maintenance dredging and operating-port access is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
Cumberland Council as statutory and competent harbour authority, owner and operator of the municipal Port of Workington
Delivery parties
Boskalis Westminster Limited - confirmed framework supplier, Dutch Dredging B.V. - confirmed framework supplier, Van den Herik Kust -en Oeverwerken B.V. - confirmed framework supplier, Call-off winner, assigned vessel and downstream hydrographic, towing, disposal and environmental parties - undisclosed
Contract route
Below-threshold open competition under the Procurement Act 2023. Three tenders were received and all three suppliers were appointed. The tender set technical criteria at 80%, social value at 10% and price at 10% for framework appointment. Once established, each mini-competition is to be issued to all framework suppliers and awarded on 80% price and 20% proposed programme. The award notice records a 16 January 2026 award decision and an earliest contract-signing date of 26 February 2026.
Execution window
The tender notice proposed 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2030. The later award notice records an estimated execution period from 1 March 2026 to 31 January 2030. The first call-off date and first physical mobilisation remain undisclosed.
Works package
Standard annual maintenance dredging by modern trailing-suction hopper dredger or dredgers, supplemented by plough or bed leveller, plus small-scale or emergency works requiring mechanical marine plant. The port says maintenance dredging is performed as required at the bar, approach channel, turning basin and enclosed dock, with dredged material taken to one of two licensed sea-disposal sites. The notices publish no campaign quantity, design depth, sediment class, vessel requirement or call-off schedule.
Marine interfaces
Live-port navigation, tidal access, dredger and bed-leveller sequencing, hydrographic survey control, sediment testing and disposal licensing, campaign-specific depth acceptance and coordination with the port's enclosed dock, turning basin, approach channel and bar. The framework also sits beside separate land remediation and clean-energy logistics development at the port; those terrestrial works are not evidence of dredging mobilisation.
Commercial evidence boundary
The award notice records GBP 1.28 million excluding VAT and GBP 1.6 million including VAT for the framework. This is a framework value, not an annual dredging budget, a guaranteed minimum, an individual supplier share, actual spend or a completed-work value. Competition remains open among the three appointed suppliers at each call-off.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

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Award notice appointed three framework suppliers

Cumberland Council named Boskalis Westminster, Dutch Dredging and Van den Herik for the four-year framework and recorded GBP 1.28 million excluding VAT. The notice did not award a physical campaign or allocate value among suppliers.

Source

Council reached the framework award decision

The later award notice records the decision date and all three final-stage tenders as successful, creating a supplier pool that still requires mini-competition for each call-off.

Source

Tender defined annual TSHD and call-off mechanics

The competition established the intended TSHD, plough or bed-leveller and emergency mechanical-plant scope, plus mini-competitions weighted 80% price and 20% programme.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • First mini-competition and call-off under OCID ocds-h6vhtk-05e1bf
  • Selected framework contractor for each annual, small-scale or emergency campaign
  • Named trailing-suction hopper dredger, plough or bed leveller and mechanical marine plant
  • Ordered and measured quantities at the bar, approach channel, turning basin and enclosed dock
  • Marine licence, sediment classification and allocation between the two licensed sea-disposal sites
  • Pre- and post-dredge hydrographic survey basis, accepted depths and navigation release
  • Call-off values, framework utilisation and any downstream survey, towing or environmental parties

Related records 4

Reporting status

Award, confirmed confidence

Last checked 4 August 2026 across 6 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 4 August 2026 Cited sources 6

Sources and related records

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Source collections

Project sources 6