Development and Trial of Sustainable Weed Control Solutions for the Strategic Road Network

National Highways is a government-owned company and the appointed strategic highways authority and licence holder responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England’s SRN; 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads at the core of the national transport network. Use of glyphosate; known to be a probable carcinogen to humans, is a widely used chemical to control weeds in highway maintenance. Although approved for use in the UK, concerns regarding glyphosate’s impact on biodiversity, and management of this health hazard to the general public and highway operatives are considerable. National Highways is seeking to engage the market to explore and trial credible, scalable alternatives to glyphosate for weed control on the Strategic Road Network (SRN), alongside existing local trials, with the aim of reducing exposure risks and improving environmental outcomes. This notice is issued as part of a Preliminary Market Engagement under the Procurement Act 2023. Participation does not constitute a commitment to procure or award any contract, nor does it provide any guarantee of involvement in future commercial opportunities. Information gathered will be used to support technical decision-making, standards development, and potential future procurement strategies.