Present incumbents – Balfour Beatty, Eurovia, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall – now face a fight to renew places on the framework which has doubled in size to £1bn.

This expanded framework is down to the merger of three regional efficiencies groups, the Midlands Highway Alliance, the Midlands Service Improvement Group and the West Midlands Highway Alliance in July.

MPA+ now counts 35 local highway authorities from across the Midlands and beyond as members.

Leicestershire County Council is acting as administrator for the bid process which is expected to get underway on 12 April.