TAG Industrial Scaffolding — Tender Proposal

Port Sunlight

Tender Submission · Scaffolding Services

Unilever
Port Sunlight

Submitted June 2026 · Reference TAG-UNI-PS-2025 · NASC Full Member · SafeContractor Approved

Our Promise

Big enough to cope.
Small enough to care.

TAG Industrial Scaffolding is a specialist contractor with a direct, personal connection to Port Sunlight stretching back to 1985 — when founders Jonathan McHale and Jeff Arnold began their careers as labourers on this very site. Nearly twenty years of building a reputation across the region's toughest industrial sites followed. Three years ago, Unilever specifically invited TAG to return to Port Sunlight. This is not simply a tender submission. It is a continuation of a relationship built over a lifetime.

Submitted By

TAG Industrial Scaffolding Ltd

Client

Unilever UK — Port Sunlight

Reference

TAG-UNI-PS-2025

Issue

June 2026 · v1.0

About TAG · Our Story

About TAG Industrial Scaffolding Ltd

Built on Experience.
Driven by Standards.
Trusted by Industry.

TAG Industrial Scaffolding Ltd was founded in 2004 by Jonathan McHale and Jeff Arnold — two men who began their scaffolding careers in 1985 as labourers at Unilever Port Sunlight, working for another scaffolding contractor on the construction of the Sulphonation Plant, the No.1 Building, and the Tank Farm. (Which, they'll both tell you, makes them feel very old — but also means no contractor on earth knows this site better than TAG.)

From those early foundations, Jonathan and Jeff spent fifteen years learning the demands of industrial scaffolding on one of the most complex manufacturing sites in the North West. In 2000 they left the site — and in 2004, frustrated with how clients were being treated across the industry, they founded TAG Scaffolding with a simple goal: to do it properly.

For nearly twenty years TAG has built its reputation working daily at some of the region's most demanding industrial sites — Eastham Oil Refinery, Nestlé Cereal Partners, Premier Foods, Baker & Baker, and UM Storage. Three years ago, Unilever specifically invited TAG to Port Sunlight — the site where Jonathan and Jeff began their careers. That invitation is the strongest endorsement any contractor can receive.

TAG operatives — Liverpool waterfront

Family Owned. Director Led.

TAG is 100% family owned. There are no shareholders to satisfy, no regional managers to navigate, no head office approval chains to slow things down. When you work with TAG, you work directly with the people who own the business and who care about every job as if their reputation depends on it — because it does.

Jonathan McHale and Jeff Arnold both live within five minutes of the Port Sunlight site — and around 90% of TAG's workforce live locally. In a genuine emergency, you will not be navigating a duty manager rota or a call centre. You reach a director directly, and the team can be on site faster than most contractors can answer the phone.

Our Commitment

"We started at Port Sunlight in 1985. We know this site, we know what industrial clients need, and we know what happens when a contractor lets you down. TAG was built to be the contractor we always wished existed."

Both Directors — 5 minutes from site. 90% of workforce local.

Jonathan and Jeff both live within 5 minutes of Port Sunlight — and around 90% of TAG's workforce live locally. Out of hours. Weekends. Emergencies. We are on site before most contractors have hung up the phone.

Executive Summary

Why TAG. Why Port Sunlight.
Why Now.

TAG Industrial Scaffolding presents this tender with a level of site knowledge, industry standing, and technological capability that we believe is unique among contractors bidding for this contract.

Unilever Port Sunlight is not an unfamiliar site to TAG. Our founders began their careers here in 1985 as labourers on the Sulphonation Plant, No.1 Building, and Tank Farm — working for another contractor. They left in 2000, founded TAG in 2004, and spent nearly twenty years building a reputation at some of the region's toughest industrial sites. Three years ago, Unilever specifically invited TAG to return to Port Sunlight. We understand the operational rhythms of this facility, the standards Unilever demands of its supply chain, and the critical importance of safe, compliant, and responsive scaffolding services within a live manufacturing environment.

We meet Unilever's mandatory NASC membership requirement. We bring a ten-year safety record with zero RIDDOR reportable incidents. We operate proprietary AI and drone technology that directly addresses the cost pressures Unilever is currently managing. And we are fifteen minutes from site, with a director five minutes away.

1985

Roots Here. Invited Back.

Founders worked on this site in 1985. Founded TAG in 2004. Built a 20-year reputation. Specifically invited back to Port Sunlight by Unilever 3 years ago.

NASC

Full Member — Mandatory Requirement Met

Unilever requires NASC membership. TAG holds it. Not all contractors bidding will be able to say the same.

16yr

Zero RIDDOR Incidents

Sixteen years without a single reportable incident. Zero collapses. Zero falls from height. Ever. In TAG's entire history.

15min

From Site — Both Directors 5 Minutes

Both directors and 90% of the workforce live locally. Fastest mobilisation of any credible industrial contractor in the region.

TAG is not simply a scaffolding contractor submitting a price. We are a long-term industrial partner offering Unilever Port Sunlight the combination of heritage knowledge, exceptional safety record, cutting-edge technology, and personal accountability that only a family-owned, director-led specialist can deliver.

Capability & Client Track Record

Capability & Track Record

Industrial Specialism.
Proven at the Highest Level.

TAG operates exclusively within industrial, commercial, and main contractor environments. Every member of our team — from director to operative — has been selected for their ability to perform in demanding, safety-critical settings.

Large vessel scaffold — industrial process plant

Retained Sole Provider Clients

TAG is the retained sole scaffold provider at the following sites — not through contractual lock-in, but through consistent delivery that has earned long-term trust:

Eastham Oil Refinery

Nestlé Cereal Partners

Premier Foods

UM Storage

Baker & Baker

Sole Provider. Retained for Years. Not Because of a Contract — Because of Performance.

These are major industrial sites — a petrochemical refinery, two major food manufacturers, a specialist storage facility, and a national bakery group. Each has chosen to give TAG exclusivity on their scaffolding requirements and renewed that arrangement year after year.

Main Contractor Integration

Permit-to-work, method statement approvals, CDM compliance — standard operating procedure for TAG.

15 Minute Mobilisation

Based Wirral/Liverpool. TAG reaches Port Sunlight in 15 minutes. No travelling gangs. No delays.

Directly Employed Workforce

No labour-only subcontract gangs. CISRS card-holding, directly employed operatives throughout.

Food Manufacturing Experience

Nestlé, Premier Foods, Baker & Baker — hygiene requirements, restricted zones, live production.

NASC Membership & Industry Standing

NASC — National Access & Scaffolding Confederation

The Industry's Highest
Standard. TAG Meets It.

NASC

Full Member — The Benchmark That Matters to Unilever

Any scaffolding contractor operating on a site of this nature should hold full NASC membership as a minimum. TAG does — rigorously audited annually, financially vetted, and fully compliant with NASC's technical and safety standards. It is the benchmark the industry sets for itself, and TAG meets it without exception.

What NASC Full Membership Requires

Annual Independent Audit

NASC members are subject to rigorous annual audits covering health and safety management, operative competence, insurance, and financial standing. No self-certification.

TG20 Compliant Design

All scaffolding must comply with TG20 — the NASC's comprehensive guide covering design, loading, wind calculations, and structural performance.

SG4 Working at Height

NASC members operate under SG4 — the industry's own code of practice for preventing falls during erection and dismantling, beyond legal minimums.

Minimum Insurance Requirements

Members must hold minimum levels of public liability, employers' liability, and contract works insurance — independently verified annually.

CISRS Workforce Verification

All operatives must hold valid CISRS cards at the appropriate grade. NASC membership is incompatible with deploying uncarded labour.

Financial Vetting

Members are financially vetted to confirm they are viable, solvent businesses — not contractors who could walk away from a contract mid-project.

Full NASC membership is the standard any serious industrial scaffolding contractor should hold. TAG holds it — independently audited, verified, and renewed every year. When Unilever appoints a scaffolding contractor, NASC membership should be the starting point, not a differentiator. For TAG it is simply how we operate.

SafeContractor Approved

Third-party verified H&S management system. Independently assessed and approved — one of the UK's leading supply chain risk management schemes.

Health, Safety & Performance

Health, Safety & KPIs

Sixteen Years. Zero Incidents.
No Exceptions.

16

Years without a single RIDDOR reportable incident

0

Scaffold collapses in TAG's entire operating history

0

Falls from height from a TAG scaffold. Ever.

In a sector where working at height is the primary risk and the consequences of failure are severe, these are not statistics to be taken lightly. They represent sixteen years of consistent, disciplined, safety-first operation across some of the North West's most demanding industrial environments.

Protected pedestrian walkway — industrial site

01

CDM 2015 Compliance

All TAG works planned and executed in full accordance with CDM 2015. We actively support principal contractors in their duty holder responsibilities.

02

Structured Inspection Regime

Formal scaffold inspections at handover, every 7 days, and following any event likely to affect structural integrity. Records maintained on site and available on demand.

03

SG4 Erection & Dismantling

All erection and dismantling operations conducted under NASC SG4 — beyond statutory minimum requirements.

04

Near Miss Culture

Open near-miss reporting system. We learn from close calls before they become incidents. Supervisors are trained to raise, not suppress, safety observations.

Technology & Innovation — Part 1

Proprietary Technology — Built In-House by TAG

The Most Technologically
Advanced Scaffolding
Contractor in the Region.

TAG has invested in building its own integrated technology ecosystem — bespoke systems designed specifically for how TAG operates, not off-the-shelf subscriptions. The result is faster documentation, smarter access planning, and client transparency no competitor currently offers.

AI System 01 · Client & Management Facing

Olivia — AI-Powered RAMS Generation

Voice-activated. Site-specific. Same-day turnaround. Built in-house by TAG.

Voice-Activated, Hands-Free Operation

TAG supervisors brief Olivia verbally — describing scaffold type, location, hazards, and access requirements — and receive a fully drafted, site-specific RAMS within minutes. No typing. No template hunting. No delays.

Site-Specific Output — Not Generic Templates

Olivia does not produce generic RAMS. Every document is generated with reference to the specific site, activity, hazard environment, and client requirements — including the particular considerations of a live food manufacturing facility such as Port Sunlight.

Same-Day Turnaround — Scope Changes Included

When work scope changes on site — as it invariably does — TAG can issue a revised RAMS the same day. No backlog. No waiting. No reason to delay access works pending paperwork.

AI System 02 · Site & Workforce Facing

Big Dave — On-Site AI Assistant

Every TAG operative on site has access to Big Dave — an AI assistant trained on current scaffolding regulations (TG20, SG4, NASC guidance), TAG's own company policies, and site-specific procedures. The right answer, on demand, at the point where it matters.

Trained on Regulations

TG20, SG4, NASC guidance, CDM 2015 — instantly accessible to any operative on site.

Company Policy

TAG's own procedures — consistent answers every time, no outdated advice, no chinese whispers.

Culturally Designed

Built with the attitude of an experienced scaffolder — crews use it because it speaks their language.

Technology & Innovation — Part 2

Technology 03 · Drone Survey Capability

Assess First. Build What's Needed. Not What's Assumed.

The traditional approach is to erect a full access scaffold to investigate a problem area — then potentially strip and rebuild once the actual scope is confirmed. That wastes time, material, and money.

TAG's in-house drone capability allows us to survey hard-to-access areas before a single tube is erected. We assess, define the exact scope, and build precisely what is required. Nothing more.

CAA Flyer ID · Commercially Insured · In-House

Fully CAA-registered and commercially insured. No third party, no additional cost, no delay. Subject to site airspace assessment.

Eliminate Over-Specification

Build only what the scope requires — direct cost saving for Unilever.

Access Restricted Areas Safely

Survey rooflines, high-level structures, and confined plant areas without risk.

Photo & Video Evidence

Condition surveys, defect identification, progress monitoring — documented from the air.

Faster Programme

Accurate scope from day one — no mid-project redesigns, no additional hire, no surprises.

Technology 04 · Bespoke Business Platform & Client Portal

Full Transparency. Real-Time Access. Complete Control.

TAG operates bespoke office management software with a dedicated client portal giving Unilever direct, real-time access to everything relating to their scaffolds.

Scaffold Register

Full live register of every active scaffold — status, location, load class, and inspection history.

GPS Coordinates

Every scaffold pinned on a live site map. Know exactly where every structure is at any time.

Handover Certificates

Digital handover documentation accessible immediately — no chasing TAG for paperwork.

Team Certifications

CISRS cards and operative certifications — verified and visible without a phone call.

Self-Service Off-Hire

Take a scaffold off hire directly through the portal. No excess hire charges accumulating.

Invoice Transparency

Full invoicing history and current hire charges visible at all times. No surprises at month end.

Case Studies — Delivering Under Pressure

Case Studies

When Failure Isn't
an Option, TAG Delivers.

The true test of a scaffolding contractor is not how they perform when everything goes to plan — it is how they respond when the pressure is on, the deadline is immovable, and the stakes are high.

Liverpool FC — Anfield, The Kop

Birdcage scaffold · High level · 4-week deadline · Live stadium

Emergency Response

Liverpool FC came to TAG during the off-season with an urgent problem. The club had begun interior painting works to the iconic Kop stand canopy and quickly realised the scale of the task was beyond their existing access provision.

TAG was briefed with four weeks to the first home fixture. The scope: design and erect a full birdcage scaffold at high level throughout the Kop canopy, provide safe working platforms for the painting contractors, complete the works, and fully dismantle the entire structure — all before the first fans walked through the turnstiles.

"Four weeks. High level. Full birdcage. 60,000 fans arriving on opening day. TAG delivered — on time, without compromise on safety."

4 Weeks

High Level Birdcage

Delivered On Time

Eurovision Song Contest — Liverpool 2023

Gantry scaffold · City centre · Global broadcast · 160 million viewers

Prestigious Appointment

When Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 — watched by 160 million people across 37 countries — TAG was selected as the scaffolding contractor for the event infrastructure at the M&S Bank Arena on Liverpool's waterfront.

The scope required complex gantry scaffold structures across a high-profile, high-footfall city centre location with a global broadcast deadline and zero margin for error.

"Selected for one of the world's most watched live events. TAG's boards on the Eurovision scaffold represent the confidence the event organisers placed in our capability."

160M Viewers

37 Countries

Zero Defects

Service Level Agreement

Service Level Agreement — TAG Industrial Scaffolding / Unilever Port Sunlight

Our Commitments.
In Writing.

TAG is prepared to formalise the following service levels as contractual commitments for the duration of any agreement with Unilever Port Sunlight. These are not aspirations — they are the standards we already operate to, every day, across all of our retained client sites.

Response & Mobilisation

Scenario	TAG Commitment	Tier
Non-urgent planned works	Mobilisation within 4 working days of written instruction	Standard
Urgent works — production impacted	Mobilisation within 24 hours of instruction	Urgent
Emergency call-out	On site within 4 hours — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year	Emergency
Out of hours contact	Direct to Director — Jonathan McHale or Jeff Arnold. Guaranteed response.	Always

Documentation

Document / Action	TAG Commitment
RAMS — new works	Same working day from confirmed scope — AI-generated, site-specific, management reviewed
RAMS — scope change	Same working day from change confirmation
Scaffold handover certificate	Issued at point of handover — available immediately via client portal
Scaffold inspection certificate	Within 24 hours of inspection — uploaded to client portal automatically
Incident notification	Within 2 hours of any occurrence — verbal immediately, written within 24 hours

On-Site Standards

Standard	TAG Commitment
Scaffold inspection frequency	Every 7 days minimum, plus within 24 hours of adverse weather or impact
Remedial works following snag	Within 24 hours of identification — same day where production is affected
Operative competence	100% CISRS-carded operatives at appropriate grade — verifiable via client portal
Dedicated point of contact	Jonathan McHale, Director — direct mobile, available at all times
Scaffold register maintenance	Live and current at all times — accessible via client portal 24/7

TAG welcomes the formalisation of these commitments within a framework agreement. We are confident in our ability to meet every one of the above — and we invite Unilever to hold us to them.

Schedule of Rates

Schedule of Rates — TAG Industrial Scaffolding / Unilever Port Sunlight

Transparent Pricing.
No Hidden Costs.

Labour Rates — All Grades · Exc. VAT · Labour Only

Grade 01

Labourer / Mate

Standard£26.50

OT1 ×1.5£35.25

OT2 ×2£44.26

PER HOUR

Grade 02

Scaffold Erector

Standard£34.25

OT1 ×1.5£45.55

OT2 ×2£57.20

PER HOUR

Grade 03

Advanced Scaffold Erector

Standard£39.40

OT1 ×1.5£52.40

OT2 ×2£65.80

PER HOUR

Grade 04

Supervisor

Standard£48.50

OT1 ×1.5£64.51

OT2 ×2£79.90

PER HOUR

Standard Normal Hours

Monday – Friday
07:30 – 17:30

OT1 Time & a Half

Mon–Fri after 17:30
Saturday (all day)

OT2 Double Time

Sunday · Bank Holidays
Nights 22:00 – 06:00

£380

Fixed Call-Out Fee

Emergency Call-Out — Fixed Rate + Applicable Hourly Rate

A fixed call-out fee of £380.00 applies to all out-of-hours emergency mobilisations, in addition to applicable hourly rates for time on site. TAG guarantees on-site attendance within 4 hours — 24/7, 365 days a year. Out-of-hours uplift minimum: 50% above standard rate.

Equipment Hire Rates

£

Scaffold Equipment Hire

£45.00

Per tonne · per week · tube, fittings & boards

↗

Sheeting & Shrink Wrap

POA

Quoted per project based on m² and specification

+

Specialist Equipment

POA

Staircases, loading bays, fans — quoted on request

✓

Self-Service Off-Hire

Via Portal

Hire stops the moment you off-hire via the TAG client portal — no excess charges

All rates exclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate

Labour rates for directly employed TAG operatives only

Rates valid 12 months from submission — June 2026

Hire charged from delivery to portal off-hire notification

Framework pricing available for volume/term agreements

All pricing subject to formal order / written instruction

Accreditations & Next Steps

Accreditations

Verified. Audited. Approved.

Tier 1 — Mandatory / Gateway Criteria

NASC

Full Member

National Access & Scaffolding Confederation — annual audit, TG20/SG4 compliance, financial vetting. Unilever's mandatory requirement. TAG meets it.

Safe Contractor

Approved

Third-party verified health and safety management system — independently assessed and approved.

Tier 2 — Supporting Accreditations

CISRS

All operatives graded and verified at appropriate level for their role

PASMA

Prefabricated aluminium scaffold systems — trained supervisors

IPAF

International Powered Access Federation — MEWP operation

CAA

Flyer ID registered, commercially insured drone operations

CHAS

Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme — verified

Next Steps

TAG is ready to progress this tender at the convenience of Unilever's procurement and site management teams. We welcome a site visit, pre-start meeting, or technical discussion — and would be delighted to demonstrate our AI documentation system and client portal live.

Jonathan McHale

Director & Founder · TAG Industrial Scaffolding

Mobile: 07912 342217

Email: jon.mchale@tag-scaffolding.com

Web: tag-scaffolding.com

Jeff Arnold

Director & Founder · TAG Industrial Scaffolding

Mobile: 07912 342218

Email: jeff@tag-scaffolding.com

Web: tag-scaffolding.com

Request a Meeting

We respond within one working day

This document is submitted in strict commercial confidence and is intended solely for the use of Unilever UK and its authorised procurement representatives in connection with the Port Sunlight scaffolding services tender. TAG Industrial Scaffolding Ltd. Registered in England & Wales. All information correct at time of submission — June 2026. TAG reserves the right to withdraw or amend this proposal prior to formal acceptance.