Western Isles Council is looking to spend £8.7million on an ice gritting and snow clearing deal.
For many decades, the service has been provided by a mix of council resources and external suppliers.
It has been divided into eight lots, so different parts of the islands can be bid on individually.
Two lots will be completed in-house by the council.
The contract states the deal will be for four years, with a possible two-year extension.
It will only be operational for around six months per year and is weather dependent over the period.
Service important to the council
A Western Isles Council spokesman said: “Provision of this service, within available resources, is always important to the Comhairle.”
The Comhairle has over the years developed a winter maintenance policy to help maintain the public road network in a condition.
The policy details road priorities and target times for gritting. These expectations are expected to be included in the contract.
Expenses rise due to fuel and salt
However, the cost of the service has increased from previous deals.
Last year, it was reported that the council could be facing a £600,000 overspend in its road gritting budget.
This came after an especially busy winter period.
A council spokesman added: “Costs involved in providing this service, such as fuel, road salt and vehicle costs have all increased in recent years.”
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