What is included in a turnkey agricultural EPC scope of work?
A turnkey EPC scope normally covers detailed engineering, procurement of the specified equipment, delivery to site, construction and installation, testing and commissioning, and handover with documentation and training. What it does not automatically cover is land, permits, site access, levelling, utility connections up to the site boundary, taxes and duties, and the crop programme. Every proposal must list inclusions, exclusions and owner-supplied items explicitly, because the gaps between them are where budget overruns are created.
What actually drives the answer
Engineering: structural calculations to local code, hydraulic design, electrical single-line diagrams, control philosophy and as-built drawings at handover.
Procurement and delivery: named equipment with datasheets, spares, and the agreed Incoterm — including who bears customs clearance, demurrage and inland transport.
Construction: foundations if in scope, erection, mechanical and electrical installation, plus site supervision and safety responsibility during the works.
Commissioning: functional tests of climate control, irrigation, fertigation, alarms and backup power, with a written performance test protocol and defect list.
Handover: operation and maintenance manuals, training for the grower's team, warranty terms, spare-parts list and the service response commitment.
Exclusions to interrogate in every bid: land preparation, drainage, fencing, water treatment, grid upgrade, staff housing, packhouse interfaces and post-handover agronomy.
Variables that change the answer
- Contract model and risk allocation
- Local construction and labour rules
- Owner's in-house capability
- Whether civil works are in or out of scope
- Performance test criteria
Evidence a supplier needs before quoting
- Site survey and geotechnical data
- Confirmed utility connection points
- Permitting status
- The owner's list of items it will supply directly
What this answer does not settle
- Scope conventions vary by contractor and jurisdiction; this is a checklist for comparison, not a contract template.
- Contract drafting and risk allocation require qualified legal review.
Responsibility
- Professional review:
- Owner's engineer and the project's legal adviser
- Delivered by:
- Turnkey EPC contractor
- Feeds RFQ section:
- Scope of work and responsibility matrix
Sources
- IFC Agribusiness and Forestry — investment and advisory approachInternational Finance Corporation (IFC) · Primary source · accessed 2026-08-21
- Greenhouse Horticulture research programmeWageningen University & Research · Secondary source · accessed 2026-08-21
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