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Published 20 Jun 2025, 13:02 BST

Official UK procurement notice

2024-133 RIIO-3 Independent Technical Adviser

Official notice

Authority: Ofgem (Public body)

Framework agreementServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Architecture & Engineering (71) Delivery: UK
Framework ceiling (notional)£20,833,333framework ceiling, not attributable revenue · 1 value update
Submissions closed 20 Apr 2026awarded 25 Jun 2026
Awarded to Atkins Limited +2 more
Framework period 5 yrsends 29 Jun 2031 · starts 30 Jun 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Ofgem is seeking to appoint up to three organisations to fulfil the role of Independent Technical Adviser (ITA) as part of a framework agreement. The ITA will be an independent body responsible for providing assurance to Ofgem on the design, procurement, cost and overall delivery of selected load‑related projects across all electricity Transmission Owners (TOs). The objective of ITA assurance is to support enhanced and accelerated regulatory decision‑making and processes.

CPV: Consultative engineering and construction services · Technical analysis or consultancy services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Type
Closed framework
Call-offs
call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
Places
up to 3 suppliers · 10 bids received (3.3 per place) · 3 appointed (full)
Framework period

5 yrs from 30 Jun 2026, Ofgem are looking to operate a Framework Agreement that will have a duration of five years as opposed to four, with the later typical under the Procurement Act 2023. Given the nature of the services required of the ITA means that a longer term is required. This is because aligning closely with the RIIO-3 price control term length (eg RIIO-3 April 2026-March 2031) offers practical benefits to the services being provided by the ITA, primarily, improved clarity to relevant stakeholders regarding what can be expected across the entire price control.

Published description of the framework

Ofgem may at any time during the Term require the ITA to provide a quotation for services under the Framework Scope to enable Ofgem to:

  • enter into a Call-Off Contract with the ITA without further competition pursuant to clause 4 (a “Direct Call-Off”); or
  • evaluate the ITA’s proposal alongside similar proposals from other Framework ITAs so as to ascertain the most advantageous tender for a Call-Off Contract on the basis of the Evaluation Criteria (a “Call-Off pursuant to Competitive Selection Process”), pursuant to clause 5.

Direct Award Ground 1: Where any Call-Off Contract will be awarded to the highest-ranking Framework ITA in the Tender Ranking following the outcome of the procurement process for this Framework Agreement (“Direct Award Ground 1”);

Direct Award Ground 2: If, having sought to award a Call-Off Contract to the highest-ranking Framework ITA for the applicable Call-Off Contract pursuant to Direct Award Ground 1, the highest-ranking Framework ITA is unable or unwilling to accept the award, Ofgem may award the Call-Off Contract to the Framework ITA ranked second (this shall continue in descending order). For the avoidance of doubt a Framework ITA will be deemed unable or unwilling to accept the award if:

  • it does not have capacity to take on the work;
  • it has a conflict of interest issue in respect of the work such that Ofgem considers (at its discretion but having reference to the Conflicts of Interest Policy) the work cannot be awarded to that Framework ITA;
  • there has been a change in circumstance to the identity, control, financial standing, technical and professional ability or composition of the Framework ITA such that it is no longer able to meet the Minimum Standards set out in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for this Framework Agreement procurement; and/or
  • Ofgem reasonably determines that a Framework ITA should not be awarded a Call-Off Contract based on its past performance while party to this Framework Agreement, including (but not limited to) performance against key performance indicators, cost performance, or time performance against Call-Off Contract contractual milestone dates

(“Direct Award Ground 2”)

Direct Award Ground 3: Where, having sought interest in writing from the Framework ITAs, there is only one Framework ITA who is able to provide the Call Off Services to the necessary standard and within the necessary time as required by Ofgem, including the relative financial or resource capacity of the relevant ITA compared to the other Framework ITAs (“Direct Award Ground 3”);

or

Direct Award Ground 4: Where a matter of extreme urgency arises (or had arisen prior to Ofgem’s Request), as a result of which Ofgem reasonably considers it inappropriate to conduct a Call-Off pursuant to Competitive Selection Process under clause 5 of this Framework Agreement (“Direct Award Ground 4”).

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 5 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£20,833,333
Contract period: 30 Jun 2026 – 29 Jun 2031 (5 yrs)Value: £20,833,333 exc. VAT · £25,000,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
71310000 Consultative engineering and construction services71621000 Technical analysis or consultancy services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Participation is open to economic operators that are legally constituted and able to enter into a legally binding contract with Ofgem. Suppliers must not be subject to any mandatory or discretionary exclusion grounds under applicable procurement legislation. Legal standing will be assessed via the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate financial standing and economic capacity to deliver the services. Financial standing will be assessed as part of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and may include financial and credit checks undertaken by Ofgem.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate technical capability and experience to deliver independent technical and cost assurance services for major electricity transmission infrastructure projects. This includes the ability to provide assurance across design, procurement, cost and delivery, and to resource work flexibly across multiple projects where required. Technical capability will be assessed as part of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and the tender evaluation process.

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Technical: 70%
  • Commercial: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Technical: Assessment of the quality of the tender response in accordance with the evaluation methodology set out in the tender documentation.
  • Commercial: Assessment of price in accordance with the commercial evaluation methodology set out in the tender documentation.
Conditions of participation2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Participation is open to economic operators that are legally constituted and able to enter into a legally binding contract with Ofgem. Suppliers must not be subject to any mandatory or discretionary exclusion grounds under applicable procurement legislation. Legal standing will be assessed via the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate financial standing and economic capacity to deliver the services. Financial standing will be assessed as part of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and may include financial and credit checks undertaken by Ofgem.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate technical capability and experience to deliver independent technical and cost assurance services for major electricity transmission infrastructure projects. This includes the ability to provide assurance across design, procurement, cost and delivery, and to resource work flexibly across multiple projects where required. Technical capability will be assessed as part of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and the tender evaluation process.

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
  • “2024-133 RIIO-3 Independent Technical Adviser” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 3 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
20 Jun 2025, 13:02 BST
Last source update
20 Oct 2026, 14:26 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 28 May 2026
Authority reference
2024-133A-C
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-017065
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Consultative engineering and construction servicesTechnical analysis or consultancy services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0550e3 Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Payment will be made in accordance with the framework agreement and applicable call‑off contracts. Charges shall be based on the agreed daily rates submitted by the supplier at tender stage and applied in line with the requirements of the relevant call‑off.

Payment will be subject to the satisfactory delivery of services and submission of valid invoices in accordance with the contract terms. Further details of invoicing, payment timing and any reporting requirements are set out in the framework and call‑off contract documentation.

Review and risk notes
Risks

Key risks to the successful delivery of the contract include:

  • Availability and retention of suitably skilled and experienced resources over the contract period;
  • Conflicts of interest arising from suppliers' wider market activities and relationships with Transmission Owners or their supply chains;
  • The variable and evolving nature of the scope of work across RIIO‑3, including changes in project eligibility, volume and timing;
  • Dependence on timely provision of information and cooperation from third parties, including Transmission Owners; and
  • The complexity and scale of electricity transmission projects, which may impact delivery timelines and assurance activities.

These risks will be managed through contractual controls, governance arrangements, reporting requirements and performance management mechanisms as set out in the framework and call‑off contracts.

How it was run

Official notice
Appointment period ends
20 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
20 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Via www.mytenders.co.uk ↗

Timeline

20 Jun 2025 → 20 Oct 2026 · 10 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    20 Jun 2025, 13:02 BST
  2. Next notice expected
    28 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  3. Tender notice published238 days ago
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
  4. Clarification questions by216 days ago
    20 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
  5. Admission / appointment period ends185 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
    20 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
  6. Award decision expected by146 days ago
    28 May 2026, 23:59 BST
  7. Contract starts114 days ago
    30 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
  8. Assessment summaries sent112 days ago
    2 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
  9. Standstill ends98 days ago
    15 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
  10. Latest notice published2 days ago
    20 Oct 2026, 14:26 BST

Notice history

15 events · 7 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Jun 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    20 Jun 2025, 13:02 BST
    UK1
  2. Tender notice published
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
    UK4
  3. Published value published: £20,833,333
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
  4. Status changed to active
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
  5. Procurement method changed
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
  6. Deadline published: 7 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
    25 Feb 2026, 16:12 GMT
  7. Tender notice published
    27 Mar 2026, 15:42 GMT
    UK4
  8. Deadline moved to 14 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
    27 Mar 2026, 15:42 GMT
    +7 days · was 7 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
  9. Tender notice published
    9 Apr 2026, 16:50 BST
    UK4
  10. Deadline moved to 20 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
    9 Apr 2026, 16:50 BST
    +6 days · was 14 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
  11. Tender notice published
    15 Apr 2026, 15:23 BST
    UK4
  12. Contract award notice published
    3 Jul 2026, 14:38 BST
    UK6
  13. Status changed to complete
    3 Jul 2026, 14:38 BST
  14. Contract signature expected
    17 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  15. Contract details notice published
    20 Oct 2026, 14:26 BST
    UK7
Published amendments (3)

Change to the tender submission date from 07 April 2026 at 12 noon to 14 April 2026 at 12 noon

Due to issues with the mytender system, uploaded documents added to the notice are not showing. Mytenders are aware and looking in to this. Thererfore, to allow time for bidders to review these documents, the closing date is being pushed back a week with the view that the system has been fixed by Monday to allow the document to show. To note for bidders, the changes to the terms are minimal and…

Additional supporting documents now uploaded

Routine re-releases (7)
  • 2026-04: 1 release · 9 Apr 2026
  • 2026-03: 1 release · 27 Mar 2026
  • 2026-02: 1 release · 25 Feb 2026
  • 2025-06: 1 release · 20 Jun 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Suppliers appointed 31 award · see the list ↓
Bids received 106 from SMEs
Named bidders 10published on the award notice
Contracts signed 1latest 15 Oct 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Atkins Limited, Kelvin Construction Company Limited, RRL Group Limited22 Jul 2026 – 21 Jul 2031£20,833,33325 Jun 2026Awarded

Contracts

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
10final-stage tenders60—

Who bid

Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ofgem

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PWXD-5991-LZZP 10 South Colonnade, London, London, E14 4PUContact name, email

Framework contractors & participating bidders

10 commercial parties on the notice · 3 awarded

Official documents & specifications (13)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender