Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 15 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST

Official UK procurement notice

976595394 T1400 Demonstrating the visibility and illumination of rolling stock external lighting

Official notice

Authority: Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) (Public body)

ServicesBelow threshold - open competitionBelow threshold
Sectors: Research & Development (R&D) (73) Delivery: UK
Published estimate£100,000≈ £133k / year · £120,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 13 Oct 2025awarded 18 Nov 2025
Awarded to OptiConsulting Limited
Contract term 9 moends 24 Aug 2026 · starts 24 Nov 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

RSSB seeks to procure research to:

•Provide insight on front-end lighting used on GB rolling stock; the assumptions made on their performance (both in term of visibility provided to the driver and warning to people on or near the line)

•Indicate the degree of warning provided (in terms of distance between an oncoming train and the viewer) by front-end lighting that is:

oCompliant with LOC&PAS (Rolling stock - Locomotive & Passenger) NTSN requirements

oInstalled on pre-TSI (Technical Specification for Interoperability) vehicles, including yellow front-ends

•Assess the variables that can degrade or drift and affect compliance with the requirements, and inspection or maintenance required to keep front-end lighting within limits

•Assess the feasibility and potential benefits of automated headlight switching, with or without the added functionality of Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) headlight technology that is available on road vehicles

Successful delivery and implementation will:

•Provide industry with evidence on the actual warning provided by the lighting specifications and their impact on safety protocols and train operations. This is intended to inform RSSB Standards Project 22-006 (which is planned to be completed by December 2026). This is also intended to inform an update to RIS-3437-TOM Defective On-Train Equipment and Rule Book Module GERT8000-TW5 Defective or isolated vehicles and on-train equipment, by informing what arrangements remain safe when some external vehicle lighting becomes defective, but other lighting remains working.

•Identify the potential advantages and risks of adopting automated headlight switching, with or without ADB headlight technology, considering the need for industry co-ordination.

To view this notice, please click here:

www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html ↗

CPV: Research services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 9 moPublished value£100,000
Contract period: 24 Nov 2025 – 24 Aug 2026 (9 mo)Value: £100,000 exc. VAT · £120,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UK

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: 80%Price: 20%
Published sub-criteria (5)
  • W2 Tenderer’s understanding and methodology [Max 4 pages]: 25%
  • W3 Tenderer’s experience and inhttps://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/project/buyer/editTenderNotice.html#dividual expertise [Max 4 pages, excluding CVs]: 25%
  • W4 Project management: Planning and engagement: 20%
  • W5 Project management: Risks and opportunities: 10%
  • W6 Cost of project: 20%
Published award criteria (5)
  • W2 Tenderer’s understanding and methodology [Max 4 pages]
  • W3 Tenderer’s experience and inhttps://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/project/buyer/editTenderNotice.html#dividual expertise [Max 4 pages, excluding CVs]
  • W4 Project management: Planning and engagement
  • W5 Project management: Risks and opportunities
  • W6 Cost of project
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

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

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Below threshold - open competition
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Below threshold
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
15 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
Last source update
16 Dec 2025, 14:05 GMT
Authority reference
976595394 T1400
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-056671
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Research services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059a8f Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Delta eSourcing · Who buys & how to bid on Delta
Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowed
Access & registration note: Free Select account; no DUNS asked at signup
Submission deadline
13 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
7 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

15 Sept 2025 → 16 Dec 2025 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    15 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
  2. Clarification questions by383 days ago
    7 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline377 days ago
    13 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
  4. Contract starts336 days ago
    24 Nov 2025
  5. Latest notice published313 days ago
    16 Dec 2025, 14:05 GMT

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 15 Sept 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    15 Sept 2025, 16:05 BST
    UK4
  2. Contract details notice published
    16 Dec 2025, 14:05 GMT
    UK7
  3. Status changed to complete
    16 Dec 2025, 14:05 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £100,0001 contract exc. VAT
Contracts signed 1latest 18 Nov 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
OptiConsulting Limited£100,000 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 1 · OptiConsulting Limited

    Signed
    18 Nov 2025
    Value
    £100,000
    Period
    19 Nov 2025 – 24 Aug 2026
    Status
    active

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB)

Contracting authorityPublic undertaking GB-PPON: PVGN-9767-BLPT 25 Fenchurch Avenue,, London, London, EC3M 5ADContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • OptiConsulting LimitedAwarded supplier Downlee Close, Chapel en le Frith, East Midlands, SK23 9TRContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender