Official UK procurement notice
Avanti West Coast, Service Quality Regime (SQR) procurement - 2025
Authority: FIRST TRENITALIA WEST COAST RAIL LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionAs part of the continuation of DfT's Service Quality Regime, we are looking to retender contracts associated with the audit, mystery shopping and data handling requirements of the regime. The specification is the same as the existing specification for SQRs by the DfT and will cover:
- Station inspections
- Train inspections
- Customer Service mystery shopping
- Re-inspections for failures to confirm improvement
In order to deliver the above we are looking for a supplier to provide independent inspections and mystery shopping across our network.
o Service Quality Register
o Service Quality App/Inspections Software
o Service Quality Inspections and Re-inspection
- How the procedure runs: This will be a two stage process with Pre Qualification Stage (PQQ). Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, the Client will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to tender in accordance with the terms of the PQQ. The Client reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to tender to a maximum of five Applicants. Only Applicants that score a "Pass" for all non-qualitatively scored questions in the PQQ will be considered and places will be awarded in order of highest to lowest score. The client reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to invite more Applicants if there is a tie in the scores between two or more Applicants for the final place. The PQQ will be followed by an Invitation to Tender (ITT) with shortlisted bidders being taken forward to a Presentation stage before final evaluation and award. The final scores for each Tender will be added together, after application of the relevant weightings, to receive a final score for each Tender. The Tenders will then be ranked according to the final scores received to identify the Most Advantageous Tender. The Client intends to award the contract to the highest scoring Tender.
CPV: Auditing services · System and support services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£850,000
- Economic & financial standing
This procurement process is being advertised and run by Avanti West Coast on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of West Coast Franchise. That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of DfT OLR Holdings Limited and will be ultimately owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The date for transfer of the current operations to the successor operator is not yet confirmed. Where the transfer is completed before contract award under this procurement process, the successor operator may elect (but will not be obliged) to carry on with this procurement process in place of Avanti West Coast, by taking on the role of contracting entity from the date of completion of the transfer (with this notice and all other procurement documents to be interpreted accordingly).
Where the transfer is not yet completed by the time of contract award, contractual rights may be included in the contractual arrangements to enable transfer to the successor operator. Bidders should note that this procurement process (if ongoing), or any awarded contract, may be included in a transfer scheme made by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Railways Act 2005, or the transfer may be effected outside of, or separate from, such a scheme.
If transfer takes place before the contract award the successor operator shall assume all the rights of the Client set out in this document. All references to Avanti West Coast shall be deemed to refer to the successor operator for the purposes of this procurement and the successor operator shall be entitled to continue or terminate this procurement as if it was involved from the outset.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be evaluated in line with the criteria stated within the PQQ.
Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, the Client will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to tender in accordance with the terms of the PQQ.
The Client reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to tender to a maximum of five Applicants. Only Applicants that score a "Pass" for all non-qualitatively scored questions in this PQQ will be considered and places will be awarded in order of highest to lowest score. The client reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to invite more Applicants if there is a tie in the scores between two or more Applicants for the final place.
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published sub-criteria (4)
- Service Specification & Innovation: 25%
- Programme & Delivery: 25%
- Pricing Submission: 40%
- Sustainability & Inclusion: 10%
Published award criteria (4)
- Pricing Submission
- Service Specification & Innovation
- Programme & Delivery
- Sustainability & Inclusion
- Economic & financial standing
This procurement process is being advertised and run by Avanti West Coast on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of West Coast Franchise. That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of DfT OLR Holdings Limited and will be ultimately owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The date for transfer of the current operations to the successor operator is not yet confirmed. Where the transfer is completed before contract award under this procurement process, the successor operator may elect (but will not be obliged) to carry on with this procurement process in place of Avanti West Coast, by taking on the role of contracting entity from the date of completion of the transfer (with this notice and all other procurement documents to be interpreted accordingly).
Where the transfer is not yet completed by the time of contract award, contractual rights may be included in the contractual arrangements to enable transfer to the successor operator. Bidders should note that this procurement process (if ongoing), or any awarded contract, may be included in a transfer scheme made by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Railways Act 2005, or the transfer may be effected outside of, or separate from, such a scheme.
If transfer takes place before the contract award the successor operator shall assume all the rights of the Client set out in this document. Al…
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) will be evaluated in line with the criteria stated within the PQQ.
Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, the Client will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to tender in accordance with the terms of the PQQ.
The Client reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to tender to a maximum of five Applicants. Only Applicants that score a "Pass" for all non-qualitatively scored questions in this PQQ will be considered and places will be awarded in order of highest to lowest score. The client reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to invite more Applicants if there is a tie in the scores between two or more Applicants for the final place.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 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
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 11 Apr 2025, 15:00 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Dec 2025, 11:26 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 24 Jul 2025
- Authority reference
FX1204- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-014699- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0501bbFind a Tender
- How it runs
This will be a two stage process with Pre Qualification Stage (PQQ).
Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, the Client will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to tender in accordance with the terms of the PQQ.
The Client reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to tender to a maximum of five Applicants. Only Applicants that score a "Pass" for all non-qualitatively scored questions in the PQQ will be considered and places will be awarded in order of highest to lowest score. The client reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to invite more Applicants if there is a tie in the scores between two or more Applicants for the final place.
The PQQ will be followed by an Invitation to Tender (ITT) with shortlisted bidders being taken forward to a Presentation stage before final evaluation and award.
The final scores for each Tender will be added together, after application of the relevant weightings, to receive a final score for each Tender. The Tenders will then be ranked according to the final scores received to identify the Most Advantageous Tender.
The Client intends to award the contract to the highest scoring Tender.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 7 May 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 7 May 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Access to the expression of interest can be found at:-
redirect.transaxions.com/events/CsoqG ↗
The procurement will be run on the WaxDigital procurement platform by First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited (the "Client") in connection with the procurement for the provision of Service Quality Regime procurement - 2025 (the "Project").
For the avoidance of doubt, the Client acts in accordance with its procurement policy which is consistent with the Procurement Act 2023 (the "Act").
Timeline
11 Apr 2025 → 5 Jan 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published11 Apr 2025, 15:00 BST
- Submission deadline7 May 2025, 17:00 BST
- Award decision expected by24 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts344 days ago12 Nov 2025
- Assessment summaries sent307 days ago19 Dec 2025
- Latest notice published307 days ago19 Dec 2025, 11:26 GMT
- Standstill ends289 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 11 Apr 2025- Tender notice published11 Apr 2025, 15:00 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published11 Apr 2025, 15:10 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published19 Dec 2025, 11:26 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete19 Dec 2025, 11:26 GMT
- Contract signature expected16 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Published amendments (1)
A correction was made to the scope description
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Shoppers LtdSME1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 | £607,500 | 19 Dec 2025standstill to 5 Jan 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Mystery Shoppers LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender