Official UK procurement notice
AWC - Class 80x Heavy Maintenance
Authority: FIRST TRENITALIA WEST COAST RAIL LIMITED (Public body)·On behalf of: FIRST RAIL HOLDINGS LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe AWC Class 80x Heavy Maintenance will fall approximately due in Mar 2028. The overhaul covers the requirement for level 5 activities and associated tasks such as: -
Cover - Horn replacement, bogies, pantograph overhaul and ETCS signal repeater overhaul, GU minor overhaul (805 specific).
The requirement for this procurement specifically covers the removal, refit and logistics if applicable, with material for the activities being supplied under the TSSSA already in place.
The procurement is not to undertake any overhaul activities of components.
- How the procedure runs: This will be a two stage process with a Pre-Qualification Stage (PQQ). Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, Avanti West Coast (AWC) will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to negotiate in accordance with the terms of the PQQ. AWC reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to negotiate to four 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. AWC 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 Negotiate (ITN) with shortlisted bidders being taken forward to a presentation stage (optional) 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.
CPV: Railway transport services · Repair, maintenance and associated services related to aircraft, railways, roads and marine equipment
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£15,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
This procurement process is being advertised and run by AWC on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of AWC. That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of DfT OLR Holdings Limited and will ultimately be 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 AWC, 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 arrangement 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 AWC 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.
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 (3)
- Quality: 50%
- Terms & Conditions: 10%
- Price: 40%
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality: Sustainability 10% Service Spec & Innovation 20% Programme & Delivery 20%
- Price
- Terms & Conditions
- Economic & financial standing
This procurement process is being advertised and run by AWC on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of AWC. That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of DfT OLR Holdings Limited and will ultimately be 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 AWC, 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 arrangement 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 AWC shall be deemed to refer …
- 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
- Closed
- 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
- 14 Jul 2026, 13:25 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Jul 2026, 13:25 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 8 Apr 2027
- Authority reference
FX1407- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-066176- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06cabfFind a Tender
- How it runs
This will be a two stage process with a Pre-Qualification Stage (PQQ).
Following the evaluation of the PQQ responses, Avanti West Coast (AWC) will shortlist the Applicants it will invite to negotiate in accordance with the terms of the PQQ.
AWC reserves the right to limit the number of Applicants that are invited to negotiate to four 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. AWC 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 Negotiate (ITN) with shortlisted bidders being taken forward to a presentation stage (optional) 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.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
14 Jul 2026 → 1 Feb 2028 · 4 dates- Tender notice published99 days ago14 Jul 2026, 13:25 BST
- Submission deadline70 days ago12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 170 days8 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts1 Feb 2028
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published14 Jul 2026, 13:25 BSTUK4
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- FIRST RAIL HOLDINGS LIMITEDProcess contact pointProcuring entityProcurement Manager
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender