Official UK procurement notice
Charter & Heritage National Onboard ETCS Fitment Framework - Package 1
Authority: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNetwork Rail is introducing digital signalling, which will see traditional lineside signals removed and replaced with European Train Control Systems (ETCS) technology. The implementation will enable continuous, real-time information to the train driver’s cab.
ETCS is an in-cab signalling system that enables trains to run closer together, safely and to travel at their optimal speeds. To implement ETCS, it requires changes to signalling infrastructure and fitment of in-cab technology on locomotives.
NR is intending to procure a framework to enable the design, supply, installation (fitment), test and put back into service of ETCS equipment fitted across a range of existing locomotive classes, including electric, diesel and steam across the Charter & Heritage sector.
CPV: Installation of signalling equipment · Parts of locomotives or rolling stock · Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock; railways traffic-control equipment · Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts · Railway signalling works · Rolling stock
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 1 suppliers
- Framework period
11 yrs 1 mo from 10 Dec 2027, The framework exceeds the standard 8-year maximum term under the Procurement Act 2023, the Authority considers a longer duration necessary due to the significant investment required for First in Class (FiC) design activities, extensive OEM integration, and the need to maintain continuity throughout the delivery lifecycle. Re-tendering during delivery would be commercially inefficient and would require the FiC design process to be repeated. Section 47(2) of the Procurement Act 2023 permits longer framework durations where justified by the nature of the goods, services or works being procured.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1PlannedPublished value£140,123,500
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).
- “Charter & Heritage National Onboard ETCS Fitment Framework - Package 1” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED buys Electrical installation work (CPV 4531), and who usually turns up
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Electrical installation work (CPV 4531) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in Greater London.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 156 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid9% / 0%
2–336% / 24%
4–627% / 32%
7+27% / 43%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 4531Published estimate£140m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 137 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid1%
2–311%
4–616%
7+72%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Works
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- 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, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 9 Sept 2025, 12:43 BST
- Last source update
- 31 Jul 2026, 14:23 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 12 Nov 2027
- Authority reference
SR42713- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-072760- Latest notice
- Planned procurement notice (UK3)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0596a6Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 16 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Appointment period ends
- 16 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
9 Sept 2025 → 10 Dec 2027 · 7 dates- Planning notice published9 Sept 2025, 12:43 BST
- Market engagement314 days ago12 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Network Rail are launching an Early Market Engagement process as part of the development of the procurement approach to the LFF.
Responding to the notice is an excellent opportunity to engage with the programme, share relevant information and provide vital feedback to inform the procurement approach. Should your organisation wish to respond to this notice please follow the instructions below.
- Supplier Engagement Event
NR intends to hold a virtual online supplier engagement session for registered parties in relation to the procurement of the Locomotive ETCS Fitment Framework (LFF) on the 2nd of October 2025, via Microsoft Teams.
NR sincerely wishes your organisation to attend this event and hear about this very exciting opportunity and the start of changing the UK Rail Industry for the future of ETCS.
This event will have a greater level of detailed information provided on our proposed approaches, and we encourage attendance therefore to help shape the requirements and contracting strategy. Our team will be on hand to ask all questions, and all supply chains are encouraged to attend (large or small) to understand how your organisation can become engaged and involved.
- Market Sounding Questionnaire
Following the Supplier Engagement Day, Network Rail will invite all participants to provide feedback on key areas of consideration in the development of the strategy and thinking to date, which will be captured via the Market Sounding Questionnaire (MSQ).
The MSQ will be issued to all interested parties by email to their nominated individual that have registered on BRAVO (JAGGER), following the Supplier Engagement Day.
Any clarifications or questions in respect of this market engagement should be directed to:
NR shall run a full clarification mailbox throughout this whole market engagement process and where NO Unique Selling Points (USP’s) or Intellectual Property Rights are disclosed then in these cases our responses and the original question may be shared with all potential participants. NR therefore request that should anything be considered a USP and IPR to your organisation that this is marked (CONFIDENTIAL & COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE) on the clarification or email at the very top of the clarification or email, so that NR can consider ensuring protection of the same.
Further Information:
For further information relating to the scope of this pre-market engagement, including how to register for the Supplier Engagement Event, please review the document titled "PME Locomotive Fitment Briefing Document" via the instructions below.
- Follow the link
networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html ↗
- From the welcome screen, access the "View Current Opportunities" link and select "Locomotive ETCS Fitment Framework ". (Login is not required).
- Then follow the instructions in the "Responding to this Market Engagement" section of the attached document "PME Locomotive Fitment Briefing Document”.
Contact Details:
Contact name: Chid Oriaku - Senior Procurement Manager
Email: [email protected]
- Latest notice published83 days ago31 Jul 2026, 14:23 BST
- Tender notice expected38 days ago14 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Admission / appointment period ends36 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown16 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 386 days12 Nov 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts10 Dec 2027
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Sept 2025- Pipeline notice published9 Sept 2025, 12:43 BSTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published12 Sept 2025, 16:35 BSTUK2
- Planned procurement notice published31 Jul 2026, 14:23 BSTUK3
- Published value updated to £140,123,50031 Jul 2026, 14:23 BSTwas £270,000,000
- Procurement method changed31 Jul 2026, 14:23 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications UK3 Planned Procurement Notice - Summary of Changes Post UK2 Notice
Notices published for this procedure
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender