Official UK procurement notice
Continuous Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM)
Authority: United Utilities Water Limited (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionAt United Utilities, it is our commitment to supply great water to homes and businesses, removing and treating wastewater behind the scenes. We are developing our infrastructure in response to climate, population and lifestyle changes so we can deliver a service customers can rely on now and in the future. Section 82 mandates the continuous monitoring of water quality upstream and downstream of storm overflows and wastewater treatment assets, with the objective of improving transparency, compliance, and environmental outcomes. The CWQM programme is a major transformation initiative requiring significant investment in technology, installation capability, ecological and hydrological planning, and real-time data assurance. United Utilities requires a Supplier capable of delivering a robust monitoring solution that integrates with UU’s existing telemetry, data platforms, operational processes, and regulatory reporting frameworks, ensuring accurate monitoring and near-real-time data availability. United Utilities are looking to procure the end-to-end delivery, operation, and assurance of Continuous Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) across United Utilities’ (UU’s) waste water network, in accordance with the requirements of Section 82 of the Environment Act and the CWQM Interim Technical Standard, as updated from time to time. Under the Agreement, a CWQM Supplier shall provide all goods, works and services, including but not limited to:
- All hardware, including sondes, remote telemetry units, batteries, fixings, kiosks and other installation options;
- Design & Installation process including all associated works including all associated works required to install/maintain equipment such as (but not limited to): land clearance, civils work and surveys;
- Data acquisition and provision;
- Maintenance and calibration;
- System integration with the Company’s systems;
- Reporting capabilities; and
- Any other goods and services required to ensure continuous, accurate, reliable, and regulatory-compliant monitoring at designated upstream and downstream locations.
- How the procedure runs: The procurement will include a multi-stage approach with an Invitation to Trial before being shortlisted down for a trial period of 9 months. This will be followed by an ITN and BAFO stage, which will assess the trial and commercial offerings. Phase 1 – ITT – Trial Selection – This stage will allow for the down selection to 4 suppliers to take part in the 9-month trial. The trial will be undertaken on a fixed price basis, set by UU based on market intelligence and benchmarking. Phase 2 – ITT – Tender Negotiation – will run in tandem with the trial and will mirror a traditional ITN stage. The Bidder will be assessed against Commercial and Technical element along with technical criteria for the trial. Phase 3 – BAFO - This phase will be post-trial and will be solely based on the assessment of the Bidder’s submitted prices for their Best and Final Offer. The number of Bidders for each Phase is as follows: No. of Bidders to Phase 2 - 4 No. of Awards 1* United Utilities currently intends to make a single award to one CWQM Supplier. However, reserves the right to make two awards, and enter into two separate Agreements. The reasons for making two awards rather than one may include Regulatory change or Scalability and delivery risk.
CPV: Added-value database services · Calibration services · Data analysis services · Data capture services · Data collection and collation services · Database systems · Electricity supply installations · Environmental monitoring other than for construction · Flow-monitoring services · Industrial process control equipment · Installation services of electrical and mechanical equipment · Installation services of guidance and control systems · +10 more
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£127,200,000
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 (2)
- Tender Proposal: 50%
- Trial Criteria: 50%
Published award criteria (2)
- Tender Proposal: Technical Questions and Commercial Submission
- Trial Criteria: Outcome of the Tria
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £84,725,850 (twice the annual value).
Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How United Utilities Water Limited buys Environmental management (CPV 9071), and who usually turns up
United Utilities Water Limited’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Environmental management (CPV 9071) →
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 registered in North West England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in North West England.
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 89 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 bid21%
2–314%
4–636%
7+29%
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.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate64%
Within ±2%29%
Above estimate7%
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 9071Published estimate£127m
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.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid34%
2–335%
4–617%
7+14%
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.
Based on 6 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£127m
Estimate£127m
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.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adler and Allan LtdWorked for this buyer | Framework-Services-Hazardous Waste Management & Cleaning Servicesnotice published Apr 2023 | Lot 2 - Hazardous Waste Management & Cleaning Services – South West of UU region | — | Similar wording and category |
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.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £289m47 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 16 live · £171m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=26 | |
Bureau VeritasLarge | £40m23 awards in 36m · last this month | 12 live · £3.7m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 3% below n=8 |
Ricardo AEA LtdLarge | £59m60 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 19 live · £48m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 7% below n=17 |
| £2.4m24 awards in 36m · last this month | 6 live · £354k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 16% below n=5 | |
| £522m15 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 6 live · £321m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=11 |
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
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- 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
- 2 Feb 2026, 15:01 GMT
- Last source update
- 2 Feb 2026, 15:01 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 Mar 2027
- Authority reference
PRO005020- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-009052- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06146fFind a Tender
- How it runs
The procurement will include a multi-stage approach with an Invitation to Trial before being shortlisted down for a trial period of 9 months. This will be followed by an ITN and BAFO stage, which will assess the trial and commercial offerings. Phase 1 – ITT – Trial Selection – This stage will allow for the down selection to 4 suppliers to take part in the 9-month trial. The trial will be undertaken on a fixed price basis, set by UU based on market intelligence and benchmarking. Phase 2 – ITT – Tender Negotiation – will run in tandem with the trial and will mirror a traditional ITN stage. The Bidder will be assessed against Commercial and Technical element along with technical criteria for the trial. Phase 3 – BAFO - This phase will be post-trial and will be solely based on the assessment of the Bidder’s submitted prices for their Best and Final Offer. The number of Bidders for each Phase is as follows: No. of Bidders to Phase 2 - 4 No. of Awards 1* United Utilities currently intends to make a single award to one CWQM Supplier. However, reserves the right to make two awards, and enter into two separate Agreements. The reasons for making two awards rather than one may include Regulatory change or Scalability and delivery risk.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via EU-Supply (CTM)- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 29 Jan 2027, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 27 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
2 Feb 2026 → 5 Apr 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published260 days ago2 Feb 2026, 15:01 GMT
- Clarification questions by235 days ago27 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 101 days29 Jan 2027, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 154 days22 Mar 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 167 days5 Apr 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published2 Feb 2026, 15:01 GMTUK4
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- 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 (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender