Official UK procurement notice
FA08-27 - DPC/SIPR Advisory Services
Authority: NORTHUMBRIAN WATER LIMITED
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionNorthumbrian Water are looking to appoint Specialist Advisory Services to support the development, procurement and mobilisation of major strategic infrastructure programmes, specifically related to the Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) / Specified Infrastructure Project Regulations (SIPR) pathways, including the North Suffolk Reservoir Project.
The framework will provide access to specialist financial/commercial and legal advisors who will support the delivery of strategic infrastructure programmes through the provision of advisory services covering procurement strategy, commercial structuring, financial modelling and assurance, legal strategy, procurement law support, contract drafting, regulatory compliance and mobilisation support.
- How the procedure runs: Stage 1: Invitation to Participate & Conditions of Participation (COP) This stage begins with the issuing of a Tender Notice. Suppliers who have expressed interest will be invited to complete a Conditions of Participation questionnaire and submit their tenders. The assessment of these responses will identify the top scoring 5 number of suppliers in each Lot to be invited to participate in Stage 2. Stage 2: Invitation to Submit Initial Tenders Suppliers who were shortlisted at Stage 1 will be invited to Stage 2 to submit their tenders. All tenders must be submitted in line with the Procurement Timetable and instructions contained in this document and any supplementary information provided. After the tender deadline, NWL will assess all submissions using the process and award criteria outlined in the tender documents. Supplier interviews will also be conducted as part of Stage 2 and will be assessed in accordance with the process and award criteria set out in the tender documents. Stage 3: Supplier Interviews and Invitation to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) After assessment of stage 2, suppliers will be invited to Stage 3 to participate in BAFO. Best and Final Offers (BAFO) must also be submitted at this stage in accordance with the Procurement Timetable and instructions set out in the tender documents. NWL will also consider whether any supplier (or associated entities relied upon to meet participation conditions) is an excluded or excludable supplier under the Act. If a supplier is excludable solely due to an associated supplier or subcontractor, NWL will notify them and provide a reasonable opportunity to replace that entity. If NWL subsequently disregards a tender due to exclusion, or an associated entity is replaced, NWL will notify the Procurement Review Unit (PRU) within 30 days. NWL will identify the most advantageous tender(s) in line with the stated methodology and disregard any tender from suppliers not meeting the Conditions of Participation. This assessment will identify the supplier(s) successful in each Lot. Following this assessment, NWL will provide an assessment summary to all suppliers who submitted a tender including: • whether they have been awarded a framework agreement, • an explanation of how their tender was assessed against the award criteria, and • information about the most advantageous tender where this differs from their own. A Contract Award Notice will then be published on the Central Digital Platform to commence the mandatory standstill period. Once the standstill period concludes, NWL will enter the preferred supplier stage with the selected supplier(s). Stage 4: Preferred Supplier Stage The highest scoring supplier(s) will be invited to engage with NWL within the limitations of the Act. This stage concludes with NWL entering into the contract with the preferred supplier(s).
CPV: Accounting and auditing services · Business and management consultancy and related services · Financial consultancy services · Legal services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 4 suppliers
- Framework period
- 5 yrs · up to 12 yrs from 1 Aug 2027
Published description of the framework
The pricing and selection process will be as per tender documents.
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value · same conditions of participation on every lotEvery one of these 2 lots carries the same published figure, £50,000,000: it is the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.
Lot #1Financial & Commercial AdvisoryRenewalceiling above
Provision of financial and commercial advisory services to support the development, procurement, contract award, and mobilisation of major infrastructure programmes. Services include financial strategy and modelling, commercial and delivery model development, procurement strategy and documentation, payment mechanism design, market engagement, bidder evaluation and negotiations, contract close activities, and associated assurance support. The appointed adviser will provide strategic support throughout the programme lifecycle and will work closely with the programme team, technical advisors and legal advisors.
The scope is agnostic to delivery model, including SIPR and DPC models.
The intention is to appoint one supplier per lot, with the addition of one reserve supplier per lot to provide additional resilience, capacity and flexibility to support future programme requirements.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The top 5 ranked suppliers will progress to the tender stage for each Lot, with the intention of appointing 2 suppliers per Lot.
NWL reserve the right to take additional suppliers through to the next stage should scores be tied or within 1 percentage point away from the lowest scoring shortlisted contractor.
Lot #2Legal ServicesRenewalceiling above
Provision of legal advisory services to support major infrastructure procurement programmes, including legal strategy, procurement law, contract drafting and negotiation, regulatory compliance, land and planning matters, contract close and mobilisation activities, and corporate finance legal support. The appointed dviser will provide strategic legal support throughout the programme lifecycle and will work closely with the programme team, technical advisors and financial/commercial advisors.
The scope is agnostic to delivery model, including SIPR and DPC models.
The intention is to appoint one supplier per lot, with the addition of one reserve supplier per lot to provide additional resilience, capacity and flexibility to support future programme requirements.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The top 5 ranked suppliers will progress to the tender stage for each Lot, with the intention of appointing 2 suppliers per Lot.
NWL reserve the right to take additional suppliers through to the next stage should scores be tied or within 1 percentage point away from the lowest scoring shortlisted contractor.
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).
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The top 5 ranked suppliers will progress to the tender stage for each Lot, with the intention of appointing 2 suppliers per Lot.
NWL reserve the right to take additional suppliers through to the next stage should scores be tied or within 1 percentage point away from the lowest scoring shortlisted contractor.
- “FA08-27 - DPC/SIPR Advisory Services” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 4 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How NORTHUMBRIAN WATER LIMITED buys Financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and clearing-house services (CPV 6617), and who usually turns up
NORTHUMBRIAN WATER 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: Financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and clearing-house services (CPV 6617) →
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.
No supplier sizes published for this authority.
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.
No winner locations published for this authority. Local means a registered address in North East 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 81 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.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Awards are recorded, but published direct routes and bid counts do not establish this buyer’s share.
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 bid3%
2–33%
4–611%
7+83%
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 #1Financial & Commercial AdvisoryCPV 66171000Published estimate£50m
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 bid1%
2–34%
4–67%
7+88%
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.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
KPMGLarge | £574m147 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 39 live · £100m 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=23 |
SAVILLS (UK) LIMITEDLarge | £7.9m73 awards in 36m · last this month | 29 live · £805m 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=8 |
| £13m30 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 11 live · £4.7m 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. | at estimate n=8 | |
Barclays Bank PLCLarge | £7.5m8 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 3 live · £401k 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=4 |
Ernst and Young LLPLarge | £168m74 awards in 36m · last this month | 15 live · £25m 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. | 8% below n=11 |
Lot #2Legal ServicesCPV 66171000Published estimate£50m
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 bid1%
2–33%
4–65%
7+91%
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.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
KPMGLarge | £574m147 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 39 live · £100m 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=23 |
| £76m119 awards in 36m · last this month | 53 live · £96m 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=34 | |
Marsh LtdLarge | £56m129 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 60 live · £45m 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=45 |
| £13m30 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 11 live · £4.7m 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. | at estimate n=8 | |
| £12m41 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 19 live · £804k 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=15 |
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 admission
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 21 Sept 2026, 09:06 BST
- Last source update
- 16 Oct 2026, 11:28 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 1 Jul 2027
- Authority reference
FA08-27- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-097837- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077600Find a Tender
- How it runs
Stage 1: Invitation to Participate & Conditions of Participation (COP)
This stage begins with the issuing of a Tender Notice. Suppliers who have expressed interest will be invited to complete a Conditions of Participation questionnaire and submit their tenders.
The assessment of these responses will identify the top scoring 5 number of suppliers in each Lot to be invited to participate in Stage 2.
Stage 2: Invitation to Submit Initial Tenders
Suppliers who were shortlisted at Stage 1 will be invited to Stage 2 to submit their tenders.
All tenders must be submitted in line with the Procurement Timetable and instructions contained in this document and any supplementary information provided.
After the tender deadline, NWL will assess all submissions using the process and award criteria outlined in the tender documents.
Supplier interviews will also be conducted as part of Stage 2 and will be assessed in accordance with the process and award criteria set out in the tender documents.
Stage 3: Supplier Interviews and Invitation to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO)
After assessment of stage 2, suppliers will be invited to Stage 3 to participate in BAFO.
Best and Final Offers (BAFO) must also be submitted at this stage in accordance with the Procurement Timetable and instructions set out in the tender documents.
NWL will also consider whether any supplier (or associated entities relied upon to meet participation conditions) is an excluded or excludable supplier under the Act. If a supplier is excludable solely due to an associated supplier or subcontractor, NWL will notify them and provide a reasonable opportunity to replace that entity.
If NWL subsequently disregards a tender due to exclusion, or an associated entity is replaced, NWL will notify the Procurement Review Unit (PRU) within 30 days.
NWL will identify the most advantageous tender(s) in line with the stated methodology and disregard any tender from suppliers not meeting the Conditions of Participation. This assessment will identify the supplier(s) successful in each Lot.
Following this assessment, NWL will provide an assessment summary to all suppliers who submitted a tender including:
- whether they have been awarded a framework agreement,
- an explanation of how their tender was assessed against the award criteria, and
- information about the most advantageous tender where this differs from their own.
A Contract Award Notice will then be published on the Central Digital Platform to commence the mandatory standstill period.
Once the standstill period concludes, NWL will enter the preferred supplier stage with the selected supplier(s).
Stage 4: Preferred Supplier Stage
The highest scoring supplier(s) will be invited to engage with NWL within the limitations of the Act.
This stage concludes with NWL entering into the contract with the preferred supplier(s).
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via SAP Ariba- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 10 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Appointment period ends
- 10 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Applicants are asked to note that this procurement process will be conducted electronically with all documents and communication being managed through the Northumbrian Water eSourcing Spend Management portal called 'Ariba' (s1.ariba.com ↗).
Expressions of interest from this notice must be sent to the e-mail address [email protected] before the deadline date of 10th November 2026 at Midday. Once expression of interest has been received that contains the details below, applicants will be given access to the Ariba portal within 48 hours from request. This portal will contain all the tender documents associated with this procurement that are available at the time. An email link will also be provided to the email address you provide to access the portal. When sending expression of interest, applicants must provide the following information:
- Full company name
- Main contact details of the person who will be given access to the Ariba portal - Name, job title, E mail address and telephone number.
- The Lot you are bidding for.
(The deadline for return of the completed Conditions of Participation is 16th November 2026 at Midday)
Timeline
21 Sept 2026 → 1 Aug 2027 · 7 dates- Planning notice published30 days ago21 Sept 2026, 09:06 BST
- Next notice expected12 days ago8 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published5 days ago16 Oct 2026, 11:28 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 16 days6 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period endsin 20 days · period end, not a bid countdown10 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 254 days1 Jul 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 284 days1 Aug 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 21 Sept 2026- Planned procurement notice published21 Sept 2026, 09:06 BSTUK3
- Planned procurement notice published23 Sept 2026, 10:25 BSTUK3
- Tender notice published16 Oct 2026, 11:28 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active16 Oct 2026, 11:28 BST
Published amendments (1)
The notice has only been amended to include details of the number of suppliers that will be appointed to each lot. This information is set out in the Lot 1 and Lot 2 sections.
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 (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender