Client Support Framework (CSF)

The East West Railway Company (the Authority) is responsible for the delivery of East West Rail (EWR), a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project providing new and upgraded rail links between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. EWR Co. is responsible for leading the development, procurement, and commissioning of the railway.

The Authority is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of a planned procurement for Client Support Framework (CSF) Partners to support the development and delivery of the EWR programme.

This notice is issued to inform the market of the Authority's current thinking, to seek clarifications and respond to all interested suppliers. This is not a call for competition.

Overview of the Intended Contract

The Authority is considering the establishment of a 3 lot / single appointed supplier per lot framework for the provision of Client Support Services (CSF) for a period of up to twelve (12) years, with performance and scope breakpoints at Years 3, 6 and 9.

Relationship with the ITOAE Partner

The Authority is separately considering the procurement of an Integration, Technical, Operations, Assurance and Environmental (ITOAE) Partner.

The Authority's current position is that the CSF partners will be structurally separated from the ITOAE, such that the appointed CSF Partners will not be eligible to be appointed under the ITOAE for the duration of the CSF contracts. The purpose of this separation is to protect the independence of assurance and advice, to mitigate real or perceived conflicts of interest, and to align with independent review findings on major programme governance (including the Stewart Review, 2025).

The Authority is testing this position through this preliminary market engagement. The final Conditions of Participation will be confirmed in the tender documentation and will be set in accordance with the Authority's obligations under the Procurement Act 2023 and the Procurement Regulations 2024.

Indicative Scope of Services

At this stage, the Authority has defined the high-level scope of services. These are expected to include (but are not limited to), at Lot level

Lot 1 – Reporting and Controls / PMO Support

Programme, portfolio and package level reporting:

• cost, schedule, risk, issue and change dashboards;
• consolidated programme performance reporting

Planning and scheduling support:

• development, maintenance and assurance of master and integrated schedules;
• critical path, float and scenario analysis;
• schedule change control support.

Cost and performance controls:

• cost forecasting and EAC support;
• reconciliation of cost, schedule and scope baselines;
• trend analysis and early warning indicators.

Risk, issue and opportunity management support:

• maintenance of programme and workstream risk registers;
• quantitative risk analysis (QRA) support;
• interface with assurance and gateway preparation.

Management information (MI) production:

• Board, Sponsor and DfT packs;
• standardised reporting templates and data definitions;
• audit ready evidence trails.

Controls systems and data governance:

• toolset configuration and administration (e.g. planning, cost, risk tools);
• data quality checks and consistency rules;
• document and records management interfaces.

Lot 2 – Commercial Management and Contract Administration support

Procurement support:

• pre tender estimation;
• commercial evaluation;
• commercial support during tender processes

Contract administration:

• management of notices, instructions, early warnings and compensation events;
• administration of NEC (or equivalent) processes;
• maintenance of contractual registers and correspondence logs.

Change control and forecasting support:

• cost planning, estimating and cost engineering;
• development and maintenance of cost estimates;
• assessment and logging of change events;
• affordability and cost assurance of options

Payment and cost management support:

• valuation support;
• payment application assessment;
• reconciliation against cost records.

Claims avoidance and dispute support:

• contemporaneous record management;
• support to dispute resolution processes;
• preparation of evidence packs (without advocacy role unless instructed).

Supplier performance and compliance monitoring:

• performance data collation against contractual KPIs;
• payment practice and supply chain compliance checks.

Commercial data and audit support:

• audit responses and evidence collation;
• benchmarking and affordability analyses.

Lot 3 – Project & Construction Management Support

Project and package management support:

• workstream coordination and day to day management support;
• delivery plan development and tracking;
• action management and follow up.
• Interface and dependency management:
• coordination across contractors, designers, third parties and stakeholders;
• management of interface schedules and logs.

Programme governance support:

• preparation of governance boards and working groups;
• action and decision tracking;
• support to stage gate and readiness reviews.

Stakeholder and third party coordination, including:

• support to statutory undertaker, local authority and regulator engagement;
• tracking of commitments and undertakings.

Transition and mobilisation support:

• support to phase transitions (e.g. design to construction);
• readiness planning and handover coordination.

Delivery performance support:

• progress measurement and reporting;
• recovery planning support (without authority to direct suppliers).

Construction Management:

• Clerk of works/Site Inspector
• Construction Supervisor/Compliance Manager
• Quality Assurance
• Health & Safety
• CDM compliance.
• Contract Form – NEC4 Professional Service Contract
• Estimated total value - £230 million -£350 million *

*The indicative value range reflects a twelve (12) year term. The final value will be confirmed in the tender notice and is subject to internal approval and the outcome of this engagement.