Official UK procurement notice
Ofwat Innovation Fund delivery partner 2025-30
Authority: Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) (Public body)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionWe are looking to appoint delivery partners to support Ofwat in delivering the Ofwat Innovation Fund and aspects of the Water Efficiency Fund in AMP 8 (the asset management planning period which runs from April 2025-March 2030). This is a continuation of the existing Innovation Fund which was established in 2020 and the introduction of a new Water Efficiency Fund (WEF) of which this Invitation to Tender is concerned with only two aspects: the Water Efficiency Lab (WEL) – an annual competition similar to the Innovation Fund but focused solely on water efficiency, and the evaluation of the Water Efficiency Campaign (WEC), which is the other part of the two components that make up the WEF.
We are looking for delivery partner support in three distinct but linked areas:
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery
Lot 2: Implementation programme
Lot 3: Evaluation
CPV: Public utilities
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · all with a published value (£35,500,000 together) · win at most 2 of them · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Core Innovation Fund and WEL deliveryAwardedRenewalPublished value£14,500,000
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery
Lot 1 is broken down into the following services (detailed descriptions follow):
- Water Breakthrough Challenge rounds 6-7
- Water Discovery Challenge round 2
- Water Efficiency Lab rounds 1-2
- Collaborative Challenge programme
- Monitoring of live projects and project closedown
- Programme governance
- Marketing and communications
- Data collection to inform AMP 8 evaluation
The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery is 4,400,000-5,800,000
The overall budget for 3-5 of the period will be determined towards the end of year 2 is 6,500,000-8,700,000
Lot #2Implementation programmeAwardedRenewalPublished value£19,000,000
The Innovation Fund aims to support the adoption and roll-out of innovative products, services and concepts. We expect most water companies will see the benefits of adopting successful innovations with no further support from Ofwat. However, throughout our engagement with companies in 2023/24 we have understood that it can take many years for companies to adopt an innovation and there have been suggestions that part of the fund should be targeted to help speed up implementation of new products, services and concepts.
The Supplier and Ofwat will work closely together with the sector to determine what an effective implementation programme could look like. The programme will focus on accelerating the adoption and scaling of innovations awarded funding through the Ofwat Innovation Fund but also to support innovation implementation more generally across the sector.
Co-design and delivery of new programme to support the acceleration of adoption and scaling of innovations across sector. Timetable to be agreed with the Supplier in line with the capacity of the sector to engage in design of the programme, but work expected to start in 2025.
The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 2: Implementation programme is 500,000-800,000
The possible budget in years 3-5 of extension period for Lot 2: Implementation programme is 800,000-1,100,000
Lot #3EvaluationAwardedRenewalPublished value£2,000,000
Lot 3 is broken down into the following services
- AMP 7 Evaluation: Delivery of an impact and Value for Money (VfM) evaluation programme before the end of 2027
- Delivery and coordination of AMP 8 evaluation activity.
The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 3: Evaluation is 600,000-900,000
The overall value in years 3-5 of the period will be determined towards the end of year 2 and could be in the range of 800,000-1,100,000
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 award criteria (2)
- Quality: 70
- Price: 30
- Suitability
As outlined in the ITT
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 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 · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 24 Sept 2024, 17:10 BST
- Last source update
- 15 May 2025, 16:58 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 20 Nov 2024 – …
- Authority reference
PROC.0024- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-021944- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-049d6eFind a Tender
Publisher note: (MT Ref:234342)
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 20 Nov 2024, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 60 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 20 Nov 2024, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
20 Nov 2024 → 15 May 2025 · 3 dates- Submission deadline20 Nov 2024, 12:00 GMT
- Bids opened20 Nov 2024, 12:00 GMT
- Notice published15 May 2025, 16:58 BST
Notice history
1 event · 3 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete15 May 2025, 16:58 BST
Published amendments (1)
Correction - II.2.6) Estimated Value is GBP 1,900,000 (GBP 1.9m) Please note an error in the Estimated Value of lot 2. The this was originally stated as: II.2.6) Estimated value Value excluding VAT: GBP 19,000,000 GBP It should read GBP 1,900,000. (GBP 1.9m). Sorry for any confusion.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery1 award | |||
| NestaSME | £14,500,000 † | — | Awarded |
| Lot 2 · Implementation programme1 award | |||
| IsleSME | £1,900,000 † | — | Awarded |
| Lot 3 · Evaluation1 award | |||
| ICF Consulting Services Limited | £2,000,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery · NestaSME
- Signed
- 31 Mar 2025
- Value
- £14,500,000
- Status
- active
Lot 2: Implementation programme · IsleSME
- Signed
- 31 Mar 2025
- Value
- £1,900,000
- Status
- active
Lot 3: Evaluation · ICF Consulting Services Limited
- Signed
- 31 Mar 2025
- Value
- £2,000,000
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery | 7bids · 7 electronic · 7 from abroad | 3 | — | — |
| 2 · Implementation programme | 7bids · 7 electronic · 7 from abroad | 3 | — | — |
| 3 · Evaluation | 14bids · 14 electronic · 14 from abroad | 8 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Public Procurement Review ServiceReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
3 commercial parties on the notice- ICF Consulting Services LtdAwarded supplier
- IsleAwarded supplier
- NestaAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria