Official UK procurement notice
Procurement for National River Flow Archive Peak Flows Dataset Maintenance
Authority: Environment Agency (Central government)·On behalf of: DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe National River Flow Archive’s Peak Flows Dataset (NRFA-PFD) forms a key strategic national asset, underpinning most flood estimation calculations in the UK. The NRFA-PFD refers to the complete UK-wide dataset – with contributions from the Environment Agency (EA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department for Infrastructure – Rivers (DfIR – covering Northern Ireland). NRFA-PFD ensures that data and information on peak flow data are openly available and consistent across the UK to a wide range of stakeholders. The current contract for this service ends in March 2026, and a new four-year contract is needed to maintain the service until March 2030.
- How the procedure runs: This procurement is being conducted as a Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Completion and submission of all documents will be conducted via the Authority’s eSourcing system. Following the evaluation stages 1-5 referenced in the Bidder Pack, the authority reserves the right to reissue the technical evaluation questions, pricing schedule, or any part thereof to the two highest scoring bidders, or any other bidder, for a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Please note that all bidders will be invited to submit improved responses on the same items. Bidders will have 10 calendar days to review, revise and resubmit their bid via Atamis. There will be a period of 5 calendar days for clarification questions. The exact dates of these periods and deadlines for submission will be shared with the relevant bidders. ! IMPORTANT – This is an optional stage for the Authority to ensure that the Most Advantageous Tender is selected, that the requirement has been fully understood, and that bidders are provided a fair chance to compete where the Authority does not feel ready to award after Stage 5 evaluation. Bidders should submit their best possible tender and price in the first instance, as it is not guaranteed that this stage will be used.
CPV: Environmental services · Flood-prevention works · River regulation and flood control works
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£0
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)
- Technical: 60%
- Price: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical
- Price
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 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- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 18 Sept 2025, 16:21 BST
- Last source update
- 6 May 2026, 14:11 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 13 Feb 2026
- Authority reference
C31999- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-079270- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059d88Find a Tender
- How it runs
This procurement is being conducted as a Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Completion and submission of all documents will be conducted via the Authority’s eSourcing system.
Following the evaluation stages 1-5 referenced in the Bidder Pack, the authority reserves the right to reissue the technical evaluation questions, pricing schedule, or any part thereof to the two highest scoring bidders, or any other bidder, for a Best and Final Offer (BAFO).
Please note that all bidders will be invited to submit improved responses on the same items. Bidders will have 10 calendar days to review, revise and resubmit their bid via Atamis. There will be a period of 5 calendar days for clarification questions. The exact dates of these periods and deadlines for submission will be shared with the relevant bidders.
! IMPORTANT – This is an optional stage for the Authority to ensure that the Most Advantageous Tender is selected, that the requirement has been fully understood, and that bidders are provided a fair chance to compete where the Authority does not feel ready to award after Stage 5 evaluation. Bidders should submit their best possible tender and price in the first instance, as it is not guaranteed that this stage will be used.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 21 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 12 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗
Submissions must be made via the Authority's eSourcing platform.
Timeline
18 Sept 2025 → 6 May 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published18 Sept 2025, 16:21 BST
- Market engagement382 days ago6 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
We wish to understand interest in this requirement to inform our approach and to sight suppliers of the upcoming opportunity. Please note, this does not commit Defra to any procurement approach.
Please confirm your interest in bidding for this opportunity, and indicate whether there are any barriers preventing you from participating. Kindly respond by email to [email protected] referencing this opportunity, by no later than 5pm (17:00 GMT) on the 6th October 2025.
- Tender notice published325 days ago3 Dec 2025, 11:35 GMT
- Clarification questions by285 days ago12 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadline276 days ago21 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by252 days ago13 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent240 days ago26 Feb 2026
- Standstill ends228 days ago9 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Next notice expected228 days ago9 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts206 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published171 days ago6 May 2026, 14:11 BST
Notice history
9 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Sept 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published18 Sept 2025, 16:21 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published3 Dec 2025, 11:35 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active3 Dec 2025, 11:35 GMT
- Procurement method changed3 Dec 2025, 11:35 GMT
- Deadline published: 21 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT3 Dec 2025, 11:35 GMT
- Contract award notice published26 Feb 2026, 16:36 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete26 Feb 2026, 16:36 GMT
- Contract signature expected11 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published6 May 2026, 14:11 BSTUK7
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-09: 1 release · 18 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGYNational River Flow Archive Peak Flows Dataset Maintenance1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2030 | £508,277 | 20 Feb 2026standstill to 9 Mar 2026 | Standstill |
| UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY | £508,277 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
National River Flow Archive Peak Flows Dataset Maintenance · UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY
- Signed
- 5 May 2026
- Value
- £508,277
- Period
- 6 May 2026 – 31 Mar 2030
- Status
- active
No agreed KPIs: Under £5M so not required to publish KPIs
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSProcuring entityProcurement
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender