Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Services for Drugs & Alcohol Testing and Medication Advice Line
Authority: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe provision of Drug and Alcohol Testing services:
Random Drug & Alcohol testing programme
For-cause and post incident/accident D&A testing
Drug & Alcohol Support programme active monitoring testing
Supply of POCT kits with Medical Review Officer (MRO) service
Test the Tester for Network Rail Occupational Health Service employee testers
Medication advice line
- How the procedure runs: This procurement will be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023 using the Competitive Flexible Procedure. The process is designed to enable negotiation, by way of eAuction with shortlisted suppliers to achieve the most advantageous tender for Network Rail. The procedure will consist of the following stages: Participation Stage Interested suppliers must complete a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) to demonstrate compliance with the conditions of participation, including financial standing, technical capability, and relevant experience. Responses will be assessed against published criteria, and a shortlist of up to four suppliers will be invited to the Tender Stage. Tender Stage Shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit an initial tender and participate in commercial negotiation, by way of eAuction. Key Features of the Process • The PSQ will be released on 7th January via Network Rail's Bravo Platform. • PSQ briefing registration link is in the Bravo opportunity listing titled "Provision of Services for Drugs and Alcohol Testing and Medication Advice Line." • All further communications and submissions will be managed via the Bravo Portal. • Variant tenders will not be permitted. • Evaluation will be based on the most advantageous tender, considering both technical and commercial criteria. • Compliance with all pass/fail conditions is mandatory throughout the process. Please see the Instruction to Participants document which will be released at the Participation Stage for further details of these activities.
CPV: Drug detection apparatus · Health services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£10,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
Network Rail is using a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) which sets out its Conditions of Participation for this Procurement.
Candidates must confirm they have the legal capacity to perform the contract under the laws of England and Wales, are registered on the Central Digital Platform (CDP), and are not subject to mandatory exclusion grounds or listed on the debarment list. Candidates must also confirm compliance with UK data protection law (UK GDPR) by contract award.
All entities who are relied upon to meet the criteria are required to provide their own up-to-date core information on the Central Digital Platform (CDP).
Financial Capacity
Candidates must demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to perform the contract by meeting the following minimum requirements:
- Financial Health: Completion of the Network Rail Financial and Economic Standing Model and achieving a pass score in accordance with the model's criteria.
- Financial Information: Provision of financial data for the last three years, including Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet figures, to enable assessment of 10 key financial ratios.
- Parent Company Guarantee: Network Rail reserves the right to require a parent company guarantee or alternative form of security.
Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for full details.
- Technical & professional ability
Additional accreditations are a mandatory requirement for any succesful Candidate. Please see the Instructions to Participants for full details.
Candidates must also demonstrate the following technical capabilities to participate in this procurement in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 including:
Social Value
Resource Management and Retention
Business Continuity
Mobilisation and Communication
Reporting
Service Overview and Delivery Model
The above technical requirements hold minimum pass marks. Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for full details
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The shortlisting Process (PSQ) will involve an evaluation and a moderation process resulting in an agreed score which will be weighted according to the designated weight of the question as described in the Instructions to Participants document.
It is the intention of Network Rail to select a shortlist of 4 candidates to progress to the Tender Stage.
Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for further details.
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 Envelope: 70%
- Commercial Envelope: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical Envelope: Technical Evaluation Criteria The high level summary of the technical envelope are as follows: Safety Social Value - EDI, Carbon Reduction, Modern Slavery Reporting Service Delivery - Approach and Methodology, Delivery Resourcing, Business Continuity Quality Assurance - Quality, Medication Advice Service Mobilisation and Exit - Mobilisation Plan, Exit Plan Data Protection
- Commercial Envelope: Commercial Model The commerical model will consist of 8 service lines relevant to the requirements of the specification: Random POCT Monitoring Call Out Charge Test the Tester Call Out Charge For Cause and Post Incident POCT For Cause Call Out Charge (in hours) For Cause Call Out Charge (in hours) Provision of POCT Kits Medication Advice Line After evaluation of the final submissions, tenderers who have scored 50% of the overall technical weighting will be invited to an eAuction stage. Detailed information will be provided to successful tenderers following evaluation of the final submissions. Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for futher information.
- Economic & financial standing
Network Rail is using a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) which sets out its Conditions of Participation for this Procurement.
Candidates must confirm they have the legal capacity to perform the contract under the laws of England and Wales, are registered on the Central Digital Platform (CDP), and are not subject to mandatory exclusion grounds or listed on the debarment list. Candidates must also confirm compliance with UK data protection law (UK GDPR) by contract award.
All entities who are relied upon to meet the criteria are required to provide their own up-to-date core information on the Central Digital Platform (CDP).
Financial Capacity
Candidates must demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to perform the contract by meeting the following minimum requirements:
- Financial Health: Completion of the Network Rail Financial and Economic Standing Model and achieving a pass score in accordance with the model's criteria.
- Financial Information: Provision of financial data for the last three years, including Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet figures, to enable assessment of 10 key financial ratios.
- Parent Company Guarantee: Network Rail reserves the right to require a parent company guarantee or alternative form of security.
Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for full details.
- Technical & professional ability
Additional accreditations are a mandatory requirement for any succesful Candidate. Please see the Instructions to Participants for full details.
Candidates must also demonstrate the following technical capabilities to participate in this procurement in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 including:
Social Value
Resource Management and Retention
Business Continuity
Mobilisation and Communication
Reporting
Service Overview and Delivery Model
The above technical requirements hold minimum pass marks. Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for full details
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The shortlisting Process (PSQ) will involve an evaluation and a moderation process resulting in an agreed score which will be weighted according to the designated weight of the question as described in the Instructions to Participants document.
It is the intention of Network Rail to select a shortlist of 4 candidates to progress to the Tender Stage.
Please refer to the Instructions to Participants for further details.
- 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- 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
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 27 Oct 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Last source update
- 5 Oct 2026, 14:44 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Jun 2026
- Authority reference
project_44607- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-000790- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d47bFind a Tender
- How it runs
This procurement will be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023 using the Competitive Flexible Procedure. The process is designed to enable negotiation, by way of eAuction with shortlisted suppliers to achieve the most advantageous tender for Network Rail.
The procedure will consist of the following stages:
Participation Stage
Interested suppliers must complete a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) to demonstrate compliance with the conditions of participation, including financial standing, technical capability, and relevant experience. Responses will be assessed against published criteria, and a shortlist of up to four suppliers will be invited to the Tender Stage.
Tender Stage
Shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit an initial tender and participate in commercial negotiation, by way of eAuction.
Key Features of the Process
- The PSQ will be released on 7th January via Network Rail's Bravo Platform.
- PSQ briefing registration link is in the Bravo opportunity listing titled "Provision of Services for Drugs and Alcohol Testing and Medication Advice Line."
- All further communications and submissions will be managed via the Bravo Portal.
- Variant tenders will not be permitted.
- Evaluation will be based on the most advantageous tender, considering both technical and commercial criteria.
- Compliance with all pass/fail conditions is mandatory throughout the process.
Please see the Instruction to Participants document which will be released at the Participation Stage for further details of these activities.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 3 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline
- 3 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 21 Jan 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
27 Oct 2025 → 5 Oct 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published360 days ago27 Oct 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Market engagement349 days ago7 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
The purpose of this PME is to:
- Engage with the supply market and understand the level of interest in bidding for this potential future opportunity;
- Allow suppliers who are interested in any potential future tender activity relating to this requirement, to be aware of the procurement platform that will be used, and provide them with the steps to complete qualification to this platform if requested (should they not have already done so);
- Identify suitable suppliers available in the market;
- Identify the capacity and capabilities of the suppliers available in the market;
- Identify any additional services, requirements or concepts that Network Rail have not considered – this information may then be considered to support Network Rail in developing/updating its specification for the tender opportunity;
- Gain feedback on the draft specification, and other aspects of the potential strategy for this opportunity, such as suppliers preferred contract length.
Please note that any content received in response to this PME will be used purely for information purposes only and will not be deemed as forming part of any proposed bid or potential future tender.
The scope of services for the opportunity will be more fully described in the associated tender documents.
In addition, the contract and procurement process will provide for potential transfer of either the procurement process or the resulting contract itself in the event that this is required due to the establishment of GBR, rail reform or other corporate restructuring.
The Market Engagement (ME) Document can be downloaded from Network Rail's BravoNR sourcing platform via this link.
networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html ↗
From the welcome screen, access the 'Current Opportunities' link, scroll down and select:
Provision of Services for Drugs & Alcohol Testing and Medication Advice Line
- Next notice expected302 days ago24 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published289 days ago6 Jan 2026, 16:03 GMT
- Clarification questions by274 days ago21 Jan 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Submission deadline261 days ago3 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by114 days ago30 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent113 days ago2 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
- Standstill ends100 days ago14 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts81 days ago3 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published17 days ago5 Oct 2026, 14:44 BST
Notice history
9 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 Oct 2025- Planned procurement notice published27 Oct 2025, 15:52 GMTUK3
- Preliminary market engagement notice published29 Oct 2025, 11:49 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published6 Jan 2026, 16:03 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active6 Jan 2026, 16:03 GMT
- Tender notice published8 Jan 2026, 08:28 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published2 Jul 2026, 09:57 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete2 Jul 2026, 09:57 BST
- Contract signature expected27 Jul 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published5 Oct 2026, 14:44 BSTUK7
Published amendments (1)
An update has been made to the Procedure section, detailing that this is a Light Touch regime.
Routine re-releases (6)
- 2026-01: 1 release · 6 Jan 2026
- 2025-10: 2 releases · 27 Oct 2025, 29 Oct 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbott Toxicology LtdProvision of Servcies for Drugs & Alcohol Testing and Medication Advice Line20 Oct 2026 – 19 Oct 2036 | £8,613,516 | 2 Jul 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Abbott Toxicology Ltd
- Signed
- 4 Sept 2026
- Value
- £8,613,516
- Period
- 20 Oct 2026 – 19 Oct 2036
- Status
- active
- Options
- In the event of any future transfer, novation or assignment of the contract to Great British Railways or any successor body, any resulting changes will be managed in accordance with the contract and applicable legal, regulatory and statutory requirements. Such changes may include, but are not limited to, amendments to the geographic scope, service locations, service requirements, and associated safety, performance and KPI obligations.
1 agreed KPI: N/A
- N/A, Please note that, whilst KPIs have been set for this contract, there is no requirement to publish them due to the contract being classified as a Light Touch Contract.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- did not winMedigold Health Consultancy Ltd · Greater London
- did not winRandox Laboratories Ltd · Northern Ireland
- wonAbbott Toxicology Ltd · South East England
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
3 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded- Abbott Toxicology LtdAwarded supplier
- Medigold Health Consultancy LtdBidder / tenderer
- Randox Laboratories LtdBidder / tenderer
Official documents & specifications (8)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specificationsAccess: All new documents and updates will be published via Bravo throughout the event. Where a stage is in progress, a message shall be sent to all particpants within the stage to inform them. The documents that will be issued as part of the Tender stage to the successful participants may be either confidential in nature or be determined by Tenderers responses: • Instruction to Participants • Tender Stage Technical Questions Detailed Scoring Guidance • Commercial Model • NR Standards and Policies • Draft T&Cs
- Signed contract
Notices 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
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender