Official UK procurement notice
Station Painting & Platform Lining Framework
Authority: Northern Trains Ltd (Public body)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionNorthern Trains Limited (NTL) is going to market for the procurement of Station Painting and Platform Lining across our network of stations, train care centres and other operational property.
The objective of this procurement is to establish a multi-lot framework, with up to four suppliers appointed to each lot:
Lot 1: Station Painting
Lot 2: Platform Lining
The scope of services will be delivered with the aim of meeting performance and customer satisfaction requirements while ensuring compliance with all relevant statutory and mandatory legislation. Suppliers will be expected to apply Best Industry Practice, alongside their expertise and experience, to meet the following key objectives:
- Deliver effective services that meet high-quality standards and demonstrate value for money.
- Offer flexible service delivery tailored to the specific needs of each location.
- Create a safe and comfortable environment for all station users.
- Maintain assets in line with current statutory and regulatory legislation, as well as manufacturer's guidance, to ensure maximum longevity.
NTL will be able to call off services from this framework as required.
We look forward to building productive and successful relationships with our selected Suppliers following the conclusion of this process.
NTL, is a Train Operating Company (TOC) that operates passenger rail services in the North of England. NTL is publishing this notice to establish a framework for the provision of Station Painting and Platform Lining.
Northern Trains Limited is the sole contracting authority at the point of publication of this notice. However, it is anticipated that TransPennine Express (TPE) may also have access to this framework agreement, subject to the completion of internal governance and approval processes. Should TPE be confirmed as an additional framework user, Northern Trains Limited reserves the right to update this notice and associated procurement documentation accordingly.
Where used throughout this notice, the meaning of Train Operating Companies includes all and any of those train operating companies who, currently or in the future, provide services for the carriage of passengers by railway:
under a franchise agreement with the Secretary of State within the meaning of section 23(3) of the Railways Act 1993 or
under, or secured under, the Secretary of State's duty in section 30(1) of the Railways Act 1993; or
in accordance with legislation which supersedes or amends the powers referred to in a) and b), including where such powers are transferred from the Secretary of State to another body.
The list of current providers of services for the carriage of passengers by railway under these provisions can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/public-regi… ↗.
Novation or Assignment
The framework agreement may be novated or assigned by NTL to Train Operating Companies, or to DFT Operator Limited (company number: 07141122) or any successor parent company to a Train Operating Company, following a corporate restructuring or similar circumstance.
Other Information
NTL expressly reserves the right:
not to appoint any suppliers to the framework referred to in this notice; and
in no circumstances will the customer be liable for any costs incurred by the suppliers.
- How the procedure runs: The Tender stages will be run as follows: Stage 1 All interested suppliers may apply to participate in this procurement via https://www.delta‐esourcing.com using Tenderbox Reference: X975XE4P2W (Lot 1 - Station Painting) and GY2QZSBH8C (Lot 2 - Platform Lining). Optional site visits may be undertaken where applicable and will be identified within the procurement documents. Following submission, Tender Responses will initially be checked for compliance, including that all required returnables for the response have been submitted. If NTL does not consider a Tender Response compliant, it reserves the right not to carry out any further evaluation and eliminate the supplier from the procurement. Compliant Tender Responses will be evaluated in line with the published criteria: Technical Quality (40%), Pricing (50%), and Social Value (10%). NTL will undertake a comprehensive evaluation process to determine the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). Quality responses will be assessed using the published scoring methodology and minimum quality thresholds. Any Tenderer failing to achieve a required minimum threshold score for a quality question may be excluded from further consideration. NTL may undertake clarification activities at any stage of the procurement and may require Tenderers to participate in clarification and/or negotiation meetings to explain, verify or discuss any aspect of their submission. Tenderers shall make suitably qualified personnel available for such meetings if requested. Any agreed clarifications will be formally documented and submitted through the Delta message centre. Following evaluation, NTL reserves the right to: - Proceed directly to contract award based on the initial Tender Responses; or - Shortlist up to the six (6) highest-scoring Tenderers in each Lot for further negotiation and/or submission of revised Tender Responses. Stage 2 (Optional) Where NTL determines that further competition would be beneficial, it may invite up to the six (6) highest-scoring Tenderers in a Lot to participate in negotiation and/or submit a revised or final Tender Response. Any negotiation stage will be conducted in accordance with the requirements communicated through Delta. Following completion of negotiations, Tenderers may be invited to submit a Final Tender Response. Final Tender Responses will be evaluated using the same award criteria and methodology as the initial Tender Responses unless otherwise stated in the procurement documents. Tenderers should submit their best commercial and technical offer at the initial tender stage and should not rely on being invited to participate in negotiations or submit a revised Tender Response.
CPV: Painting work
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Open framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Framework period
- 3 yrs · up to 6 yrs from 26 Oct 2026
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- N/A
Who may buy through it
The Train Operating Companies
Published description of the framework
The framework will be established as a multi-supplier, multi-lot agreement, with up to four suppliers appointed to each Lot (Lot 1: Station Painting; Lot 2: Platform Lining). The framework will operate in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, adopting a competitive and flexible approach to the award of call-off contracts.
Prices will be established at framework award stage through tendered schedules of rates and/or pricing matrices, which will form the basis for call-off contracts. Pricing may be refined at call-off stage where required, in accordance with the framework terms.
Call-off contracts will be awarded using a proportionate approach based on the value and complexity of the requirement, as follows:
Up to £20,000: Direct award may be applied.
£20,000 to £100,000: Contracts may be awarded via either competitive selection (mini-competition) or project allocation.
Above £100,000: Contracts will be awarded via competitive selection (mini-competition).
For direct awards, the contracting authority retains discretion to select any supplier within the relevant Lot, based on objective criteria including performance, capacity, geographic suitability, and value for money.
For requirements above £20,000, the contracting authority will either run a competitive selection process inviting relevant suppliers to submit bids, or apply a project allocation approach, taking into account delivery considerations such as supplier performance, workload distribution, and operational requirements.
This approach is intended to maintain appropriate competitive tension while ensuring flexibility and efficient delivery of services throughout the framework term.
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Station PaintingRenewalPublished value£6,000,000
This Lot covers the provision of station painting services across Northern Trains Limited's (NTL) network. The works include the inspection, preparation, treatment, and painting of internal and external assets to maintain and enhance their condition, safety, and visual appearance.
The scope includes, but is not limited to: buildings, canopies, waiting shelters, footbridges, railings, fencing, platform furniture, signage structures, and other associated infrastructure. Services will include surface preparation (e.g. cleaning, sanding, minor making good), application of protective and decorative coatings, and finishing works in accordance with manufacturer specifications and recognised industry standards.
Suppliers will be required to deliver works within operational railway environments, often under possession or restricted access conditions, ensuring minimal disruption to passengers and services. All works must comply with applicable health and safety, environmental, and rail industry requirements.
The services will be delivered via call-off contracts, with volumes and locations varying across the framework term. Suppliers must demonstrate the ability to provide a flexible and responsive service, maintain consistent quality standards, and support NTL in achieving value for money and customer satisfaction objectives.
Lot #2Platform LiningRenewalPublished value£12,000,000
This Lot covers the provision of platform lining services across Northern Trains Limited's (NTL) managed network. The works include the survey, inspection, renewal, reinstatement, installation, and ongoing maintenance of platform safety lines and markings to maintain compliance, improve visibility, and support passenger and staff safety.
The scope includes, but is not limited to, yellow platform edge lines, white platform markings, and associated safety messaging such as "MIND THE GAP" and "MIND THE STEP" markings. Services will include surface preparation using manual and/or mechanical methods, application or reinstatement of markings, supply of suitable materials, and completion of all associated quality assurance and certification activities.
Suppliers will be required to undertake works within operational railway environments, including stations and engineering locations, often under possession, line block, or restricted access conditions. Suppliers must be capable of planning and coordinating access requirements and delivering works with minimal disruption to passengers, train services, and operational activities. All works must comply with applicable rail industry standards, including RIS-3703-TOM, RIS-7016-INS, CDM Regulations 2015, and NTL health, safety, and environmental requirements.
The services will support NTL's long-term cyclical asset management strategy, operating on a planned maintenance and renewal programme to ensure platform lining assets remain compliant, visible, and effective throughout their lifecycle.
Works will be delivered through call-off contracts under the framework, with locations, quantities, and programme requirements varying throughout the framework term. Suppliers must demonstrate the ability to provide a flexible and responsive service, maintain robust quality assurance processes, deliver verified inspection and testing records, and support NTL in achieving safety, compliance, efficiency, and value for money objectives.
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 (3)
- Technical: 40%
- Cost: 50%
- Social Value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
- Cost
- Technical
- Social Value
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “Station Painting & Platform Lining Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
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
- Works
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- The Train Operating Companies
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 24 Jul 2026, 17:06 BST
- Last source update
- 24 Jul 2026, 17:06 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Sept 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-070489- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d3b7Find a Tender
- How it runs
The Tender stages will be run as follows:
Stage 1
All interested suppliers may apply to participate in this procurement via www.xn--deltaesourcing-962h.com ↗ using Tenderbox Reference: X975XE4P2W (Lot 1 - Station Painting) and GY2QZSBH8C (Lot 2 - Platform Lining).
Optional site visits may be undertaken where applicable and will be identified within the procurement documents.
Following submission, Tender Responses will initially be checked for compliance, including that all required returnables for the response have been submitted. If NTL does not consider a Tender Response compliant, it reserves the right not to carry out any further evaluation and eliminate the supplier from the procurement.
Compliant Tender Responses will be evaluated in line with the published criteria: Technical Quality (40%), Pricing (50%), and Social Value (10%). NTL will undertake a comprehensive evaluation process to determine the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).
Quality responses will be assessed using the published scoring methodology and minimum quality thresholds. Any Tenderer failing to achieve a required minimum threshold score for a quality question may be excluded from further consideration.
NTL may undertake clarification activities at any stage of the procurement and may require Tenderers to participate in clarification and/or negotiation meetings to explain, verify or discuss any aspect of their submission. Tenderers shall make suitably qualified personnel available for such meetings if requested. Any agreed clarifications will be formally documented and submitted through the Delta message centre.
Following evaluation, NTL reserves the right to:
- Proceed directly to contract award based on the initial Tender Responses; or
- Shortlist up to the six (6) highest-scoring Tenderers in each Lot for further negotiation and/or submission of revised Tender Responses.
Stage 2 (Optional)
Where NTL determines that further competition would be beneficial, it may invite up to the six (6) highest-scoring Tenderers in a Lot to participate in negotiation and/or submit a revised or final Tender Response.
Any negotiation stage will be conducted in accordance with the requirements communicated through Delta. Following completion of negotiations, Tenderers may be invited to submit a Final Tender Response.
Final Tender Responses will be evaluated using the same award criteria and methodology as the initial Tender Responses unless otherwise stated in the procurement documents.
Tenderers should submit their best commercial and technical offer at the initial tender stage and should not rely on being invited to participate in negotiations or submit a revised Tender Response.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 24 Aug 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- call-off levy · N/A
www.xn--deltaesourcing-962h.com ↗ using
Tenderbox Reference:
X975XE4P2W (Station Painting - Lot 1)
GY2QZSBH8C (Platform Lining - Lot 2)
Timeline
24 Jul 2026 → 26 Oct 2026 · 4 dates- Tender notice published90 days ago24 Jul 2026, 17:06 BST
- Admission / appointment period ends59 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown24 Aug 2026, 17:00 BST
- Award decision expected by21 days ago30 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 4 days26 Oct 2026
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published24 Jul 2026, 17:06 BSTUK4
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender