Official UK procurement notice
Supply of Aluminothermic Welding Materials and Associated Equipment
Authority: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNetwork Rail has awarded a contract via Direct Award under the Procurement Act 2023 to Thermit Welding (GB) Ltd for the Supply of Aluminothermic Welding Materials and Associated Equipment.
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
Published description of the framework
This framework operates on a Direct Award basis. Network Rail will place orders directly with the supplier without further competition. The goods will be procured via a Network Rail catalogue, using the contracted Schedule of Rates, which are fixed for the first 6-months, following which a half yearly price review mechanism applies to ensure pricing remains fair and reflective of market conditions. The framework has a duration of 4 years, with an option to extend for a further 4 years, subject to performance and agreement. All call-offs will be managed through the catalogue system and will adhere to the terms and conditions set out in the framework agreement.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 24 Sept 2025, 15:34 BST
- Last source update
- 26 Jan 2026, 14:13 GMT
- Authority reference
project_43370- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-006705- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a154Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional Repeat Extension Partial Replacement
- Published justification
With respect to joining rails on site, Aluminothermic Welding is the only welding process Network Rail can utilise given the number of welds installed on an annual basis (Circa 30,000 - 40,000). Other welding processes are either not suitable (enclosed arc welding) or unable to support the number of sites and welds required per year i.e. flash butt welding as only 1 machine is available in the UK to support this process.
Network Rail has a number of Aluminothermic Welders in the business which are trained on the Supplier's Aluminothermic Welding Process. In order to continue using this process, Network Rail has to use the Supplier's Aluminothermic Welding Materials and associated equipment as they are specific to their processes and alternatives would be incompatible with the process.
Network Rail is unable to move to another Aluminothermic Welding process as this would require retraining of all welding staff which would cause disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. In addition to this, there are no other Suppliers in the market which have an Aluminothermic Welding process approved to the requirements of NR/L2/TRK/0032 and EN14730-1.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- —
Timeline
21 Oct 2025 → 26 Jan 2026 · 2 dates- Standstill ends364 days ago21 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
- Notice published268 days ago26 Jan 2026, 14:13 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 24 Sept 2025- Transparency notice published24 Sept 2025, 15:34 BSTUK5
- Contract award notice published10 Oct 2025, 15:49 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected23 Oct 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published2 Dec 2025, 09:54 GMTUK7
- Contract details notice published26 Jan 2026, 14:13 GMTUK7
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-09: 1 release · 24 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermit Welding (GB) Limited1 Nov 2025 – 31 Oct 2029 · up to 31 Oct 2033Extensions: 4 Years - To be used if requirements and market conditions remain unchanged. · Options: Should the Supplier introduce new products under the scope of Aluminothermic Welding Materials and Associated Equipment, the Buyer shall have the right to vary these into the Agreement. | £10,100,000 | 10 Oct 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Thermit Welding (GB) Limited
- Signed
- 9 Nov 2025
- Value
- £10,100,000
- Period
- 9 Nov 2025 – 31 Oct 2029 · up to 31 Oct 2033 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- 4 years - to be used if requirements and market conditions remain unchanged
- Options
- Should the Supplier introduce new products under the scope of Aluminothermic Welding Materials and Associated Equipment, the Buyer shall have the right to vary these into the Agreement.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
1 commercial party on the notice- Thermit Welding (GB) LimitedFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender