Official UK procurement notice
Train Driver Simulators · UK public procurement notice
Authority: CHILTERN RAIL LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionDesign, manufacture, supply, install, and commission of 1 x full cab train driver simulator, and 6 x desktop/lite simulators including a warranty, maintenance & support service.
Chiltern Railways requires the provision of one (1) single full cab train driver simulator to support driver training, route familiarisation, operational competency assessments, and degraded / emergency scenario handling. The simulator must replicate the operational characteristics of Chiltern's Class 168 train and the associated Chiltern route network and signalling systems. The simulator will have a full trainers desk to interface and control the simulator. The simulator will be located at the training school in Banbury.
Chiltern Railways require 6 x desktop/lite simulators. The simulators must replicate the operational characteristics of Chiltern's Class 168 train and the associated Chiltern route network and signalling systems. The 6 desktops simulators will be located at driver depot locations and primarily used to undertake ongoing competency assessments and continuous professional development training. The locations are:
Marylebone
Birmingham
Aylesbury
Banbury
Stourbridge
Bletchley
The total value of £1.5m (estimated) includes design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning (envisaged to be 1 year) plus software upgrades, warranty, maintenance and support services.
- How the procedure runs: This procurement will consist of the following Stages. Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate (ITP) which includes a procurement specific questionnaire (PSQ). Bidders who are successfully shortlisted in Stage 1 will be invited to participate in Stage 2. Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender. Stage 3 - Bidder Briefing Event Stage 4 - Demonstration. Stage 5 - BAFO Stage 6 - Preferred Bidder Stage and Contract Award.
CPV: Driving simulators · Training simulators
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£1,500,000
- Economic & financial standing
This will be a Key Contract under Chiltern National Rail Agreement , and the supplier will be required to need to sign a Umbrella Direct Agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport, under the Railways Act 1993 (as amended from time to time including pursuant to the Transport Act 2000 and the Railways Act 2005).
CHILTERN is entitled to terminate the Contract in full by giving not less than 3 months written notice.
The Supplier shall have or demonstrate they can obtain the following insurances with a reputable insurer:
Employer's liability insurance £10m.
Public liability insurance £10m.
Professional indemnity insurance £2m.
Product Liability insurance £10m.
Comply with the Arriva Code of Conduct.
Please see the ITP for further information.
- Technical & professional ability
The Supplier is to hold ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 23019 or other equivalent standards that equal or exceed these.
Please see ITP for further information.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
CHILTERN intends to invite 3 to 5 Bidders to participate in Stage 2, the Invitation to Tender. See ITP 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 (3)
- Technical: 50%
- Legal: 10%
- Commercial: 40%
Published award criteria (3)
- Technical: Please refer to the Invitation to Tender (DRAFT)
- Commercial: Please refer to the Invitation to Tender (DRAFT)
- Legal: Please refer to the Invitation to Tender (DRAFT)
- Economic & financial standing
This will be a Key Contract under Chiltern National Rail Agreement , and the supplier will be required to need to sign a Umbrella Direct Agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport, under the Railways Act 1993 (as amended from time to time including pursuant to the Transport Act 2000 and the Railways Act 2005).
CHILTERN is entitled to terminate the Contract in full by giving not less than 3 months written notice.
The Supplier shall have or demonstrate they can obtain the following insurances with a reputable insurer:
Employer's liability insurance £10m.
Public liability insurance £10m.
Professional indemnity insurance £2m.
Product Liability insurance £10m.
Comply with the Arriva Code of Conduct.
Please see the ITP for further information.
- Technical & professional ability
The Supplier is to hold ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 23019 or other equivalent standards that equal or exceed these.
Please see ITP for further information.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
CHILTERN intends to invite 3 to 5 Bidders to participate in Stage 2, the Invitation to Tender. See ITP for further details.
- 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
- Goods
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 27 May 2025, 10:42 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Oct 2025, 17:41 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Feb 2026
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-065733- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0526b2Find a Tender
- How it runs
This procurement will consist of the following Stages.
Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate (ITP) which includes a procurement specific questionnaire (PSQ). Bidders who are successfully shortlisted in Stage 1 will be invited to participate in Stage 2.
Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender.
Stage 3 - Bidder Briefing Event
Stage 4 - Demonstration.
Stage 5 - BAFO
Stage 6 - Preferred Bidder Stage and Contract Award.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 10 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline
- 10 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge.
To access the Procurement Documents:
CHILTERN will be using the Market Dojo e-platform for this Procurement.
Bidders should use the link marketdojo.com/market-dojo-sign-up/ ↗ and follow the instructions to register as a supplier.
Once a Bidder is logged into Market Dojo it will be able to locate the Procurement by clicking Train Driver Simulators - Invitation to Participate and searching for the reference number 0B44F9D7C4
Timeline
27 May 2025 → 27 Feb 2026 · 7 dates- Planning notice published27 May 2025, 10:42 BST
- Market engagement1 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
Chiltern Railways are running a Request for Information relating to the purchase of 1 x full cab simulator and 6 x desktop/lite Train Driver Simulators. We are looking for suppliers/OEMs who have extensive experience in supplying simulators to UK based train operators.
To take part in this engagement please email [email protected] by 9th June 2025, with your name, email address, position and contact number.
The purpose of the engagement is to conduct a market testing exercise only, and will not formally begin the procurement nor constitute any commitment to undertake any procurement exercise. Any discussions are solely for the purpose of information gathering and planning purposes.
The responses that you provide will help shape Chiltern Railways procurement strategy.
- Next notice expected1 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published371 days ago15 Oct 2025, 17:41 BST
- Submission deadline345 days ago10 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by242 days ago20 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts236 days ago27 Feb 2026
Notice history
7 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 May 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published27 May 2025, 10:42 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published27 May 2025, 10:45 BSTUK2
- Published value updated to £1,000,00027 May 2025, 10:45 BSTwas £10,000,000
- Tender notice published15 Oct 2025, 17:41 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £1,500,00015 Oct 2025, 17:41 BSTwas £1,000,000
- Status changed to active15 Oct 2025, 17:41 BST
- Procurement method changed15 Oct 2025, 17:41 BST
Published amendments (1)
Estimated value corrected to £1m
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender