Water Roadmap Delivery Partner - South East Rivers Trust

From a commercial / procurement perspective, a time-limited direct award for a period of up to 12 months is considered justified & proportionate under the principles of the PA23, on the basis that it secures continuity of a highly specialised, place-based service where competition in the short term would be unlikely to deliver equivalent value or outcomes. Commercial have been advised that the Supplier holds a uniquely embedded position within the region's water stewardship landscape, with established delivery infrastructure, trusted local partnerships, and alignment with parallel programmes that collectively underpin the success of the Collective Action Project; these characteristics are not readily transferable or replicable without significant time, cost, and risk to delivery. Introducing a new supplier at this stage would likely result in material disruption, duplication of mobilisation costs, and potential loss of co-funding and stakeholder confidence, thereby undermining value for money and programme impact.

A 12-month direct award therefore represents a pragmatic interim measure that maintains delivery momentum while allowing WRAP to plan and undertake a compliant, competitive re-procurement for the longer-term solution (currently anticipated for 2027), ensuring alignment with transparency, proportionality, and responsible stewardship of funds.