Official UK procurement notice
Apprentice Worker Agency · UK public procurement notice
Authority: NORTHUMBRIAN WATER LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNorthumbrian Water Group (NWL) is committed to developing future talent through a high-quality apprenticeship programme which supports workforce planning, succession management and skills development across the organisation.
We require a supplier to provide Apprenticeship Agency Services across both Northumbrian Water and Essex & Suffolk Water. The supplier will act as the employer of apprentices on behalf of NWL and provide employment, payroll, HR administration, compliance and apprentice support services throughout the duration of the apprenticeship programme.
The successful supplier will work collaboratively with NWL's Early Careers Team, hiring managers and training providers to ensure apprentices receive a positive experience and are supported to successfully complete their programmes.
Service Requirements
The supplier will be required to:
- Employ apprentices on behalf of NWL through an apprenticeship agency model.
- Issue and maintain employment contracts and associated employment documentation.
- Undertake payroll administration and statutory payments.
- Manage apprentice employment records.
- Provide HR guidance and employee relations support relating to apprentices.
- Ensure compliance with apprenticeship funding rules and employment legislation.
- Support apprentice wellbeing and welfare.
- Conduct regular reviews and progress monitoring with apprentices.
- Liaise with apprenticeship training providers where required.
- Provide management information and performance reporting.
- Support mobilisation and onboarding of new apprentices.
- Deliver services across both the Northeast and Essex & Suffolk operating areas.
The supplier must demonstrate excellent customer service, strong apprenticeship sector knowledge and the ability to support the continued growth of NWL's apprenticeship programme.
Objectives
The objectives of this contract are to:
- Provide a compliant and effective apprenticeship employment service.
- Deliver a positive apprentice experience.
- Support apprentice retention and successful completion rates.
- Ensure consistent support for apprentices and managers.
- Provide accurate and timely payroll and administration services.
- Deliver robust reporting and management information.
- Support NWL's commitment to early careers and future talent development.
INDICATIVE APPRENTICE NUMBERS FROM 2027
The indicative apprentice numbers set out in the table below are based on the workforce planning volumes agreed for 2026 and are provided to give potential suppliers an indication of the anticipated scale of apprenticeship delivery. These figures are estimates only and do not represent a commitment or guarantee of recruitment. The actual number of apprentices employed and enrolled onto apprenticeship programmes will be determined by organisational requirements, workforce planning priorities, budget availability and prevailing business needs. Consequently, the final volumes may be higher or lower than those indicated.
yr 1 1st June 27 - 31st May 28 72-77
yr2 1st June 28 - 31st May 29 77
yr3 1st June 29 - 31st May 30 77
yr4 1st June 30 - 31st May 31 77
yr5 1st June 31 - 31st May 32 77
yr6 1st June 32 - 31st May 33 77
yr7 1st June 33 - 31st May 34 77
yr8 1st June 34 - 31st May 35 77
A full scope document has been made available within this FTS
- Two-stage procedure: up to 4 candidates will be invited to tender.
- How the procedure runs: Issue advert to find a tender - 25th September 2026 Conditions of Participation Opens - 28th September 2026 Advert Closed to the Market - 26th October 2026 Conditions of Participation Closes - 2nd November 2026 Request for Proposal Opens - 26th November 2026 Request for proposal Closes - 17th December 2026 Supplier Interviews - 19/20 January 2027 Best and Final Offer Opens - 27th January 2027 Best and Final Offer Closes - 3rd February 2026 Assessment Summary and Contract Award notice issued- 23rd February 2027 Standstill observed until - 4th March 2027 Contract Award to successful supplier(s) - 5th March 2027 Contracts issued and signed March 2027 Framework starts 1st June 2027
CPV: Human resources management consultancy services · Supply services of personnel including temporary staff
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£24,479,975
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The top ranked 4 vendors at COP stage will pass through to RFP as long as they have scored a minimum of 60%
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)
- Quality: 40%
- Price - Commission/Charge Rates: 60%
Published award criteria (2)
- Price - Commission/Charge Rates: This will be weighted 60% 55% on commission 5% on apprentice landing fee
- Quality: A range of quality questions will be asked to assess suitability
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The top ranked 4 vendors at COP stage will pass through to RFP as long as they have scored a minimum of 60%
- Price carries 60 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 6 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £24,446,487 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How NORTHUMBRIAN WATER LIMITED buys Business and management consultancy services (CPV 7941), and who usually turns up
NORTHUMBRIAN WATER LIMITED’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Business and management consultancy services (CPV 7941) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in East of England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 74 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid17%
2–322%
4–635%
7+26%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate33%
Within ±2%56%
Above estimate11%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 79Published estimate£24m
This lot lists more than one class in CPV 79. The comparison uses that group.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid26%
2–330%
4–631%
7+14%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 7 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£24m–£24m
Estimate£24m
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anything Is Possible Media LimitedWorked for this buyer | Media Buyingruns to Aug 2029 | — | £8.6m | Similar wording and category |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £3.1bn49 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 20 live · £6.0bn iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=14 | |
Teaching PersonnelLarge | £43m28 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 17 live · £31m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=2 |
| £37m58 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 13 live · £59m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=1 | |
| £34m12 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 6 live · £17m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| £18m8 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 2 live · £5.1m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=7 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
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
- Requests to participate open
- 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
- 25 Sept 2026, 14:34 BST
- Last source update
- 29 Sept 2026, 10:13 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 27 Feb 2027
- Authority reference
NW3207- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-091052- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077ab6Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
45 days
- How it runs
Issue advert to find a tender - 25th September 2026
Conditions of Participation Opens - 28th September 2026
Advert Closed to the Market - 26th October 2026
Conditions of Participation Closes - 2nd November 2026
Request for Proposal Opens - 26th November 2026
Request for proposal Closes - 17th December 2026
Supplier Interviews - 19/20 January 2027
Best and Final Offer Opens - 27th January 2027
Best and Final Offer Closes - 3rd February 2026
Assessment Summary and Contract Award notice issued- 23rd February 2027
Standstill observed until - 4th March 2027
Contract Award to successful supplier(s) - 5th March 2027
Contracts issued and signed March 2027
Framework starts 1st June 2027
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via SAP Ariba- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender submission deadline
- 28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Not allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Shortlist
- up to 4 candidates invited to tender
Applicants are asked to note that this procurement process will be conduced electronically
with all documents and communication being managed through the Northumbrian Water e-
Sourcing Spend Management portal called 'Ariba' (s1.ariba.com ↗).
Expressions of interest from this notice must be sent to the e-mail address michael.gibson@nwl.co.uk before the deadline date of the 28 October 2026 at 23:59hrs. Once expression of interest has been received that contains the details below, applicants will be given access to the Ariba portal within 48 hours from request. This portal will contain all the tender documents associated with this procurement that are available at the time. An email link will also be provided to the email address you provide to access the portal.
The deadline for return of the completed Condition of Participation is the 2nd November 2026 at 14:00.
When sending expression of interest, applicants must provide the following information:
1)Full company name
- Main contact details of the person who will be given access to the Ariba portal - Name, job title, E mail address and telephone number.
Timeline
25 Sept 2026 → 1 Jun 2027 · 6 dates- Tender notice published31 days ago25 Sept 2026, 14:34 BST
- Latest notice published28 days ago29 Sept 2026, 10:13 BST
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 2 days28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 2 days28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 124 days27 Feb 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 217 days1 Jun 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 25 Sept 2026- Tender notice published25 Sept 2026, 14:34 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published29 Sept 2026, 10:13 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)
Additional information has been added to the submission section to advise what is required to add you to the Condition of Participation event
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender