Official UK procurement notice
COV - CVLR Principal Designer (ITS Route)
Authority: Coventry City Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) system represents a ground-breaking advancement in urban mobility, featuring a uniquely designed shallow track form coupled with a pioneering lightweight vehicle. This vehicle is engineered to navigate more stringent curves than those accommodated by conventional light rail systems, thereby offering enhanced flexibility in urban settings. Building on a foundation of successful test pilots, which rigorously evaluated the system's performance across a spectrum of operational scenarios and loading conditions, the project now advances following the successful delivery of the On Road Test (ORT) route. The ORT route delivery consisted of a single 220m southbound track section from Croft Road to Greyfriars Road.
Coventry City Council ("the Council") wish to develop the concept further by installing VLR along a new City Centre Demonstrator (CCD) Route, which features a stop at Coventry University Technology Park. As the Route is planned to coincide with the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress to be held in Birmingham in 2027, it is referred to as the CCD ITS Route.
CPV: Transport systems consultancy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) system represents a groundbreaking advancement in…Awarded
The Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) system represents a groundbreaking advancement in urban mobility, featuring a uniquely designed shallow track form coupled with a pioneering lightweight vehicle. This vehicle is engineered to navigate more stringent curves than those accommodated by conventional light rail systems, thereby offering enhanced flexibility in urban settings. Building on a foundation of successful test pilots, which rigorously evaluated the system's performance across a spectrum of operational scenarios and loading conditions, the project now advances following the successful delivery of the On Road Test (ORT) route. The ORT route delivery consisted of a single 220m southbound track section from Croft Road to Greyfriars Road.
Coventry City Council ("the Council") now wish to develop the concept further by installing VLR along a new City Centre Demonstrator (CCD) Route, which features a stop at Coventry University Technology Park. As the Route is planned to coincide with the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress to be held in Birmingham in 2027, it is referred to as the CCD ITS Route.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 8 Jan 2026, 09:04 GMT
- Last source update
- 8 Jan 2026, 09:04 GMT
- Authority reference
COV-24337- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-001269- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-060170Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
The contract is as a result of a further competition under a previously established Framework (6 suppliers).
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVE ARUP & PARTNERS LIMITED | £1,296,821 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
COV - CVLR Principal Designer (ITS Route) · OVE ARUP & PARTNERS LIMITED
- Signed
- 12 Dec 2025
- Value
- £1,296,821
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- The Council of the City of CoventryReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Ove Arup & Partners LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.