Official UK procurement notice
Incident Management Forecasting System (IMFS) software support, maintenance and development services
Authority: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Incident Management Forecasting System (IMFS) is the Environment Agency’s primary flood forecasting system and uses Deltares owned Delft-FEWS software as a platform to run models for flood forecasting, groundwater modelling, bathing water quality forecasting, and other services. The National Groundwater Modelling Service (NGMS) also uses Delft-FEWS software. The purpose of this Transparency Notice is to announce the Environment Agency's intention to enter into a contract for software support and maintenance (and the provision of new software enhancements and improvements) with Stichting Deltares for 5 years with the option to extend by a further 3 years and a further 2 years (i.e. 5+3+2) at a total maximum cost of £14.9m (net of VAT).
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
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 20 May 2025, 12:47 BST
- Last source update
- 20 May 2025, 12:47 BST
- Authority reference
C28975- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-023199- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05189cFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
- Published justification
Stichting Deltares are the sole owners and licensor of Delft-FEWS and there are no alternatives available to the Environment Agency without rewriting all forecasting models. It is the view of the Environment Agency that this contract is justifiable under Paragraph 5 in Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 to award the contract for the supply and support of the Delft-FEWS software because, as Stichting Deltares own the intellectual property for the software, and develop and support the specialist Delft-FEWS software, therefore no reasonable alternative exists, nor can another organisation supply and support the product. Additionally, it is the view of the Environment Agency that this contract is also justifiable under Paragraph 6 in Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 to award the contract for the supply and support of the Delft-FEWS software because, at this time, no alternative solution is available because any decision to deviate from Delft-FEWS would require a redevelopment of all Environment Agency models, therefore competition is absent for technical reasons.
- Risks
The Environment Agency currently envisages that the following risks could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract: a) Emerging cyber security threats and the impact this may have on the Environment Agency's need to make updates to software to address these threats; b) Changes in political direction and policy changes outside the Environment Agency's control that may drive diversified requirements for forecasting services; c) Climate change in the UK and the longer-term impact this may have on the provision of the services; and d) Technology obsolescence and new technologies, and the impact these may have on the provision of the services.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 20 May 2025- Transparency notice published20 May 2025, 12:47 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected30 Jun 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not publishedIncident Management Forecasting System (IMFS) software support and maintenance1 Jul 2025 – 30 Jun 2030 · up to 31 May 2035Extensions: An initial term of 5 years with the option to extend by a further 3 years and a further 2 years. · Options: Develop new software code to support new functionality requirements specified by the Environment Agency for its Deltares’ software and Delft-FEWS installations. | £14,925,560 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender