Official UK procurement notice
Pump Optimisation and Aeration Efficiency Analysis
Authority: THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionIMPORTANT: Please read this section before deciding whether you wish to register for this event. This section provides you with information regarding the scope of this procurement and details some of the key requirements that a successful applicant MUST be able to deliver.
Thames Water intends to establish a single-lot, sole-supplier framework agreement for the provision of pump optimisation and aeration efficiency services across Thames Water operational assets.
The scope of the framework includes monitoring, testing, and analysis of pumping and aeration systems and associated equipment. The objective is to identify and deliver opportunities to reduce whole-life costs, improve efficiency, and optimise performance across operational sites.
The contract will include:
- Fixed pricing structures with agreed review mechanisms.
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance monitoring requirements to ensure delivery against expected outcomes.
- Requirements to support collaborative working and a transition from transactional delivery to strategic partnership.
Suppliers will be expected to support a culture of continuous improvement and contribute to ongoing enhancement of processes and delivery approaches throughout the contract lifecycle.
Delivery Model
The anticipated delivery model will follow a structured approach comprising:
- Initial site identification and data collection.
- Project mobilisation and stakeholder engagement.
- Efficiency and control studies to identify optimisation opportunities.
- Approval to proceed to testing and monitoring.
- Site-based testing and performance monitoring activities.
- Review of outcomes, including business case validation.
- Handover for delivery through relevant engineering or capital delivery mechanisms.
The contract is expected to support a programme of approximately 200 tests across 60 operational sites during the AMP period.
Further detail on the scope, service requirements, and call-off mechanisms will be provided within the procurement and contract documents.
The following conditions would be considered as some of key requirements for a supplier to meet to be considered for this opportunity:
- Must be able to cover the Thames Valley, London and Home Counties geographical area
- Must have a proven track record in delivering measurable savings and innovation within the scope of this framework.
Thames Water reserves the right to refine the award criteria. Please note that that deadline for asking for access to the PSQ & submitting of the PSQ is 19 October 2026, at 12:00pm.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 May 2034, 23:59 BST.
- How the procedure runs: Thames Water is seeking to establish a sole-supplier framework agreement for Pump Optimisation and Aeration Efficiency Analysis. The procurement process has been designed as a multi-stage procedure to enable Thames Water to evaluate technical and commercial proposals and engage with bidders. Bidders will submit a Pre-Selection Questionnaire (PSQ) via SAP Ariba to assess suitability, capability, and capacity. Bidders who successfully pass the selection stage will be invited to participate in the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) stage. Bidders will be required to submit initial tenders setting out their proposed technical and commercial solutions. Following initial tenders, Thames Water may conduct clarifications, negotiations, and presentations to support understanding and refinement of proposals. Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria set out in the procurement documents. Thames Water will evaluate final tenders and award a sole place on the framework to the supplier submitting the Most Advantageous Tenders based on the published award criteria. All procurement documents, communications, and submissions will be managed via SAP Ariba. Suppliers must register on the system and submit all responses through this platform. Further details of the procurement process, including evaluation methodology, scoring, and detailed requirements, will be provided in the procurement documents issued at each stage.
CPV: Energy-efficiency consultancy services · Energy-management services · Pumps · Technical analysis or consultancy services · Technical inspection and testing services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
- Framework period
- 3 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 10 May 2027
Published description of the framework
The framework will be established as a single-lot, sole supplier framework agreement. Call-off contracts will be awarded directly to the appointed supplier, with competition taking place at the framework award stage.
Thames Water intends to establish a collaborative and strategic working relationship with the appointed supplier, with a focus on delivering continuous improvement, innovation, and long-term value across the contract lifecycle.
Pricing for the framework will be based on an agreed schedule of rates (rate card), which will form the basis for pricing all call-off contracts. The detailed structure and coverage of the rate card will be defined and agreed as part of the procurement process.
Prices will be fixed for the initial three (3) year term of the framework agreement. Following this period, prices may be subject to adjustment in line with the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH). Any such adjustments will be subject to agreement between Thames Water and the Supplier and applied in accordance with the terms set out in the contract.
The scope, programme, and pricing of individual call-off contracts will be agreed between Thames Water and the Supplier at the point of award, in line with the agreed rate card and contractual terms.
The framework will include appropriate performance management and commercial governance arrangements, including the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) and regular review mechanisms, to ensure delivery of value for money and support a collaborative, high-performing supplier relationship.
Further detail on the pricing structure, indexation mechanism, and call-off process will be provided in the procurement and contract documents.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£0
- Economic & financial standing
Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate legal and financial capacity. Financial standing will be assessed in line with Treasury requirements, including the use of Dun & Bradstreet reports.
The successful supplier must hold, or commit to obtaining prior to contract award, the following minimum insurance levels:
- Public Liability: £15,000,000
- Products Liability: £15,000,000
- Professional Indemnity: £10,000,000
- Third Party Property Damage: £5,000,000
Evidence of insurance or a commitment to obtain it will be required. Further details will be provided in the procurement documents.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
All suppliers meeting the minimum mandatory requirements and exclusion criteria will be invited to submit a tender. Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria detailed in the procurement documents.
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)
- Technical: 50%
- Commercial: 50%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical
- Commercial
- Economic & financial standing
Suppliers must demonstrate appropriate legal and financial capacity. Financial standing will be assessed in line with Treasury requirements, including the use of Dun & Bradstreet reports.
The successful supplier must hold, or commit to obtaining prior to contract award, the following minimum insurance levels:
- Public Liability: £15,000,000
- Products Liability: £15,000,000
- Professional Indemnity: £10,000,000
- Third Party Property Damage: £5,000,000
Evidence of insurance or a commitment to obtain it will be required. Further details will be provided in the procurement documents.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
All suppliers meeting the minimum mandatory requirements and exclusion criteria will be invited to submit a tender. Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria detailed in the procurement documents.
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “Pump Optimisation and Aeration Efficiency Analysis” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED buys Consultative engineering and construction services (CPV 7131), and who usually turns up
THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Consultative engineering and construction services (CPV 7131) →
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.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in 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 91 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.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Awards are recorded, but published direct routes and bid counts do not establish this buyer’s share.
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 bid2%
2–39%
4–625%
7+64%
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.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
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 7131No real estimate
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 bid2%
2–319%
4–611%
7+68%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilitec Services LimitedWorked for this buyer | Pressure Management Support Servicesnotice published Jul 2021 | Pressure Management Consultancy Services | — | Similar wording and category |
| Turner & Townsend Project Management LimitedWorked for this buyer | Strategic Resource Options: Programme Partners (PP) Frameworknotice published Apr 2024 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
| ARCADIS CONSULTING (UK) LIMITEDWorked for this buyer | Strategic Resource Options: Programme Partners (PP) Frameworknotice published Apr 2024 | — | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Mott MacDonaldLarge | £72m86 awards in 36m · last this month | 15 live · £40m 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. | 11% below n=19 |
| £32m51 awards in 36m · last this month | 17 live · £16m 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 | |
Stantec UK LimitedLarge | £1.3m34 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 10 live · £42m 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 |
| — | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
WSP UK LimitedLarge | £487m123 awards in 36m · last this month | 49 live · £411m 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=17 |
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
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 May 2034
- First published
- 18 Sept 2026, 16:47 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 2 May 2027
- Authority reference
FA2253- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-088891- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0775dcFind a Tender
- How it runs
Thames Water is seeking to establish a sole-supplier framework agreement for Pump Optimisation and Aeration Efficiency Analysis. The procurement process has been designed as a multi-stage procedure to enable Thames Water to evaluate technical and commercial proposals and engage with bidders.
Bidders will submit a Pre-Selection Questionnaire (PSQ) via SAP Ariba to assess suitability, capability, and capacity.
Bidders who successfully pass the selection stage will be invited to participate in the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) stage. Bidders will be required to submit initial tenders setting out their proposed technical and commercial solutions.
Following initial tenders, Thames Water may conduct clarifications, negotiations, and presentations to support understanding and refinement of proposals.
Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria set out in the procurement documents.
Thames Water will evaluate final tenders and award a sole place on the framework to the supplier submitting the Most Advantageous Tenders based on the published award criteria.
All procurement documents, communications, and submissions will be managed via SAP Ariba. Suppliers must register on the system and submit all responses through this platform.
Further details of the procurement process, including evaluation methodology, scoring, and detailed requirements, will be provided in the procurement documents issued at each stage.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via portal- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Appointment period ends
- 2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 12 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
If you are interested in participating, please complete this form:
Timeline
18 Sept 2026 → 10 May 2027 · 6 dates- Tender notice published38 days ago18 Sept 2026, 16:47 BST
- Clarification questions by14 days ago12 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST
- Latest notice published11 days ago15 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST
- Today26 Oct 2026
- Admission / appointment period endsin 7 days · period end, not a bid countdown2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 188 days2 May 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 195 days10 May 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Sept 2026- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 16:47 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published15 Oct 2026, 11:17 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)
The Submission deadline changed to 2 November 2026 at 12:00pm
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 (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender