Find a TenderAwardedContract award notice
Published 25 Nov 2025, 16:49 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Sludge Inspection · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED

ServicesCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdUtilitiesSME suitable
Published estimate£1,200,000≈ £1.2m / year · £1,200,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 22 Dec 2025awarded 13 May 2026
Award (standstill) to RPS Environmental Management Limited
Contract term 1 yrends 1 Feb 2027 · starts 1 Feb 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This tender is for the supply of sludge inspection and testing services, for a limited 12 month period, covering the collection and analysis of approximately 6000 samples.

This includes; sample collection from a wide range of sites across the Thames Water estate, full logistic support, analysis of sludge samples, and reporting back on sample findings.

  • How the procedure runs: Suppliers' PSQ submissions will be scored and shortlisted in accordance with the criteria set out within the PSQ documentation, and the suppliers that are shortlisted will be invited to submit a proposal in response to the ITN. After tenders have been submitted, evaluated, and negotiated, the successful supplier will be awarded according to the percentage weightings and criteria set out in the ITN Process document. Full details of the process that will be followed are provided within the PSQ and ITN documents.

CPV: Composition and purity testing and analysis services · Laboratory services · Technical analysis or consultancy services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 1 yrSMEPublished value£1,200,000
Contract period: 1 Feb 2026 – 1 Feb 2027 (1 yr)Value: £1,200,000 exc. VAT · £1,200,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: London, South EastEligibility: SME eligible

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 50%Price: 50%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Technical: 50%
  • Commercial: 50%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Technical
  • Commercial
What this means for your bid
  • 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.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

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
Awarded
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 Nov 2025, 16:49 GMT
Last source update
13 May 2026, 08:16 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 1 Feb 2026
Authority reference
FA2357
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-077018
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Composition and purity testing and analysis servicesLaboratory servicesTechnical analysis or consultancy services
Delivery area
London (UKI)South East (UKJ)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e8b0 Find a Tender
How it runs

Suppliers' PSQ submissions will be scored and shortlisted in accordance with the criteria set out within the PSQ documentation, and the suppliers that are shortlisted will be invited to submit a proposal in response to the ITN.

After tenders have been submitted, evaluated, and negotiated, the successful supplier will be awarded according to the percentage weightings and criteria set out in the ITN Process document.

Full details of the process that will be followed are provided within the PSQ and ITN documents.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: portal not identified
Electronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Requests to participate (first stage)
22 Dec 2025, 10:00 GMT
Submission deadline
22 Dec 2025, 10:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
15 Dec 2025, 17:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

You can request access of participating here:

forms.office.com/e/QnPji4RMdt ↗

Timeline

25 Nov 2025 → 22 May 2026 · 8 dates
  1. Tender notice published335 days ago
    25 Nov 2025, 16:49 GMT
  2. Clarification questions by315 days ago
    15 Dec 2025, 17:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadline308 days ago
    22 Dec 2025, 10:00 GMT
  4. Contract starts268 days ago
    1 Feb 2026
  5. Award decision expected by267 days ago
    1 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
  6. Assessment summaries sent167 days ago
    13 May 2026, 00:00 BST
  7. Latest notice published166 days ago
    13 May 2026, 08:16 BST
  8. Standstill ends157 days ago
    22 May 2026, 23:59 BST

Notice history

4 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 25 Nov 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    25 Nov 2025, 16:49 GMT
    UK4
  2. Contract award notice published
    13 May 2026, 08:16 BST
    UK6
  3. Status changed to complete
    13 May 2026, 08:16 BST
  4. Contract signature expected
    29 May 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £1,200,0001 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Awarded toValueDateStatus
RPS Environmental Management Limited1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2027£1,200,000 inc. VAT13 May 2026standstill to 22 May 2026Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED

Contracting authorityPrivate utility GB-COH: 02366661 · GB-PPON: PNQQ-4647-DTCV Clearwater Court, Reading, South East, RG1 8DBContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender