Southern Water has gone out tender with a contract for its AMP 8 Professional Services Framework worth up to an estimated £240 million in total.

The water company is anticipating that AMP8 will be the largest investment programme it has ever undertaken, given its plans for the Water industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and its Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP).

Southern Water is also developing new approaches to how it manages and maintains its clean and wastewater networks, and how it successfully implements new technology and innovation within its construction, operations and maintenance activities to deliver its vision and ambition.

To support this process,the utility is seeking to appoint Professional Services providers to assist in developing its strategies and plans, but also to accelerate the development of its internal capability in the areas of Asset Management and Programme Management in particular. Southern Water is looking to establish a collaborative framework with a number of professional services providers.

The contract is being tendered in the following Lots:

Lot 1 - Professional services - Asset Management Support Services (£80,000,000)

Scope of services required include:

• Asset Management Strategy and Planning
• Asset Information Management
• Asset Intelligence
• Technical Services
• Asset Management System Monitoring

Lot 2 PMO and Project Management (£64,000,000)

Project and Programme Management support services will include:

• PMO/Programme & Project Management Capability Development, Enhancement & Change Embedment
• Delivery Portfolio Planning, Programming and Baselining – Including Work Allocation and delivery tranche formation
• Portfolio Strategic Insight to Project Reporting development and enhancement
• Programme to project Assurance
• Programme to project Governance
• Programme Controls (Centre of Excellence)
• Maturity Assessment and associated management of change across Cost, Schedule, Risk, Benefits, Dependency and Resource Management as driven by business priorities and appetite
• Project Controls and Project Manager Training / Capability Development
• Supporting Technology Insight and Enhancements to drive capability and efficiency (e.g. Cost Management System, Scheduling System)

Lot 3 Technical & Engineering Support Services (£96,000,000)

Services required include supporting:

• Asset Management and Engineering teams in the development and design of project and programme interventions through the provision of a range of technical, engineering and design services.
• development of a prioritised and optimised programme accounting for costs, benefits and risks and support periodic reviews of the programme.
• optimisation of delivery plans including packaging and phasing of works.

The following services will also be required to support and enhance Southern Water’s capabilities:

• Process – support SW capability
• Hydraulic Modelling – enhance SW capability to design solutions.
• Nature based solutions – support and develop SW capability.
• Technical and engineering services: Mechanical/ Electrical/ Civils/ Environmental

Southern Water is looking to appoint up to 9 participants to the framework agreement.

The framework is anticipated to run for the duration of AMP8, with an option to extend into AMP9. Initial contract term is 5 years ( £150 million in total) with three further annual potential extension options (£90 million in total).

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 5 June 2023 – click here to access the tender documentation