Thames Water has gone out to tender with an AMP7/8 contract to put a Technical Partners Framework in place for its Strategic Resource Options Programmes worth an estimated £300 million.

The water company is looking for Technical Partners to support the delivery of its Strategic Resource Options (SRO) programmes. Thames’ current portfolio of SRO projects include:

• Southeast Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO)
• Severn to Thames Transfer (STT)
• London Water Recycling (LWR) projects
• Thames to Affinity Transfer (T2AT)
• Thames to Southern Transfer (T2ST).

Thames Water intends to establish a TP framework primarily to support its SRO program - the first phase of a longer-term procurement strategy to establish the professional services supply chain that the company needs to support its wider business.

Existing professional services frameworks in place are not impacted by this procurement which is for the TP Framework only and relates to Phase 1 of the strategy.

Thames said it is looking for leading expertise within a number of key disciplines to accelerate delivery of the high-profile programme, including:

• General Technical Partner Support Services
• Engineering and Design Services
• Environmental Services
• Planning Services
• Land Services
• Engagement Services
• Project Management, Program, Risk and Cost Activities
• Consultation Response Analysis
• Events Management

The Technical Partners will need to demonstrate extensive experience in the development and support of the delivery of large complex infrastructure schemes in the current UK planning environment, including "proven expertise" in supporting the delivery of large pipelines, reservoirs, water recycling and transfer facilities.

The water company intends to award the first work package from the TP framework agreement immediately following the appointment of framework suppliers.

Thames’ intention is that the parties to the framework compete for the role of TP for a specific project via an initial mini competition and that subject to performance, capability and capacity, the successful party will be the technical partner for the duration of the particular project.

The duration of the TP framework will be for up to 8 years.

The successful tenderers will interface with several other partners that will be procured separately to support the SRO Programme as it develops.

Thames Water says it appreciates that “there may be a limited pool of suppliers for certain elements of the scope and is particularly concerned that these resources should not; be subject to an exclusivity arrangement with an applicant/tenderers in the procurement process to the detriment of competition.”

During the procurement process, Thames is asking applicants/tenderers not to enter into any exclusivity arrangements with a potential subcontractor or supplier. The water company is also reminding them that if they are using the same supply chain or are involved in more than one bidding consortia they must be “mindful of their obligation to ensure that each tender is prepared and submitted without any direct or indirect coordination between suppliers.”

The utility envisages that the Framework Agreement will be renewed after the initial term of 3 years.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 28 July 2023 – click here to access the tender documentation.