Anglian Water has gone out to tender with a major AMP8 contract for a Desalination Strategic Advisor with a total estimated value of approx £5.97 million including VAT.
In January 2026 Anglian Water awarded the technical contract to develop its two upcoming desalination plants, in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, to the TYPSA-Stantec joint venture.
Anglian Water requires a partner to act as a strategic advisor to advise and direct the Desalination development programme, working alongside the Anglian Water senior management team.
The water company has provided a detailed outline of the services it is seeking from the Advisor when appointed.
1. Desalination specific strategic insight
Provide strategic desalination expertise, including process, sustainability (ESG considerations and energy efficiency), and lessons learned from comparable programmes
Bring market insight from contractors, investors, and supply chain to inform programme strategy and innovation
2. Cross-programme strategy & delivery model
Support the definition of, and advise on, the overall strategy and delivery model for concurrent desalination projects, ensuring efficiency, scalability, and value
Aid in establishing an enduring operating model, including clear roles, responsibilities, and interfaces between Anglian Water and the CAP(s)
Identify and drive cross-project synergies, efficiencies, and portfolio prioritisation
3. Governance, decision support & critical friend role
Act as a strategic advisor to the Major Programme Delivery Senior Leadership Team, strengthening governance and decision-making frameworks
Provide independent challenge as a “critical friend” across programme strategies, partners, and delivery approaches
4. Commercial, regulatory & market interface
Provide strategic input into commercial approach, including PPP considerations and desalination-specific risks
Support business case development, options analysis, and regulatory submissions
Guide the development of stakeholder engagement and public acceptance strategies
5. Risk, delivery & capability development
Identify, assess, and mitigate programme risks and key development challenges, maintaining delivery momentum
Support capability development within Anglian Water through knowledge transfer, tools, and best practice frameworks
Current estimated start and end contract dates, which will be award to a single supplier, are 1 November 2026 to 1 April 2030 with a further possible extension up to to 1 April 2035. Estimated contract award decision date is currently 30 October 2026.
Deadline for requests to participate is 11:00pm on 15 July 2026.
The current procurement timeline is as follows:
Request For Information (RFI) : 9th June - 15th July 26
RFI Shortlisting - responses will be evaluated by Anglian Water and only bidders notified that they have been short-listed to progress to the next stage should complete the RFP. Bidder RFI responses will be evaluated by Anglian Water against pre-defined scoring criteria and the three highest scoring bidders will be shortlisted to RFP.
Request For Proposal (RFP) : 24th July - 28th August 26
Contract award : October 2026
Stages -
Stage 1a: RFI
Stage 1b: Supplier Risk Event
Stage 2: RFP
Stage 3: Contract Award
Further information, submission address and any special instructions are available through the RFI & RFP Ariba event platform – click here to access. Anglian Water has provided a series of detailed tender documents.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.