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GB-London: 1008157290 T1414 Testing the feasibility of the use of solar reflective solutions on rolling stock

RSSB

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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17 Sep 2026 at 09:20

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) commissioned research services to test whether solar-reflective solutions can reduce temperatures inside GB passenger rolling stock. The work covers four linked packages: benchmarking existing paint systems and planning trials; conducting representative box trials and analysing solar, thermal and operational performance; producing an initial business case for adoption; and, if the business case is positive, planning further trials to answer outstanding technical questions. The requirement supports passenger comfort, lower heating, ventilation and air-conditioning energy demand, and improved component reliability. The work may be delivered across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories and elsewhere internationally. It is a rail engineering, materials testing and applied research opportunity, classified under CPV 73110000 for research services.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded. Engineering Support Group Ltd was selected on 30 March 2026 for £119,710 including the full scope. The contract runs from 31 March 2026 to 30 April 2027. The tender submission deadline was 27 February 2026. RSSB is the buyer. Evaluation led to an active award for research services covering the benchmarking, box trials, analysis, business case and conditional next-step planning described in the requirement. Work Package 4 was to be priced within the total, with its cost identified separately so RSSB could remove it if the business case from Work Packages 2 and 3 was not positive. The opportunity was identified as suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises, but not for small and medium-sized enterprises.

For a future requirement of this type, credible suppliers would need combined capability in rail rolling-stock engineering, coatings or solar-reflective materials, thermal and environmental testing, and applied research. They would need to assess existing paint systems, select materials against technical, safety and operational requirements, design representative box trials, gather reliable performance data and turn the results into cost-benefit evidence. Experience of passenger rail environments and component reliability would help, as would the ability to manage staged technical work and make practical recommendations for further trials. The requirement points to a supplier able to work from laboratory or material assessment through to vehicle-representative testing and business-case development, with sufficient capacity to deliver several connected work packages and clearly separate optional follow-on activity.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

GB-London: 1008157290 T1414 Testing the feasibility of the use of solar reflective solutions on rolling stock

Notice Description

T1414 aims to demonstrate the effective use of Solar Reflective Solutions to reduce internal vehicle temperatures, supporting improved passenger comfort, reduced HVAC energy consumption demand and improved component reliability for GB passenger rolling stock. Work Package 1- Benchmarking and trial planning * Assess the current performance of existing rolling stock paint systems to establish a baseline against which the potential benefit and disbenefits of adopting solar reflective alternatives can be determined. * Identify and select SRSs which meet GB passenger rolling stock requirements to ensure the SRSs trialled meet technical, safety, and operational material requirements. * Develop a test plan for a box trial, representative of a rail vehicle, to assess the effect that SRSs would have on internal rail vehicle temperature. Work Package 2 - Box trials * Undertake box trials2, representative of a rail vehicle, as per the test plan produced in WP1, to gather data on the solar, thermal and operational environment performance of SRSs. *Analyse the data gathered from the box trials to enable cost-benefit analysis of the material systems and mitigate potential risk/unsuitable candidates. Work Package 3 - Business case for SRS adoption * Produce an initial business case for the use of SRSs on GB passenger rolling stock based on WP2. Work Package 4 - Planning next steps - This will only be undertaken if business case in WP3 is positive * Identify the questions (including technical) that remain to be answered to make informed decisions on the adoption of SRS. * Develop a test plan for trial(s) that would answer the outstanding questions identified in WP 2 and 3 so RSSB may seek support from relevant parties and plan for such trial(s). Note - The decision to proceed with the last work package will be made by RSSB based on the findings from WP2 and 3. The work for WP4 should be included in the total price, but with the cost separately identified to be able to be removed if WP4 is not progressed.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-4dc899f9-9021-4afd-b823-87f0422d5b41
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/94e0d07c-ba1a-4c70-bdd5-18b3b323a270
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73110000 - Research services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£119,710 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£119,710 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Sep 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Mar 20266 months ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 30 Apr 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
RSSB
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
EC3M 5AD
Postcode Area
Central London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
City of London
Electoral Ward
Aldgate
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Engineering Support Group Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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