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Review of Ofwat's New Appointments and Variations (NAV) Financial Viability Assessment

O F W A T

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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13 Aug 2026 at 14:53

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Ofwat commissioned business and management consultancy services to review its financial viability assessment for New Appointments and Variations (NAVs), which are water undertakers responsible for long-term services to customers and the environment. The work examines whether Ofwat’s approach to assessing the financial viability of existing and new NAV sites is effective and recommends changes for the future. The intended outcome is clearer requirements for NAV applicants and a less complex, shorter licensing application process. This is a finance-focused regulatory and strategic review rather than the delivery of water infrastructure or operational services. The work is to be delivered in London and the West Midlands. The main procurement category is services, under CPV 79400000, business and management consultancy and related services.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Bramble Hub Limited on 26 June 2026 for £77,130 excluding VAT. The contract runs from 21 July 2026 to 31 December 2026. It was conducted through a selective further competition under the Government Commercial Agency RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four, Lot 4: Finance, using a call-off from a framework agreement. The tender submission deadline was 15 June 2026 at 11:00. The requirement was assessed against the consultancy’s ability to review the effectiveness of Ofwat’s NAV financial viability approach and recommend whether and how it should change. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This award demonstrates demand for specialist consultancy combining financial analysis, regulatory review and practical recommendations for the water sector. Suppliers seeking comparable work should be able to examine how financial viability assessments operate, test their effectiveness against available data and changing market conditions, and turn findings into clear improvements to an application and licensing process. Credible competitors would need to understand the long-term financial responsibilities of NAVs, the regulatory duty to secure companies’ ability to finance their statutory functions, and the importance of protecting customers and the environment. Experience communicating complex financial and regulatory requirements to applicants would also be valuable. The procurement route shows that relevant capability can be accessed through a management consultancy framework finance lot, with scope for SME participation.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Review of Ofwat's New Appointments and Variations (NAV) Financial Viability Assessment

Notice Description

Awarded contract following further-competition against the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four (MCF4) - Lot 4: Finance. NAVs are water undertakers with a range of long-term responsibilities to customers and the environment. Ofwat has a duty to secure that water companies can (in particular through securing reasonable returns on their capital) finance the proper carrying out of their statutory functions. In licensing new NAV sites, we fulfil this duty by carrying out a financial viability assessment. We want a consultancy to review the effectiveness of our approach to assessing NAVs' financial viability and to recommend if, and how, our approach could be changed in the future. We want to improve the way we assess financial viability - which we also see as important for protecting customers and the environment - and, by communicating this, give applicants for NAV sites greater understanding of the requirements, thereby reducing the complexity and duration of the licensing application process. As NAV sites have matured and continue to grow in number, and more data has become available, we now see this as an appropriate time for such a review, with the overall aim of improving the financial viability of existing and new NAV sites.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9ea8fbd7-9ef0-4eb5-a2f1-a74fc79fcd5a
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£77,130 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£77,130 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
15 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
21 Jul 2026 - 31 Dec 2026 1-6 months
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
O F W A T
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B5 4UA
Postcode Area
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Ladywood
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Bramble Hub Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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