Planning

CT4692 Programme Support Works Framework Preliminary Market Engagement

EAST WEST RAIL COMPANY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

24 Oct 2025 at 14:10

Planning

22 May 2025 at 21:04

Summary of the contracting process

The East West Rail Company Limited has initiated a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to seek insights on the proposed procurement strategy for the Programme Support Works Framework related to the East West Rail project, which links Oxford to Cambridge. This rail infrastructure project falls under the public utilities and construction work category, with significant elements in railway engineering and environmental works. Located in the United Kingdom, specifically Milton Keynes, the planning stage is spearheaded by East West Rail Company in partnership with ARCADIS LLP. A virtual briefing session is scheduled for 6th November 2025, with registration closing on 4th November. This engagement aims to gather feedback from potential suppliers on various components such as supplier capacity, market interest, and procurement timelines.

This tender provides a valuable opportunity for businesses, particularly SMEs and Tier 2 suppliers, to contribute to a major infrastructure development. The framework is set up to encourage competition and promote collaboration across a diversified supply chain, including segments in archaeology, environmental and ecological works, and utilities. By participating, businesses can leverage potential contracts to accelerate growth, drive innovation, and tap into social value initiatives. With a substantial budget of £700 million and the convenience of multiple lot structures, this project presents a promising platform for companies specialised in construction, engineering, and associated services to expand their market footprint within the public sector. It also highlights an opportunity for businesses focused on delivering quality improvements and innovative solutions in railway infrastructure projects.

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Notice Title

CT4692 Programme Support Works Framework Preliminary Market Engagement

Notice Description

The East West Railway Company (EWR Co.) is responsible for the delivery of East West Rail (EWR), a rail project providing infrastructure to enable services to link Oxford to Cambridge. The scale of the EWR project and the complexity of developing new line and structures (stations & depots) with existing track means it is critical to ensure we have the best suppliers on board. To achieve this we recognise the importance of building the right commercial model to attract strong competition and incentivise collaborative working across the supply chain. This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Notice is to inform the market that EWR Co. intends to commence market engagement to support the development of the procurement strategy for the delivery of a Programme Support Works Framework, with multiple lots and multiple suppliers. The framework is intended to accelerate readiness and de-risk the programme, maximising land access opportunity, provide a continuity of existing services via expiring contracts, provide access to SME/Tier 2s, deliver social value and innovation and provide a learning platform for future works and opportunities. The anticipated lot structure is: 1: Archaeology and Heritage 2: Ground Investigations and Monitoring 3: Environmental and Ecological Works 4: Principal Contractor/Co-ordination/Minor Civils 5: Utilities and Services The market engagement will commence with an initial virtual briefing session setting out EWR Co's proposed procurement strategy on 6th November 2025 at 12:30 - 13:30pm. This will be followed by a questionnaire inviting potential suppliers to provide their feedback on our proposed approach.

Planning Information

The preliminary market engagement will commence with an initial virtual briefing session setting out EWR Co's proposed procurement strategy on 6th November 2025 at 12:30 - 13:30pm. This will be followed by a questionnaire inviting potential suppliers to provide their feedback on our proposed approach. The objectives of the preliminary market engagement are to understand a number of key areas including but not limited to: • Supplier capacity • Market interest • Effectiveness and fairness of the lotting strategy • The Competitive Flexible Procedure • Procurement timeline • Call off contract options • Proposed incentivisation mechanism • Project risks • Key performance indicators To register your interest in the preliminary market engagement, please ensure you: • Register on our Jaggaer portal if you are not already registered via the following link: https://eastwestrail.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/esop/ogc-host/public/eastwestrail/web/login.jst?_ncp=1677595912567.609209-1 • Express interest on our Jaggaer portal by 4th November 5pm: https://eastwestrail.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/52388121019A1689B851 • Provide the names and positions of up to 2 members who will represent your organisation via the correspondence facility in Jaggaer • Hold the time in your diary until formal invitations are issued on 5th November. Registration deadline is 4th November at 5pm. Invitations to the virtual briefing will be sent via email to the 2 email addresses provided on 5th November. Points to Note: Please also note the following important notices before registering an interest: 1) This PME is not a call for competition and is not published with the intention of reducing any time limits for the receipt of tenders. 2) EWR Co. reserves the right not to commence any procurement process or award any contracts in respect of the EWR project and to amend the requirements stated in this PME (or as stated in any pre-procurement market engagement documents). 3) EWR Co. will provide information on its emerging thinking on packaging and contracting approach for the framework at the virtual briefing event and within the pre-procurement market engagement documents which will be made available to relevant registered suppliers by EWR Co. EWR Co. reserves the right to further develop and change the procurement strategy and/or other aspects of the proposed procurement and delivery strategy as a result of pre-procurement market engagement or otherwise. 4) EWR Co. may undertake further and other pre-procurement market consultation exercises but, initially, the market engagement briefing event is to commence market engagement and give suppliers emerging information about the requirements. 5) Publication of this PME is part of the normal EWR Co. due diligence process on its options, and the publication of this PME does not indicate that a decision has been made on a particular route for a procurement and/or subsequent contract award, if any. 6) Registration does not bind EWR Co. to include any party/economic operator in the pre-procurement market engagement exercise. 7) EWR Co. is not obliged to communicate with any parties /economic operators that register after the deadline for registration has passed. 8) EWR Co. is not obliged to respond to any correspondence on this notice or any matter related to this preliminary market engagement exercise and the decision to accept the registration of any interested party/economic operator, and subsequent inclusion in any engagement process shall remain with EWR Co. alone. 9) Non-participation in this process will not prevent any party/economic operator from participating in any procurement process in due course. 10) Given the early stage of the project, and the anticipated impact of the market engagement process, and other internal processes, any information provided to the market shall be subject to change and EWR Co. (insofar as it is permitted by law) shall not be liable for any losses incurred by any party/economic operator as a result of reliance on such information. 11) Any values set out in this PME are indicative and is subject to revision and is subject to confirmation in any future notices in relation to EWR procurement.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-051fa8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068271-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

65 - Public utilities

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services


CPV Codes

45000000 - Construction work

45200000 - Works for complete or part construction and civil engineering work

45213321 - Railway station construction work

65000000 - Public utilities

71250000 - Architectural, engineering and surveying services

71310000 - Consultative engineering and construction services

71311230 - Railway engineering services

71351720 - Geophysical surveys of archaeological sites

71351811 - Topographical surveys of archaeological sites

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£700,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Apr 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Jan 2027 - 3 Jan 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
EAST WEST RAIL COMPANY LIMITED
Additional Buyers

ARCADIS LLP

Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
commercial@eastwestrail.co.uk, maria.dacosta@eastwestrail.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK9 1EN
Post Town
Milton Keynes
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
TLJ12 Milton Keynes

Local Authority
City of London
Electoral Ward
Tower
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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