Notice Information
Notice Title
Integration Technical Operations Assurance & Environmental Partner
Notice Description
The East West Railway Company (the Authority) is responsible for the delivery of East West Rail (EWR), a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project providing new and upgraded rail links between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. EWR Co. is responsible for leading the development, procurement, and commissioning of the railway. The Authority is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of a planned procurement of an Integration, Technical, Operations, Assurance and Environmental (ITOAE) Partner to support the development and delivery of the EWR programme. The scope, structure, and commercial model of the procurement will be informed by this engagement. This notice is issued to inform the market of the Authority's current thinking, to seek views from potential suppliers, and to help shape the scope, structure and delivery model of any future procurement. This is not a call for competition. Overview of the Intended Contract The Authority is considering the establishment of a single supplier contract for the provision of programme-level ITOAE services for a period of up to twelve (12) years, with performance and scope breakpoints at Years 3, 6 and 9. The ITOAE Partner is envisaged as a strategic role supporting the Authority across multiple phases and areas of the programme. The role is intended to provide confidence that design and delivery outputs are coordinated, technically robust, affordable, and ready to support works procurement and construction, and that information made available to the Authority's decision-makers and oversight bodies is reliable, consistently evidenced, and audit-ready. The ITOAE Partner is not intended to act as a lead designer or discipline designer. The Authority's current intent is that the ITOAE Partner will not hold Principal Designer duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Design responsibility and Principal Designer duties under the CDM Regulations are expected to rest with the separately appointed designers and the main works contractor(s), not with the ITOAE Partner. Relationship with the Client Support Framework The Authority is separately considering the procurement of a Client Support Framework (CSF) to provide scalable client-side support capacity across defined service lines. The Authority's current position is that the ITOAE Partner appointee will be structurally separated from the CSF, such that the appointed ITOAE Partner (and associated entities within its corporate group) will not be eligible to be appointed under the CSF for the duration of the ITOAE contract. The purpose of this separation is to protect the independence of assurance and advice, to mitigate real or perceived conflicts of interest, and to align with independent review findings on major programme governance (including the Stewart Review, 2025). The Authority is testing this position through this preliminary market engagement. The final Conditions of Participation will be confirmed in the tender documentation and will be set in accordance with the Authority's obligations under the Procurement Act 2023 and the Procurement Regulations 2024. Indicative Scope of Services At this stage, the Authority has defined the high-level scope of services. These are expected to include (but are not limited to), at a programme level: Design integration and coordination across multiple packages and parties, including utilities and third parties Design assurance and technical challenge on behalf of the Authority Provision of technical insight across specialist domains including environmental, operational, transport planning, geotechnical, and railway systems Management of design maturity, readiness, and stage-gate progression Digital, information, and configuration management Support to constructability, delivery integration, and transition to construction and beyond to entry in to service Intelligent Client support and client team capability development These services are expected to be applied across a range of major infrastructure, railway technical and environmental domains, which may include (but are not limited to): Rolling stock and vehicle-infrastructure interfaces Timetabling and operations Railway systems engineering and integration Stations, buildings, and passenger environments Earthworks and Structures including Tunnels and other transport systems M&E, power, and technical services Asset management and whole-life considerations Digital engineering and digital representation of assets Environmental, sustainability, hydrology and carbon considerations The ITOAE Partner is expected to operate under a two-tier service structure comprising a retained Core Services baseline, supplemented by time-bound Authorised Services packages approved against a costed Service Delivery Plan. The precise scope, responsibilities, interfaces, and contract value may evolve following market engagement and further internal development. Contract Details Contract Form - NEC4 Professional Service Contract Estimated total value - Approximately PS150 million to PS200 million in anticipated contract value over the 12-year term, set against a programme budget envelope of PS300 million. The PS300 million envelope provides appropriate financial headroom for the scope evolution, programme slippage and operational realities typical of a 12-year infrastructure programme of this scale and complexity, and accommodates Discrete Packages instructed under the Authorised Services model (indicative range, subject to confirmation prior to tender)* *The indicative value range reflects a twelve (12) year term. The final value will be confirmed in the tender notice and is subject to internal approval and the outcome of this engagement. Key Dates Registration Deadline - Friday 12th June 2026, 17:00 (please register here: https://eastwestrail.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/26370375019E8E01BDEE) Briefing Pack & Recorded Presentation Issued - Monday 15 June 2026 Questionnaire response deadline - Friday 26 June 2026, 17:00 One to One Sessions - Week Commencing 6 July 2026 Points to Note Please note the following important points before registering an interest: 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. 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). EWR Co. will provide information on its emerging thinking on scope, commercial structure, and contracting approach via the pre-recorded briefing presentation and within the pre-procurement market engagement documents made available to registered suppliers. 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. EWR Co. may undertake further pre-procurement market consultation exercises. Please follow the link under the engagement section for more details and to register your interest.
Planning Information
To express interest in this preliminary market engagement (or to register on the Authority's Jaggaer e-procurement portal, if not already registered ) please use the following link: https://eastwestrail.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/26370375019E8E01BDEE. Expressions of interest must be received before 17:000 Friday 12th June 2026. Following the closure of the registration deadline (Friday 12th June 17:00), participants will receive a briefing pack and recorded briefing presentation, setting out the Authority's current programme context, indicative scope of services, and proposed commercial approach. The briefing materials will provide the information necessary to complete the market engagement questionnaire, which must be submitted by the questionnaire response deadline (Friday 26th June 17:00). Following review of the questionnaire responses, the Authority intends to invite a selected group of four to five (4-5) participants to attend a structured one-to-one session. Participants will be selected objectively on the basis of: Spread of market position (including tier, specialism, and consortium / solo bidding intent) Substantiveness and relevance of the questionnaire response Evidenced capability to deliver the scope as described in the briefing pack Selection will be applied consistently and recorded in accordance with the Authority's obligations under sections 12 and 17 of the Procurement Act 2023. Non-selection for a one-to-one session will not preclude any party from participating in any future procurement process. One-to-one sessions will be conducted to a structured, pre-issued agenda and are not intended to receive supplier sales or capability presentations.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-06a433
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052473-2026
- Current Stage
- Planning
- All Stages
- Planning
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Not Specified
- Procurement Method Details
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
-
- CPV Codes
71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
71240000 - Architectural, engineering and planning services
71248000 - Supervision of project and documentation
71310000 - Consultative engineering and construction services
71311200 - Transport systems consultancy services
71311230 - Railway engineering services
71311300 - Infrastructure works consultancy services
71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services
71317210 - Health and safety consultancy services
71320000 - Engineering design services
71541000 - Construction project management services
72224000 - Project management consultancy services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £300,000,000 £100M-£1B
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 3 Jun 2026Yesterday
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- 1 Sep 20263 months to go
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 1 Aug 2027 - 2 Aug 2039 Over 5 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Planned
- Lots Status
- Planned
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- EAST WEST RAIL COMPANY LIMITED
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- MILTON KEYNES
- Postcode
- MK9 1EN
- Post Town
- Milton Keynes
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLJ South East (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLJ12 Milton Keynes
- Delivery Location
- TLJ12 Milton Keynes
-
- Local Authority
- Milton Keynes
- Electoral Ward
- Central Milton Keynes
- Westminster Constituency
- Milton Keynes Central
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052473-2026
3rd June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049006-2026
26th May 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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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Design responsibility and Principal Designer duties under the CDM Regulations are expected to rest with the separately appointed designers and the main works contractor(s), not with the ITOAE Partner. Relationship with the Client Support Framework The Authority is separately considering the procurement of a Client Support Framework (CSF) to provide scalable client-side support capacity across defined service lines. The Authority's current position is that the ITOAE Partner appointee will be structurally separated from the CSF, such that the appointed ITOAE Partner (and associated entities within its corporate group) will not be eligible to be appointed under the CSF for the duration of the ITOAE contract. The purpose of this separation is to protect the independence of assurance and advice, to mitigate real or perceived conflicts of interest, and to align with independent review findings on major programme governance (including the Stewart Review, 2025). 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