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'Water Regulation - Adopting a supervisory approach to the Price Review'

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

11 Jun 2026 at 10:56

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

10 Jun 2026 at 12:39

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process, entitled "Water Regulation - Adopting a supervisory approach to the Price Review," was spearheaded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), a public authority within the central government located in London, UK. This tender, categorised under technical analysis or consultancy services, aimed to integrate economic regulation seamlessly with current frameworks. Following a direct award procurement method due to the specialised nature of the expertise required, Frontier Economics Ltd was selected as the supplier. The contract, valued at £198,156, was awarded and finalised with a contract period spanning from 24th June 2026 to 8th October 2026. The procurement stage is categorised as 'award' with significant milestones scheduled for the signature of the contract on 24th June 2026.

This tender offers substantial growth opportunities for businesses specialised in economic and regulatory consultancy, particularly those with experience in water industry business planning and policy framework analysis. Although the direct award restricts competition broadly, it signifies a premium opportunity for large enterprises with a proven track record in the sector. Businesses that have previously engaged in similar high-value projects within the public sector or possess niche expertise in the economic regulatory domain would find this tender particularly beneficial for growth and establishing deeper ties within governmental regulatory activities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

'Water Regulation - Adopting a supervisory approach to the Price Review'

Notice Description

Defra requires expert economic and regulatory advice to design the supervisory approach as it applies to economic regulation, ensuring it integrates effectively with existing frameworks and supports robust regulatory decision-making.

Procurement Information

The expertise required for this project is highly technical spanning a multitude of disciplines. Frontier Economics has been chosen for Direct Award given their unique ability to provide technical expertise across water industry business planning, economics, financial planning, operational requirements and for extensive background and experience on analysis of previous Price Controls in water and other relevant sectors. This combination of expertise is not available in the wider market in one contractor and therefore Direct Award is considered appropriate in this circumstance.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b1d7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055132-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71621000 - Technical analysis or consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£198,156 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Jun 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Jun 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
23 Jun 2026 - 8 Oct 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
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
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
South West 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
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FRONTIER ECONOMICS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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