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Visual Asset Inspector Accreditation for Flood, Coastal and Environmental Assets

Environment Agency

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

Award

30 Sep 2026 at 08:21

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

15 Sep 2026 at 10:12

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

03 Jul 2026 at 10:53

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

03 Jul 2026 at 10:28

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

16 Jun 2026 at 10:10

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Environment Agency bought a service to assess and accredit people carrying out visual inspections of its fixed, non-MEICA assets across Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Water, Land and Biodiversity, and Navigation. The provider is responsible for delivering the T98 Visual Asset Accreditation course and deciding whether candidates meet the required standard. The purpose is to ensure inspectors working for or on behalf of the Agency assess asset condition competently, consistently and safely. The service supports the Agency’s asset management across England, covering its flood, coastal, water, land, biodiversity and navigation responsibilities. The requirement includes candidate assessment and accreditation decisions, consistent quality assurance, and records and reporting to evidence compliance and performance. The accreditation also needs a continuing cycle of refresher training and reassessment.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been signed. The Environment Agency used an open procedure for one lot. RAB Consultants Limited was selected; the award was dated 15 September 2026 and the contract was signed on 30 September 2026. The contract runs from 22 October 2026 to 21 October 2029, with two optional one-year extensions, potentially taking it to 21 October 2031. The contract value is £500,000 excluding VAT (£600,000 including VAT). Bids were due by 3 August 2026, and questions by 6 July 2026. Evaluation weighted technical quality at 50%, sustainability and social value at 10%, and commercial terms at 40%. The award was pending when recorded, but the resulting contract is active.

For suppliers looking to compete when this requirement returns to market, the work calls for expertise in assessing and accrediting people who inspect flood, coastal and environmental assets. A credible provider needs to design and deliver a robust, standardised T98 assessment, judge technical understanding and practical competence against the Environment Agency’s standards, and make defensible accreditation decisions. The service must support safe working and risk awareness, with consistent assessment across assessors and the Agency’s varied asset estate. Suppliers also need to maintain auditable records and performance reporting, and provide a sustainable approach to refresher training and reaccreditation as credentials expire. Technical quality carried the greatest evaluation weight, alongside sustainability and social value and commercial terms. The single-lot contract was suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises; the successful provider was an SME.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Visual Asset Inspector Accreditation for Flood, Coastal and Environmental Assets

Notice Description

This contract relates to three departments who help us fulfil our responsibilities across England. The three departments are Flood & Coastal Risk Management (FCRM), Water, Land & Biodiversity (WLB) and Navigation. They each use a wide variety of operational assets, which are described in more detail below. To be an effective and efficient asset manager we require staff working for, or on behalf of, us to have suitable skills, knowledge and experience. A key role contributing to the management of our 'fixed', not Mechanical, Electrical Instrumentation, Control and Automation (MEICA), assets is undertaken by externally accredited, Asset Inspectors (AIs). AIs visit our assets and visually assess their condition. Background to existing contract The current/existing contract (Ref: C12962) with JBA for the T98 & T98a Visual Asset Inspection (New accreditation and Reaccreditation- Area Health check) training ends 21/10/2026. We have used the last of the extensions (4 +1+1) so we needed to undertake a procurement. To ensure continuation of service, we have completed a compliant procurement exercise in time to commence the new contract on 22/10/2026. Additionally, there is the potential for further work to assist the EA in developing the course and providing technical advice. Objective The overarching objective of this procurement is to ensure that Asset Inspectors (AIs) working for, or on behalf of, the Environment Agency (EA) are able to carry out visual inspections of EA assets competently, consistently, and safely. To achieve this, all AIs must successfully complete and pass the T98 Visual Asset Accreditation course, which serves as the recognised standard for assessing inspector capability. The appointed Contractor will be responsible for: * Assessing competence: Evaluating whether candidates have achieved the required level of knowledge, technical understanding, and practical capability to undertake inspections to EA standards. * Accreditation decision-making: Determining whether individuals meet the pass criteria and can be formally accredited as Asset Inspectors. * Quality and consistency assurance: Ensuring assessments are applied consistently and in line with agreed standards, maintaining credibility and reliability across the EA estate. Accreditation is valid for a maximum of five years, after which inspectors must undergo a reaccreditation process to confirm ongoing competence and alignment with current standards and practices. The high-level specification therefore requires a solution that: * Delivers robust, standardised assessment and accreditation processes * Ensures consistency and quality across all assessments and assessors * Supports safe inspection practices and risk awareness * Provides a sustainable accreditation lifecycle, including refresher/reaccreditation provision * Maintains appropriate records, auditability, and reporting to evidence compliance and performance This defined outcome and specification form the foundation for the subsequent procurement strategy, including delivery model options, commercial approach, and evaluation criteria.

Planning Information

Interested suppliers for this procurement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b593
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092112-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Sep 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
3 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
27 Jun 2026Expired
Award Date
15 Sep 20261 months ago
Contract Period
22 Oct 2026 - 21 Oct 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2026-10-22

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Environment Agency
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
Postcode Area
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

RAB Consultants

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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