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PRO005166 - ORiW - Design and Integration Partner

United Utilities Water Limited

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Oct 2026 at 07:52

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

United Utilities Water Limited is planning to appoint a Design and Integration Partner for its Only Rainwater into Windermere programme. The aim is to improve water quality and ecological resilience in the Windermere catchment, reducing harmful discharges and the risk of algal blooms. The programme’s proposed infrastructure includes connecting currently unsewered properties to public sewers, remote treatment where connection is not feasible, surface-water and highway-runoff management, tunnels and rising mains, and upgrades to wastewater treatment works and discharge points. The partner will develop and integrate the system design and support planning and approvals. Work is centred on Windermere and its catchment in North West England, with infrastructure intended to benefit local communities, businesses and the wider National Park. The service requirement spans engineering design, environmental assessment, planning and construction consultancy.

This is a planning-stage market engagement, not an invitation to tender; United Utilities says it intends to launch a competitive tendering procedure. An online programme launch event is planned for 29 October 2026, with registration expected by 27 October 2026; a further procurement notice is anticipated on 5 November 2026. The initial pre-delivery role is expected to run for four years from April 2027 to March 2031, with an indicative value of around £60m–£100m. The buyer anticipates possible delivery-phase support for up to a further nine years, in increments at its discretion. Two alternative delivery roles are described: system integration support at around £100m, or system integration and detailed design at around £500m, subject to CPIH. The stated overall estimated range is £60m–£600m; the alternatives are not cumulative. One lot is planned.

The work is likely to suit multidisciplinary engineering and infrastructure consultancies able to lead complex water and wastewater programmes from feasibility and outline design through consents and delivery. United Utilities is seeking a partner that can integrate multiple workstreams, manage programme interfaces, maintain design consistency and lead the overall delivery strategy. Relevant capabilities include wastewater and civil engineering design; tunnels, pipelines, treatment facilities and drainage; environmental impact assessment and surveys; ground investigation; planning applications and Development Consent Order preparation; land referencing, acquisition and access; stakeholder and customer engagement; and early contractor involvement. Suppliers should be able to coordinate planning and environmental requirements with design, and support the buyer’s Ofwat reporting. The buyer may seek continuity into delivery through system integration, detailed design or client-side support, depending on its eventual delivery model. No particular accreditation or certification is identified in the planning information.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

PRO005166 - ORiW - Design and Integration Partner

Notice Description

This notice relates to market engagement activity for the provision of certain design and integration services, as explained below. United Utilities Water Ltd (UU) proposes to deliver a programme titled Only Rainwater into Windermere (ORiW), with the ambition to make Windermere the cleanest lake in England by removing discharges from both public and private sources, while also addressing highway runoff. This is a long-term, transformational programme designed to protect the lake's ecology, water quality and amenity value for future generations. The target end state is "Only Rainwater into Windermere", restoring the lake as close as possible to its natural condition and reducing the risk of harmful algal blooms. The programme will deliver resilient wastewater infrastructure that supports communities, businesses and the wider National Park, while creating a potential blueprint for freshwater restoration across England. A coalition has been established to develop and deliver the ORiW feasibility phase. It brings together key stakeholders, including UU, local authorities, regulators and environmental organisations, to provide strategic direction and has sponsored the commission of a 'feasibility study' to ascertain the art of the possible for achieving ORiW. Through the commission there are now feasible options for achieving the ambition, to improve water quality, and enhance the environmental resilience of the Windermere catchment, through a proposed ORiW system and wider infrastructure. The proposed ORiW system is made up of multiple workstreams; * First Time Sewerage (FTS), connecting properties to the public sewer network that are currently outside of the network and have never previously been connected to it. * First time Treatment (FTT), for the sites where FTS is not possible, a remote treatment solution will be implemented. * Reduced weather dependent flow, surface water management and management and treatment of highways runoff through the use of nature- based solutions where possible across the catchment. * Construction of tunnel and rising mains. * Upgrade of an existing wastewater treatment works and discharge point. UU anticipates that the ORiW system and the other strategic wastewater transfer and treatment infrastructure required for the ORiW programme (including the tunnel, rising mains, pumping stations, wastewater treatment facilities, associated drainage works and all ancillary infrastructure), will be promoted through a Development Consent Order (DCO) as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), subject to Section 35 approval by Defra. UU will shortly be launching a competitive tendering procedure for the appointment of a Design and Integration Partner (D&IP) who will be responsible for supporting the next phase of this programme, designing the ORiW system, including whole system integration, to achieve the programme vision. UU requires the D&IP to complete feasibility, outline design, constructability and other related activities to obtain the necessary approvals and consents for the programme to proceed to the delivery phase for the preferred solution. Accordingly, the D&IP will also be responsible for the delivery of the DCO and planning approvals. As such, the outline design needs to fully support and integrate with the DCO, Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) and land acquisition and access processes. At a high level, the initial scope of requirements for the D&IP will include, but may not be limited to the following activities across each of the workstreams of the ORiW system; * Outline Design * Planning, Consents and Land * Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and surveys * Stakeholder and Customer Engagement * Land Agency, Referencing and Surveying * Preparation and submission of planning applications and all supporting information * Preparation and submission of the DCO and all supporting information * Ground Investigation (GI) * Early Contractor involvement (ECI) * Supporting UU in meeting our reporting requirements with Ofwat UU require a D&IP who has the capability and experience to ensure coordination over integration of all elements of the ORiW system and all other related activities that are required. The D&IP will also need to be capable of leading the overall delivery strategy, managing interfaces across the programme, maintaining design consistency, and ensuring that the complete solution meets the requirements to obtain the necessary approvals and consents. UU is continuing to consider its approach to the delivery phase of the programme and anticipates that it may need ongoing support from the D&IP into the delivery phase to provide continuity throughout the programme lifecycle. The precise form that this ongoing support may take will be dependent on the precise delivery model that UU adopts, but this may include (without limitation): * The D&IP acting as system integrator and detailed design partner to either UU and/or any prime contractor engaged in relation to the programme. * The D&IP acting as a system integrator partner to provide support across different workstreams and work packages forming part of the programme so that the overall programme is delivered as seamlessly as possible. * Providing alternative services to support UU's client-side management of delivery partners engaged to undertake the delivery phase of the programme. It is also conceivable that the D&IP will not be required to provide any ongoing support during the delivery phase. Anticipated value of each role; * Design & Integration Partner (pre delivery phase) > 4 years = circa PS60-100m * System Integrator Partner (during delivery phase) > up to a further 9 years in increments at UUs discretion = circa PS100m (subject to CPIH) * System Integrator and Detailed Design Partner (during delivery phase) > up to a further 9 years in increments at UUs discretion = circa PS500m (subject to CPIH) Please note that the total value is given as a range (PS60m to PS600m) which includes the minimum and maximum total estimated values across those roles. As explained above, the system integrator partner (during delivery phase) and system integrator and detailed design partner roles are alternatives and so the combined value of each is not included in the total (only the higher of the two). This notice does not constitute a call for competition, and does not commit United Utilities to undertake any future procurement.

Planning Information

UU would like to invite interested parties to attend a virtual Programme Launch Event that will be held on Thursday 29 October 13:30- 17:00 via Microsoft Teams, to share further information about the ORiW programme and the D&IP procurement. Please note attendees are restricted to 2 individuals per supplier. If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to attend the event, please complete the information requested in the Microsoft form which can be accessed here- https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mdBFVcDfdB. Please note the deadline to register your interest to attend this event is Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 2pm. UU reserves the right (but does not currently intend) to extend the market engagement activity to encompass other events or activities (including further virtual and in-person sessions as well as written engagement such as surveys and questionnaires) as required. Suppliers should ensure that they have registered using the means, and by the deadline, described above if they wish to be included in any of those further events or activities.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078c58
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099229-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

70 - Real estate services

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

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

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

45111250 - Ground investigation work

70332100 - Land management services

71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

71242000 - Project and design preparation, estimation of costs

71246000 - Determining and listing of quantities in construction

71310000 - Consultative engineering and construction services

71311000 - Civil engineering consultancy services

71313400 - Environmental impact assessment for construction

71313410 - Risk or hazard assessment for construction

71313420 - Environmental standards for construction

71313430 - Environmental indicators analysis for construction

71313440 - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) services for construction

71313450 - Environmental monitoring for construction

71320000 - Engineering design services

71321100 - Construction economics services

71322000 - Engineering design services for the construction of civil engineering works

71322100 - Quantity surveying services for civil engineering works

71322200 - Pipeline-design services

71324000 - Quantity surveying services

71333000 - Mechanical engineering services

71334000 - Mechanical and electrical engineering services

71351200 - Geological and geophysical consultancy services

71351210 - Geophysical consultancy services

71351500 - Ground investigation services

71351720 - Geophysical surveys of archaeological sites

71351810 - Topographical services

71351811 - Topographical surveys of archaeological sites

71351914 - Archaeological services

71354500 - Marine survey services

71420000 - Landscape architectural services

71500000 - Construction-related services

71530000 - Construction consultancy services

71540000 - Construction management services

71541000 - Construction project management services

71800000 - Consulting services for water-supply and waste consultancy

72224000 - Project management consultancy services

72242000 - Design-modelling services

79415200 - Design consultancy services

79420000 - Management-related services

79930000 - Specialty design services

90700000 - Environmental services

90711400 - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) services other than for construction

90712000 - Environmental planning

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£600,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
5 Nov 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
United Utilities Water 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
WARRINGTON
Postcode
WA5 3LP
Postcode Area
Warrington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD61 Warrington
Delivery Location
TLD North West (England)
Local Authority
Warrington
Electoral Ward
Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall
Westminster Constituency
Warrington South

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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