---
title: "S30106 Strategic Development - Scheme Development Targeted Studies Technical Partner 2026-2028"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-015168a0-31dd-4cb1-ab5c-64b777470728"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-015168a0-31dd-4cb1-ab5c-64b777470728"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-015168a0-31dd-4cb1-ab5c-64b777470728.md"
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source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "National Highways"
published: "2026-10-13"
---

# S30106 Strategic Development - Scheme Development Targeted Studies Technical Partner 2026-2028

Buyer: National Highways  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-015168a0-31dd-4cb1-ab5c-64b777470728

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## Summary

National Highways appointed a technical partner to support its Strategic Planning Division’s targeted studies programme. The services cover strategic planning and early feasibility studies for growth and connectivity priorities, key road corridors, combined authority areas and nationally significant locations. The partner develops evidence and strategic, economic, performance and cost cases to inform National Highways’ enhancement strategy, long-term investment plans, future interventions and RIS4 planning. Work also includes assessing third-party proposals with significant implications for the road network. The studies are intended to help identify and appraise potential interventions at the earliest stage of scheme development. Delivery is programme-based, with the partner expected to provide flexible technical support as stakeholder priorities change. National Highways is the buyer; the programme concerns its Strategic Road Network across the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete and awarded to Ove Arup. The award date was 13 October 2026, and the contract runs from 13 October 2026 to 31 October 2028. The awarded value is £2.25 million. National Highways used a selective procedure, making a call-off from a framework agreement. The original submission deadline was 14 August 2026. The commission covers a prioritised programme of studies across the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years; individual study priorities can respond to stakeholder needs. The procurement was identified as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The published outcome records one successful supplier and one award, with the contract period aligned to the programme’s delivery.

For firms seeking to compete for comparable strategic development work with National Highways, credibility depends on combining transport planning and technical study capability with strong evidence development. Suppliers need to produce robust strategic, economic, performance and cost cases that support investment decisions, assess growth and connectivity needs, and shape early-stage road schemes. Experience spanning corridor planning, investment plans and feasibility assessment is relevant, as is the ability to evaluate nationally significant proposals and their effects on the road network. The programme also favours a consistent, efficient approach across multiple studies, while retaining the capacity to respond quickly when stakeholder priorities change. A competitor would need to work closely with National Highways’ strategic planning function and provide clear, decision-ready outputs that inform long-term strategy, enhancement planning and future investment choices. No particular accreditation is identified.

## Notice

National Highways ("the Employer") is intending to set up a contract for provision of technical services to support the Strategic Planning Division's scheme development targeted study programme in 2026/27 and 2027/28 ("the study programme"). Strategic Planning Division within the Customer, Strategy and Communication directorate, are seeking to appoint a Technical Partner ("the Consultant") to work in close partnership with us to deliver a defined and prioritised programme of strategic and feasibility studies. The programme focuses on supporting growth, developing investment plans, and progressing early-stage scheme development across key corridors, combined authority areas and nationally significant locations. The Consultant will provide specialist technical services to develop robust, evidence led outputs that inform our enhancement strategy, including clear strategic, economic, performance and cost cases to support RIS4 and future investment planning. The study programme delivery will take place within the financial years of 2026/2027 and 2027/2028, and the commission will cover technical services related to supporting the delivery of studies spanning growth and connectivity priorities, corridor and investment plans, and scheme development activity. This will assist National Highways in developing the evidence base needed to develop long term strategy and select the right interventions for the network. The Consultant will flexibly deliver their technical services, developing and drawing upon robust evidence, to help us carry out studies in the most cost and time effective ways. The Consultant will also assist us in improving the quality of our outcomes through greater consistency of approach due to the programmatic nature of this commission. The Consultant will have the technical capability to provide outputs that efficiently support our decision making. They will deliver a range of studies and will be able to quickly react to changes in priorities and needs, which are driven by those of our stakeholders. Through our ongoing programme of strategic and early feasibility studies, Strategic Development plays an integral and business critical role within National Highways, delivering the evidence and early-stage feasibility needed to shape future investment in the Strategic Road Network (SRN). We lead the development of long-term strategies, investment plans and early scheme development, set strategic direction for future interventions, and assess nationally significant third-party proposals to ensure impacts on the network are understood and mitigated. Our remit includes progressing potential schemes through their earliest stages of assessment (equivalent to PCF Stage 0), and developing robust evidence bases that cover strategic need, value for money, performance impacts and cost to help inform our enhancement strategy, future investment pipeline and RIS4 planning.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3bd58324-33ec-466e-a468-1b696c303d2f |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 13 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £2,250,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £2,250,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | National Highways |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode area | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B4 6GA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands |
| ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham |
| Local authority | Birmingham |
| Electoral ward | Ladywood |
| Westminster constituency | Birmingham Ladywood |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Ove Arup & Partners Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73220000 - Development consultancy services

## Release History

- 13 Oct 2026 at 15:19 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3bd58324-33ec-466e-a468-1b696c303d2f

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3bd58324-33ec-466e-a468-1b696c303d2f
  13th October 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

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