---
title: "Review of Ofwat's New Appointments and Variations (NAV) Financial Viability Assessment"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "O F W A T"
published: "2026-08-13"
---

# Review of Ofwat's New Appointments and Variations (NAV) Financial Viability Assessment

Buyer: O F W A T  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-a7951435-eb45-46b6-a0bb-9df491eab5ae

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## Summary

Ofwat commissioned business and management consultancy services to review its financial viability assessment for New Appointments and Variations (NAVs), which are water undertakers responsible for long-term services to customers and the environment. The work examines whether Ofwat’s approach to assessing the financial viability of existing and new NAV sites is effective and recommends changes for the future. The intended outcome is clearer requirements for NAV applicants and a less complex, shorter licensing application process. This is a finance-focused regulatory and strategic review rather than the delivery of water infrastructure or operational services. The work is to be delivered in London and the West Midlands. The main procurement category is services, under CPV 79400000, business and management consultancy and related services.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Bramble Hub Limited on 26 June 2026 for £77,130 excluding VAT. The contract runs from 21 July 2026 to 31 December 2026. It was conducted through a selective further competition under the Government Commercial Agency RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four, Lot 4: Finance, using a call-off from a framework agreement. The tender submission deadline was 15 June 2026 at 11:00. The requirement was assessed against the consultancy’s ability to review the effectiveness of Ofwat’s NAV financial viability approach and recommend whether and how it should change. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This award demonstrates demand for specialist consultancy combining financial analysis, regulatory review and practical recommendations for the water sector. Suppliers seeking comparable work should be able to examine how financial viability assessments operate, test their effectiveness against available data and changing market conditions, and turn findings into clear improvements to an application and licensing process. Credible competitors would need to understand the long-term financial responsibilities of NAVs, the regulatory duty to secure companies’ ability to finance their statutory functions, and the importance of protecting customers and the environment. Experience communicating complex financial and regulatory requirements to applicants would also be valuable. The procurement route shows that relevant capability can be accessed through a management consultancy framework finance lot, with scope for SME participation.

## Notice

Awarded contract following further-competition against the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) RM6309 Management Consultancy Framework Four (MCF4) - Lot 4: Finance. NAVs are water undertakers with a range of long-term responsibilities to customers and the environment. Ofwat has a duty to secure that water companies can (in particular through securing reasonable returns on their capital) finance the proper carrying out of their statutory functions. In licensing new NAV sites, we fulfil this duty by carrying out a financial viability assessment. We want a consultancy to review the effectiveness of our approach to assessing NAVs' financial viability and to recommend if, and how, our approach could be changed in the future. We want to improve the way we assess financial viability - which we also see as important for protecting customers and the environment - and, by communicating this, give applicants for NAV sites greater understanding of the requirements, thereby reducing the complexity and duration of the licensing application process. As NAV sites have matured and continue to grow in number, and more data has become available, we now see this as an appropriate time for such a review, with the overall aim of improving the financial viability of existing and new NAV sites.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9ea8fbd7-9ef0-4eb5-a2f1-a74fc79fcd5a |
| 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 |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 26 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 21 Jul 2026 - 31 Dec 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £77,130 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £77,130 |
| 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 | O F W A T |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode area | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B5 4UA |
| 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 | TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Bramble Hub Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

## Release History

- 13 Aug 2026 at 14:53 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9ea8fbd7-9ef0-4eb5-a2f1-a74fc79fcd5a

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9ea8fbd7-9ef0-4eb5-a2f1-a74fc79fcd5a
  13th August 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/

## Provenance

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