---
title: "Line Search Before We Dig"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0696af"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0696af"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0696af.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0696af.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS LIMITED"
published: "2026-05-12"
---

# Line Search Before We Dig

Buyer: NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0696af

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## Summary

The procurement process for the "Line Search Before We Dig" project was carried out by Northern Gas Networks Limited, a private utility based in Leeds, United Kingdom. This process falls within the industry categories of database and operating software and professional services for the gas industry. The procurement was completed on 12th May 2026 with a direct award to LinesearchBeforeUdig Limited, justified by the platform's unique market position and critical safety functions. The project involves providing an online system for locating utility pipes and cables, enhancing safety and operational efficiency. The contract spans from 11th August 2026 to 10th August 2030, across various regions in the UK, and includes a gross value of £590,400.

This tender creates significant opportunities for businesses involved in information systems, databases, and professional services related to utilities. Given its role in safeguarding the infrastructure by managing approximately 4 million enquiries annually, it emphasises asset protection and efficient management. Businesses already familiar with utility safety, regulation, and compliance would be particularly well-suited to engage in such contracts, especially those specialising in innovative solutions for optimising operational efficiencies within the utilities sector. The commitment to enhancing service delivery provides additional prospects for asset protection companies and mapping service providers.

## Notice

An online system which any third party can use to help them find utility pipes and cables in order to work safely. By undertaking a simple search, each enquirer gets an instant response for all the apparatus owned and/or operated by the Asset Owners All enquirers (users) receive an instant response to their enquiry advising if their site is inside or outside an Area of Interest (AOI) that would be designated by NGN. The result of this filtering process means that enquirers receive faster response times and NGN only receive relevant enquiries, eliminating any wasted time checking enquiries that are not near our assets. At present NGN receive approx 30,000 enquiries per month from enquirers who have plans to excavate nearby or close to our pipelines. The key benefit highlights are as follows: 1. Increased asset protection through significant annual enquiry volume growth 2. Less anticipated 3rd party damage to our assets 3. Reduced costs relating to internal investigations and legal support resulting from incidents 4. Increase in revenue from chargeable damages 5. Increased revenue from chargeable asset plans (mapping providers, conveyancers, land search companies) - 6. Stakeholder recognition & brand awareness - over 3,000,000 searches per annum 7. Increased customer service - search results provided to customer within 10 minutes versus current SLA of within 10 days. 8. Garden Mains (HSE challenge) - providing customers with mains inside their land boundary visibility of where the main is.

### Procurement Information

A Direct Award to LinesearchBeforeUdig (LSBUD) is justified due to the platform's unique market position, critical safety function, and lack of viable equivalent alternatives. 1. Market Uniqueness and Sole Supplier Characteristics LSBUD is the national safe digging service, protecting over 60% of Great Britain's utility infrastructure and processing around 4 million enquiries annually. Its extensive membership-160+ asset owners across electricity, gas, water, telecoms, and fuel networks-makes it the only UK platform with this level of asset coverage and integration. No alternative platform provides comparable reach, national adoption, or instant multi utility response capabilities. 2. Regulatory and Safety Imperatives Safe dig compliance, HSE expectations, and risk mitigation obligations rely on immediate, accurate asset data. LSBUD is specifically designed to reduce asset strikes and improve safety outcomes, offering instant AOI responses within seconds. Replicating this functionality elsewhere would introduce unacceptable delays and risks. 3. Operational Efficiency and Risk Reduction LSBUD's ability to filter enquiries ensures NGN only receives relevant requests, preventing thousands of potential unsafe excavations and supporting faster customer responses. The proven model is already widely used by major UK utilities, including UK Power Distribution, which relies on LSBUD for asset searches. 4. High Switching Barriers Switching would require rebuilding integrations with 160+ network operators, re establishing data sharing agreements, and implementing new operational procedures-an impractical and costly undertaking. The absence of equivalent providers creates a de facto sole supplier environment. Conclusion: Given LSBUD's national infrastructure role, unrivalled asset-owner participation, and essential contribution to safety and operational efficiency, a Direct Award is a proportionate, defensible route that ensures continuity, compliance, and risk minimisation.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043603-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 11 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 10 Aug 2026 - 10 Aug 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £492,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS LIMITED |
| Locality | COLTON LEEDS |
| Post town | Leeds |
| Postcode | LS15 8TU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE4 West Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE42 Leeds |
| Local authority | Leeds |
| Electoral ward | Garforth & Swillington |
| Westminster constituency | Leeds East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | LINESEARCHBEFOREUDIG |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 76 - Services related to the oil and gas industry

### Codes

- 48600000 - Database and operating software package
- 48800000 - Information systems and servers
- 76100000 - Professional services for the gas industry

## Release History

- 12 May 2026 at 15:18 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043603-2026
- 12 May 2026 at 12:29 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043464-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043603-2026
  12th May 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043464-2026
  12th May 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://lsbud.co.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0696af. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0696af.json.