---
title: "NI Water - Laboratory Analysis Resilience Services - Request for Information (RFI)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077439"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077439"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077439.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077439.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "NI Water and its subsidiaries"
published: "2026-09-17"
---

# NI Water - Laboratory Analysis Resilience Services - Request for Information (RFI)

Buyer: NI Water and its subsidiaries  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077439

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## Summary

Northern Ireland Water Limited is preparing a utilities procurement for laboratory analysis resilience services. The requirement concerns contingency sample analysis, including analysis of water and waste samples and bacteriological, composition, purity and other technical testing. The buyer is seeking market information on suppliers’ current and future capability, including the sample types, suites and parameters they can support. The services will support Northern Ireland Water’s water and environmental operations in Northern Ireland. The procurement is for services and is being considered as a single lot. The buyer’s published material refers to an existing contingency sample analysis arrangement and uses the broad category of water-pollution-related services, alongside laboratory and technical analysis services. Small and medium-sized enterprises are identified as suitable potential suppliers for the planned requirement.

This procurement is at the planning stage: Northern Ireland Water Limited is conducting preliminary market engagement and has not invited tenders. It expects to use the responses to develop the structure of a future tender competition. The Request for Information asks interested suppliers to complete Annex 1 and the list of analysis suites and parameters, returning them through the stated electronic messaging route or by email by 2pm on 25 September 2026; the engagement milestone is recorded for 14 October 2026. A future notice is expected on 28 October 2026. The planned contract is expected to run from 4 February 2027 to 3 February 2030, with renewal possible up to 3 February 2034. The recorded estimated value is £1 including gross value, and the procurement is below threshold.

The engagement will suit laboratories and specialist testing providers that can deliver resilient contingency sample analysis for a water utility. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate current and future capacity across the buyer’s required suites and parameters, including bacteriological testing, water-pollution analysis, waste analysis, composition and purity testing, and wider technical analysis. Organisations with flexible laboratory resources, robust sample-handling arrangements and the ability to maintain service continuity are likely to be well placed to contribute. The buyer is specifically seeking market evidence rather than bids, so suppliers can use the RFI to explain their analytical scope, available capability and likely service model. Smaller businesses are expressly considered suitable, including those able to provide specialist analysis or support as part of a resilient supply arrangement.

## Notice

NI Water's current contract for provision of contingency sample analysis services will end 3 February 2027. NI Water are seeking to understand the current market capability and gauge interest in participation in a tender process for this requirement. NI Water have published a Request for Information (RFI) on eTendersNI, this included a list of the current suites/parameters of sample types in 'Appendix 2 - List of Analysis Suites and Parameters'. NI Water would ask interested suppliers to complete both Annex 1 of the Request for Information (RFI) document and the 'Appendix 2 List of Analysis Suites and Parameters' and return these via eTenders NI (using the Messaging function) or send to sourcing@niwater.com (FAO Paul Clements) by 2pm on 25th September 2026.

### Planning Information

NI Water have issued a Request for Information (RFI) Questionnaire and associated documents on eTendersNI. They wish for interested suppliers to complete the RFI and provide details on their current/future capability of providing laboratory analysis services, the details provided by all interested parties will assist NI Water in developing a tender structure for an upcoming procurement competition.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088138-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 4 Feb 2027 - 3 Feb 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NI Water and its subsidiaries |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Postcode area | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT14 6TE |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Chichester Park |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 85 - Health and social work services
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 71600000 - Technical testing, analysis and consultancy services
- 71610000 - Composition and purity testing and analysis services
- 71620000 - Analysis services
- 79723000 - Waste analysis services
- 85111820 - Bacteriological analysis services
- 90733000 - Services related to water pollution

## Release History

- 17 Sep 2026 at 11:57 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088138-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088138-2026
  17th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-077439. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077439.json.