Thames Water announces a £1.008 billion Major Projects Framework to modernise water and wastewater infrastructure across London and Thames Valley, emphasizing collaboration and innovation to meet future demands and climate resilience goals.
Thames Water is gearing up to launch a transformative Major Projects Framework valued at approximately £1.008 billion including VAT, aimed at delivering critical infrastructure upgrades across its service regions during the Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8) and into AMP9. This substantial long-term procurement initiative follows a successful preliminary market engagement phase, during which potential suppliers were invited to shape the procurement strategy, signalling Thames Water’s commitment to a collaborative and efficient contracting approach.
The framework encompasses a comprehensive range of major construction works, asset enhancement projects, goods, and services crucial to modernising and maintaining the water and wastewater infrastructure that serves over 16 million customers in London and the Thames Valley. The framework is designed not only to support essential capital works but also to streamline supplier engagement by reducing repetitive bidding efforts and fostering sustainable partnerships. Thames Water’s emphasis on collaboration and efficiency is intended to deliver greater value for customers and stakeholders alike.
To formally kick off the tender process, Thames Water will host an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Launch Event on 18 September, providing suppliers with detailed insights into the procurement process, contract specifics, evaluation criteria, and feedback from initial market engagement. The event will be essential for prospective Tier 1 contractors intending to bid individually or as joint ventures and consortia. Thames Water advises collaborators to finalise partnerships ahead of the pre-qualification questionnaire deadline to ensure a smooth submission.
The contract is scheduled to commence on 30 March 2026 and run until 30 March 2033, with a potential extension to 18 July 2035 contingent on performance. The framework’s duration and value reflect Thames Water’s strategic intent to secure reliable and high-performing delivery partners to support its long-term infrastructure programme.
Complementing this Major Projects Framework is a parallel £400 million Asset, Capital, and Engineering Professional Services Framework, scheduled to run from 2025 to 2030. This framework addresses engineering and capital delivery services designed to tackle challenges related to ageing infrastructure and climate resilience. Industry leaders such as Stantec and Turner & Townsend have already been appointed to deliver multidisciplinary engineering, environment, commercial assurance, and programme management services, underscoring Thames Water’s integrated approach to infrastructure enhancement.
The projects under the Major Projects Framework are wide-ranging and ambitious, including upgrades to key water and sewage treatment works at multiple sites such as Riverside, Beckton, Crossness, Didcot, and Hogsmill. Specific works include the replacement of Beckton’s sludge-powered generators and installation of new ultraviolet water treatment systems at Ashford and Hampton. These interventions form part of Thames Water’s larger capital delivery investment, which is expected to be up to three times the size of its existing programme during AMP8, reflecting the scale and urgency of infrastructure renewal.
Thames Water’s encouraging of early and extensive supplier collaboration is intended to mitigate risks associated with supply chain capacity and to foster innovation across the network. By securing a steady pipeline of projects and contracts through this forward-looking framework, the water company aims to improve operational resilience and safeguard water quality and service reliability in the face of climate change and increasing demand.
This initiative, signalling a major investment in water infrastructure over the next decade, showcases Thames Water’s strategic shift towards embedding sustainability, efficiency, and long-term partnerships at the heart of its procurement and delivery model. As the sector anticipates the outcomes of this procurement, the emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and robust project delivery is expected to set new benchmarks in utility infrastructure development across the UK.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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