Public procurement notice: Periodic Indicative Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2020-04-27
Buyer: United Utilities Water Ltd
Country: UK
Contract type: Works
CPV classification: 43123000 | 43320000 | 45000000: Construction work | 45221000: Engineering works for bridges and tunnels | 45221200: Tunnel construction works

Technical requirements: United Utilities Water Ltd (UU) proposes to deliver a scheme titled Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) via Ofwat’s Direct Procurement for customers approach, engaging a competitively appointed provider (CAP) to design, build, finance and maintain this major water resilience supply project. The HARP project will provide long term resilience and security of water supplies from the Lake District to the Manchester and Pennine region by renewing the Haweswater Aqueduct.
Further information regarding DPC can be accessed via the following link: https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/publication/delivering-water-2020-final-methodology-2019-price-review-appendix-9-direct-procurement-customers/
Following a number of market engagement events held since July 2019 in relation to the HARP project we would like to share with the market the selected procurement approach and timescales of the HARP procurement for your information and feedback.
United utilities have previously been considering two procurement route options regarding the approach to procuring a CAP under the negotiated procedure with prior call for competition:
• united utilities would undertake one procurement exercise with bidding consortia bringing together the relevant technical, construction and financing expertise to be able to deliver the full requirements of the HARP project.
• united utilities would undertake two separate procurement exercises in parallel i.e. the construction contract(s) and the funding of the CAP agreement, with the successful bidders from both procurements coming together to form the CAP.
Market appetite from engagement sessions and feedback surveys with regards to these two procurement options has suggested that both options would allow for the appropriate number of bidders in order to create commercial tension and maximise competition.
United Utilities’ has considered how both procurement routes will be able to best achieve the key criteria of time, complexity, maximising competition and market appetite and based on an assessment of both options against these criteria have decided to run a single CAP procurement (Option 1), as this option best meets the criteria of time, complexity, maximising competition and market appetite.
In running a single procurement for a CAP (Option 1) united utilities anticipates the following key activities, dates and durations in the procurement timeline.
The following dates are purely indicative and intended only as a guide at this stage, United Utilities may and reserves the right to change any of these dates, as well as add or remove any stage:
May 2021 — invite successfully shortlisted bidders to review/comment on the project agreement terms (during ITN window) [6 weeks for bidders to review]
July 2021 – united utilities review comments from bidders on the project agreement terms and issue revised project agreement (during ITN window) [6 weeks for United Utilities to review comments and re-issue]
This notice is issued solely for the purpose of conducting pre-market engagement and is not a call for competition.
Parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this request for information and a response to this PIN does not guarantee any invitation to participate in this event of any future procurement.
Whether you have been involved in previous market engagement sessions or not, this is an important pathfinding project for united utilities and we welcome your feedback on the information shared in this notice.