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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Ofwat Innovation Fund delivery partner 2025-30

Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 29 Sept 2026, 19:48.

Opportunity overview

We are looking to appoint delivery partners to support Ofwat in delivering the Ofwat Innovation Fund and aspects of the Water Efficiency Fund in AMP 8 (the asset management planning period which runs from April 2025-March 2030). This is a continuation of the existing Innovation Fund which was established in 2020 and the introduction of a new Water Efficiency Fund (WEF) of which this Invitation to Tender is concerned with only two aspects: the Water Efficiency Lab (WEL) – an annual competition similar to the Innovation Fund but focused solely on water efficiency, and the evaluation of the Water Efficiency Campaign (WEC), which is the other part of the two components that make up the WEF. We are looking for delivery partner support in three distinct but linked areas: Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery Lot 2: Implementation programme Lot 3: Evaluation

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Nesta

Matched by exact name
Contract value
£14.5m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
30 Mar 2025
Award ID
021944-2025-1
Status
active
Location
London, UK, EC4Y0DS, United Kingdom

Isle

Match pending…
Contract value
£1.9m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
30 Mar 2025
Award ID
021944-2025-2
Status
active
Location
Birmingham, UK, B3 2HJ, United Kingdom

ICF Consulting Services Ltd

Matched by exact name
Contract value
£2m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
30 Mar 2025
Award ID
021944-2025-3
Status
active
Location
London, UK, EC2R 8HP, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV65000000 — Public utilities

Lots

  • Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery£14.5m
  • Lot 2: Implementation programme£19m
  • Lot 3: Evaluation£2m

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
PROC.0024
Status
complete
Has Recurrence
No
Procurement Method
open
Main Procurement Category
services
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure

Amendments

Entry 1
Id
1
Description
Correction - II.2.6) Estimated Value is GBP 1,900,000 (GBP 1.9m) Please note an error in the Estimated Value of lot 2. The this was originally stated as: II.2.6) Estimated value Value excluding VAT: GBP 19,000,000 GBP It should read GBP 1,900,000. (GBP 1.9m). Sorry for any confusion.

Bid Opening

Date
20 Nov 2024, 12:00

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Lot Details

Maximum Lots Bid Per Supplier
9,999,999
Maximum Lots Awarded Per Supplier
2

Expected award period

Starts
20 Nov 2024, 12:00

Tender Period

Ends
20 Nov 2024, 12:00

Classification

Id
65000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Public utilities

Submission terms

Languages

en

Bid Validity Period

Duration In Days
60

Submission Method

electronicSubmission

Selection criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Type
suitability
Description
As outlined in the ITT

Applies To

supplier

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Title
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Has Renewal
Yes
Description
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery Lot 1 is broken down into the following services (detailed descriptions follow): 1. Water Breakthrough Challenge rounds 6-7 2. Water Discovery Challenge round 2 3. Water Efficiency Lab rounds 1-2 4. Collaborative Challenge programme 5. Monitoring of live projects and project closedown 6. Programme governance 7. Marketing and communications 8. Data collection to inform AMP 8 evaluation The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery is 4,400,000-5,800,000 The overall budget for 3-5 of the period will be determined towards the end of year 2 is 6,500,000-8,700,000

Value

Amount
14,500,000
Currency
GBP

Renewal

Description
3 year extension following review in year 2

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Quality
Type
quality
Description
70
Criterion 2
Type
price
Description
30

Contract period

Duration In Days
720

Submission terms

Variant Policy
notAllowed
Entry 2
Id
2
Title
Lot 2: Implementation programme
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Has Renewal
Yes
Description
The Innovation Fund aims to support the adoption and roll-out of innovative products, services and concepts. We expect most water companies will see the benefits of adopting successful innovations with no further support from Ofwat. However, throughout our engagement with companies in 2023/24 we have understood that it can take many years for companies to adopt an innovation and there have been suggestions that part of the fund should be targeted to help speed up implementation of new products, services and concepts. The Supplier and Ofwat will work closely together with the sector to determine what an effective implementation programme could look like. The programme will focus on accelerating the adoption and scaling of innovations awarded funding through the Ofwat Innovation Fund but also to support innovation implementation more generally across the sector. Co-design and delivery of new programme to support the acceleration of adoption and scaling of innovations across sector. Timetable to be agreed with the Supplier in line with the capacity of the sector to engage in design of the programme, but work expected to start in 2025. The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 2: Implementation programme is 500,000-800,000 The possible budget in years 3-5 of extension period for Lot 2: Implementation programme is 800,000-1,100,000

Value

Amount
19,000,000
Currency
GBP

Renewal

Description
3 years

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Quality
Type
quality
Description
70
Criterion 2
Type
price
Description
30

Contract period

Duration In Days
720

Submission terms

Variant Policy
notAllowed
Entry 3
Id
3
Title
Lot 3: Evaluation
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Has Renewal
Yes
Description
Lot 3 is broken down into the following services 1. AMP 7 Evaluation: Delivery of an impact and Value for Money (VfM) evaluation programme before the end of 2027 2. Delivery and coordination of AMP 8 evaluation activity. The overall budget range for the initial two-year contract for Lot 3: Evaluation is 600,000-900,000 The overall value in years 3-5 of the period will be determined towards the end of year 2 and could be in the range of 800,000-1,100,000

Value

Amount
2,000,000
Currency
GBP

Renewal

Description
3 year extension

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Quality
Type
quality
Description
70
Criterion 2
Type
price
Description
30

Contract period

Duration In Days
720

Submission terms

Variant Policy
notAllowed

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKG31
Entry 2
Region
UKI
Entry 3
Region
UKI32
Entry 4
Region
UKG31
Entry 5
Region
UKI
Entry 6
Region
UKI32

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
65000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Public utilities
Item 2
Id
2
Related Lot
2

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKI32
Entry 2
Region
UKG31
Entry 3
Region
UKI32
Entry 4
Region
UKG31

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
65000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Public utilities
Item 3
Id
3
Related Lot
3

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKG31
Entry 2
Region
UKI32
Entry 3
Region
UKG31
Entry 4
Region
UKI32

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
65000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Public utilities

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
economic
Document Type
economicSelectionCriteria
Entry 2
Id
technical
Document Type
technicalSelectionCriteria

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-8955
Name
Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)

Roles

buyer
centralPurchasingBody

Address

Region
UKG31
Locality
Birmingham
Postal Code
B5 4UA
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
BODY_PUBLIC
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Body governed by public law
Entry 2
Id
01
Scheme
COFOG
Description
General public services

Identifier

Legal Name
Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)

Contact

Telephone
+44 1216447534
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-103
Name
Public Procurement Review Service

Roles

reviewBody

Address

Locality
London
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Cabinet Office

Details

Identifier

Legal Name
Public Procurement Review Service

Contact

Telephone
+44 3450103503
Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-147985
Name
Nesta

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Postal Code
EC4Y0DS
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
58 Victoria Embankment

Details

Scale
sme

Identifier

Legal Name
Nesta

Contact

Telephone
+44 7445088652
Organisation 4
Id
GB-FTS-147986
Name
Isle

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UK
Locality
Birmingham
Postal Code
B3 2HJ
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
One Eleven, Edmund Street

Details

Scale
sme

Identifier

Legal Name
Isle

Contact

Telephone
+44 7742096537
Organisation 5
Id
GB-FTS-147987
Name
ICF Consulting Services Ltd

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Postal Code
EC2R 8HP
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
62 Threadneedle Street

Details

Scale
large

Identifier

Legal Name
ICF Consulting Services Ltd

Contact

Telephone
+44 2030964800

Award information

Award 1
Id
021944-2025-1
Title
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-147985
Name
Nesta

Related lots

1
Award 2
Id
021944-2025-2
Title
Lot 2: Implementation programme
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-147986
Name
Isle

Related lots

2
Award 3
Id
021944-2025-3
Title
Lot 3: Evaluation
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-147987
Name
ICF Consulting Services Ltd

Related lots

3

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
021944-2025-1
Title
Lot 1: Core Innovation Fund and WEL delivery
Status
active
Award ID
021944-2025-1
Date Signed
31 Mar 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
14,500,000
Currency
GBP
Entry 2
Id
021944-2025-2
Title
Lot 2: Implementation programme
Status
active
Award ID
021944-2025-2
Date Signed
31 Mar 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
1,900,000
Currency
GBP
Entry 3
Id
021944-2025-3
Title
Lot 3: Evaluation
Status
active
Award ID
021944-2025-3
Date Signed
31 Mar 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
2,000,000
Currency
GBP

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Birmingham · UKG31 · B5 4UA · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKG31
  • Delivery location · UKI
  • Delivery location · UKI32

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-049d6e-2025-05-15T16:58:02+01:00compiled ·