AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
National Highways Limited has published a direct-award transparency notice for an asset-protection agreement with NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED. The arrangement concerns Network Rail review and supervision of works interfacing with its assets, including low-impact work, structure design, the Linford UTX, and work within 15 metres of the Network Rail boundary.
Published outcomeAward 1 is pending, not evidenced as signed or active. The published award value is £717,000 excluding VAT (£860,400 including VAT).
Market significanceThis is a single-supplier, above-threshold direct award justified on the basis that the requirement could only be undertaken by Network Rail.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 717000 GBP · pending
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Verified supplier identity for award 1; the award names Network Rail Infrastructure Limited as supplier and gives a total award value of £717,000 excluding VAT. There is one supplier and one related lot, but no separately published lot value.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice status
98% confidenceTransparency notice published; tender and lot marked complete
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Process notice type is 'Transparency notice on Find a Tender'; tender status and lot 1 status are 'complete'.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 status is 'pending'.
Signature position
98% confidenceNot evidenced as signed; future signature date was scheduled for 8 October 2026
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Award milestone is type 'futureSignatureDate', status 'scheduled', due 2026-10-08T23:59:59+01:00. No signed-contract field is supplied.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£717,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 717000 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£860,400
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 860400 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceAward-level value; no separate lot value published
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Lot 1 has no value amount, while award 1 covers related lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Notice publication
99% confidence8 October 2026, 13:47 BST
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Award notice document 095215-2026 was published at 2026-10-08T13:47:34+01:00.
Award date
98% confidence8 October 2026
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Award 1 award_date is 2026-10-08T00:00:00+01:00.
Scheduled signature date
98% confidence8 October 2026
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Future signature milestone was due on 2026-10-08.
Published contract period
99% confidence19 October 2026 to 31 March 2033
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives startDate 2026-10-19 and endDate 2033-03-31.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceBasic asset protection agreement for works interfacing with Network Rail assets
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Tender title and description state that the arrangement compensates Network Rail for reviewing and supervising LTC work interfacing with Network Rail assets.
Activities cited
98% confidenceLow-impact work, structures design through and beyond Form A (AIP), Linford UTX design and construction, and work within 15 metres of the Network Rail boundary
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These activities are expressly listed in the tender description.
Main category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is 'services'.
Classification
98% confidenceCPV 79930000 — Specialty design services
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Award item 1 has additional classification CPV 79930000.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is 'direct' and procurementMethodDetails is 'Direct award'.
Direct-award rationale
99% confidenceThe buyer stated that the work could only be undertaken by Network Rail
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procurementMethodRationale states: 'This could only be undertaken by Network Rail'; rationale classification is singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons.
Threshold
99% confidenceAbove threshold
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition information
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No bid count, bidder list, evaluation scores or award comparison is provided.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published term
99% confidence19 October 2026 to 31 March 2033
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Award 1 contractPeriod specifies these dates.
Contract status
99% confidencePending award; commencement is not evidenced
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Award 1 is pending. A future contract period is published, but no signed-contract or commencement evidence is supplied.
Extensions and options
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No extension, option or renewal terms are present in the supplied data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
98% confidenceCompensation for Network Rail review and supervision costs related to third-party works at the rail interface
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Tender description states the agreement compensates Network Rail for costs incurred in reviewing and supervising LTC work interfacing with its assets.
Supplier-market implication
98% confidenceThe buyer's stated rationale indicates this requirement was treated as exclusive to Network Rail rather than open to competition
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The published direct-award rationale says the work could only be undertaken by Network Rail.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Lifecycle caution
99% confidenceThe award is pending and the signature milestone was only scheduled; do not treat this as a signed, active or commenced contract.
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Award 1 status is pending; milestone type is futureSignatureDate with scheduled status.
Published notice sequence
97% confidenceThree related releases were recorded on 8 October 2026: transparency, contract award, and contract details notices.
View supporting evidence
Release history lists notices 095215-2026, 095218-2026 and 095223-2026.
Unpublished commercial detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice: pricing breakdown, lot value, bid information, evaluation detail, extension terms and signed-contract evidence.
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These fields are absent from the supplied records.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending; the supplied data does not evidence signature, execution or contract commencement.
- No individual lot value is published, although the single award is related to lot 1.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: competing bids, evaluation scores, pricing breakdown, extension options, renewal terms and detailed performance requirements.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
National HighwaysNETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITEDNetwork Railasset protection agreementdirect awardLinford UTXrail interface works
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is the named supplier?
The named, verified supplier is NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED.
What is the award value?
The published award value is £717,000 excluding VAT, or £860,400 including VAT.
Is the contract signed or active?
No signed or active contract is evidenced. The award is marked pending and the supplied data records only a scheduled signature milestone.
Why was this a direct award?
National Highways stated that the requirement could only be undertaken by Network Rail.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.