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Integral Bridge Research

National Highways · Central government

In brief

National Highways has announced plans to buy research work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.

The estimated value is £300,000 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 27 months, starting 4 January 2027.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Competition

Typical: a median of 3 bids per contract for this buyer (from 11 awards in the last 12 months).

What the notice says

National Highways is a government-owned company and the appointed strategic highways authority and licence holder responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England’s SRN; 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads at the core of the national transport network. National Highways is exploring options for the development of a controlled testing environment capable of replicating the behaviour of the Wisley Interchange integral bridge; pioneering remote control condition monitoring with 116 sensors recording data on a brand new integral bridge. National Highways is looking at extending the current live operational trial at the M25 Junction 10 Wisley Interchange integral bridge…Read the full description
National Highways is a government-owned company and the appointed strategic highways authority and licence holder responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England’s SRN; 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads at the core of the national transport network. National Highways is exploring options for the development of a controlled testing environment capable of replicating the behaviour of the Wisley Interchange integral bridge; pioneering remote control condition monitoring with 116 sensors recording data on a brand new integral bridge. National Highways is looking at extending the current live operational trial at the M25 Junction 10 Wisley Interchange integral bridge through the design and construction of a scaled physical model. This activity will enable controlled investigation of structural–soil interaction (SSI) behaviour, complementing the existing full-scale monitoring programme. The Wisley Interchange Bridge Trial is pioneering the use of remote condition monitoring on a newly constructed integral bridge, with 116 sensors currently deployed and recording live performance data. While the field trial provides invaluable real-world insight, the addition of a laboratory-based physical model will allow deeper understanding of settlement, stress, and strain behaviour under controlled conditions. The combined use of physical laboratory testing, advanced modelling, and live field data will provide early evidence on the potential to inform future updates to PD 6694-1. In the longer term, this approach has the potential to reduce material use, cut construction costs, and improve confidence in the design and delivery of integral bridge structures. This notice is issued as part of a Preliminary Market Engagement under the Procurement Act 2023. Participation does not constitute a commitment to procure or award any contract, nor does it provide any guarantee of involvement in future commercial opportunities. Information gathered will be used to support technical decision-making, standards development, and potential future procurement strategies.

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 074140-2026

About the buyer

National HighwaysLast 12 months

Procurements

324

Awards

245

Suppliers it has used most for research

  • CIRIA (Construction Industry Research & Information2 contracts
  • Cardiff University1 contract
  • Ciria Services Limited1 contract
  • Ciwem1 contract
  • Devon Air Ambulance Trust1 contract

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From notice 074140-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 5 August 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.