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NorTMS External Audit Services

Transport for the North · Local or regional public body

In brief

Transport for the North has announced plans to buy architecture and engineering and accountancy 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 1 year, up to 3 years with extensions, starting 1 April 2027.

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

Can I win this?

Competition

Usually high: a median of 8 bids per contract for architecture and engineering contracts in this region (from 221 awards in the last 12 months).

What the notice says

The NorTMS Audit is to undertake audits as required of the Northern Transport Modelling System (NorTMS), a Cube-based VDM with a focus on intercity rail in the North of England. These will be required on a call-off basis when a stable model release is available. After each audit the supplier will be expected to provide an audit report with recommendations for areas requiring improvement. This will be subject to a one+one+one year call-off basis. TfN requires a supplier who is an expert CUBE model reviewer with competent Python skills as some elements of NorTMS are coded in Python, and who has not worked with NorTMS or related to any TfN framework directly involved in NorTMS, unless the…Read the full description
The NorTMS Audit is to undertake audits as required of the Northern Transport Modelling System (NorTMS), a Cube-based VDM with a focus on intercity rail in the North of England. These will be required on a call-off basis when a stable model release is available. After each audit the supplier will be expected to provide an audit report with recommendations for areas requiring improvement. This will be subject to a one+one+one year call-off basis. TfN requires a supplier who is an expert CUBE model reviewer with competent Python skills as some elements of NorTMS are coded in Python, and who has not worked with NorTMS or related to any TfN framework directly involved in NorTMS, unless the work that was delivered relates to the audit of NorTMS. The scope of work required for each NorTMS audit underpins the following objectives: •Provision of a full audit of all NorTMS inputs and outputs with the aim of instilling confidence in NorTMS for its use in modelling works and supporting business cases. •A review of each version of NorTMS following model updates and improvements prior to implementation on programme. •To understand the fitness for purpose of NorTMS in its use for assessing schemes for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). •Production of a comprehensive audit report giving a RAG rating of all the model elements reviewed. •A final report comprising of a plain English summary of issues identified (for a general audience) and a detailed technical report (for a modelling audience) with potential recommendations for areas requiring improvement, an outline of best practices in CUBE and the application of CUBE as a modelling tool. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Manchester:-Technical-analysis-or-consultancy-services./37Z364B3KV To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/37Z364B3KV

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 048097-2026

About the buyer

Procurements

3

Awards

1

Suppliers it has used most for architecture and engineering

  1. Asbestos Management Framework

    Home GroupNorth East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, ScotlandArchitecture and engineering, Construction

    Closing soon11 hours leftExpress interest8 lotsSuitable for SMEsFramework

    £5mframework ceiling
  2. Asbestos Management Framework

    Home GroupNorth East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, ScotlandArchitecture and engineering, Construction

    Closing soon11 hours left8 lotsSuitable for SMEsFramework

    £5mframework ceiling
  3. NCC1519 Provision of NCC1519 Extra Care Schemes at Various Sites across Northumberland

    Northumberland County CouncilNorth EastConstruction, Architecture and engineering

    Open7 days leftLow competition4 lotsSuitable for SMEs

    £30mestimated
  4. Byker District Heat Network

    Karbon HomesNorth EastConstruction, Architecture and engineering

    Open7 days left

    £145mestimated
  5. Ecology Survey

    Severn Trent Water LimitedNorth East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, WalesArchitecture and engineering, Environmental services

    Open7 days leftSuitable for SMEsFramework

    £40mframework ceiling

From notice 048097-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 22 May 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.