AwardedAwarded 6 October 2026
S30142 DMRB / MCHW Geotechnical Standards Technical updates
National Highways · Central government
In brief
National Highways awarded research work to Ove Arup on 6 October 2026.
The notice gives a value of £200,000 excluding VAT.
The contract runs for 30 months, starting 7 October 2026.
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.
What the notice says
The need for updates to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and Manual of Contract Documents for Highways Works (MCHW) (Instructions for Specifiers (IfS) and Specification for Highway Works (SHW)) has been established from a review carried out by National Highways. The objectives are to: - enhance content, usability, and structure in line with the current revision of the Manual for Development of Documents (MDD); - increase the applicability to modern forms of contracts and construction techniques; - promote decarbonisation and digital readiness of the DMRB Documents; and, - ensure the new DMRB documents are aligned with the associated MCHW documents. - ensure that…Read the full description
The need for updates to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and Manual
of Contract Documents for Highways Works (MCHW) (Instructions for Specifiers (IfS)
and Specification for Highway Works (SHW)) has been established from a review
carried out by National Highways. The objectives are to:
- enhance content, usability, and structure in line with the current revision of the
Manual for Development of Documents (MDD);
- increase the applicability to modern forms of contracts and construction
techniques;
- promote decarbonisation and digital readiness of the DMRB Documents; and,
- ensure the new DMRB documents are aligned with the associated MCHW
documents.
- ensure that the DMRB and MHCW requirements align and work well together During this task, the Consultant shall support NH in the completion of:
- updates to the geotechnical DMRB & MCHW documents;
- governance deliverables and outputs appropriate for the change category in
accordance with the MDD; and,
- industry awareness documentation.
The Consultant's activities during this task involve:
- online document reviewing, commenting, drafting, and authoring;
- advising on aspects connected with this work;
- technical review and comment on drafted text;
- compliance with the MDD;
- liaison with Client's specialists (including Technical Authors for the other parts of
the DMRB and MCHW, owned by other disciplines) and other interested parties
(designers, specifiers, and constructors to be identified);
- planning for and supporting Technical Authors engagement at TSC meetings;
- supporting NH in the informing of industry and the supply chain; and,
- advising on relevant legislation such as the Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations and Construction Products Regulations.
Who won
| Winner | Value | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Ove Arup | £149,108 | Awarded 6 October 2026 |
Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.
Timeline
- Contract award notice · notice b365221c-69e9-4c31-ae03-b2d40cdffeaf-916603
About the buyer
National HighwaysLast 12 months
Procurements
450Awards
374Suppliers it has used most for research
- Ove Arup5 contracts
- AtkinsRéalis Jacobs Joint Venture4 contracts
- Ove Arup & Partners Ltd3 contracts
- Arcadis Consulting (UK) Limited2 contracts
- Arcadis Limited2 contracts
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From notice b365221c-69e9-4c31-ae03-b2d40cdffeaf-916603 on Contracts Finder, first published 6 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 6 October 2026.