Open21 days left · express interest by midday, Friday 4 December 2026

Future Smart Metering Programme for AMP8 and Beyond

Thames Water Utilities Limited · Private utility

In brief

Thames Water Utilities Limited is looking for suppliers for laboratory equipment work (East of England, London).

It is a framework worth up to £1,320,000,000 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 7 years, up to 22 years with extensions, starting 1 April 2028.

It is split into 2 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.

This is the first stage: register your interest by midday, Friday 4 December 2026, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid.

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

Can I win this?

Key dates

Questions by: 5pm, Monday 23 November 2026
Express interest by: midday, Friday 4 December 2026

This is the first stage. You register interest now, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid later.

How bids are scored

New and replacement installation and operations

Technical 45% · Commercial 40% · Customer Focus 15%

Quality matters most. You can win without being the cheapest.

Legacy estate connectivity

Technical 60% · Commercial 40%

Quality matters most. You can win without being the cheapest.

Competition

Typical: a median of 3 bids per contract for laboratory equipment contracts in this region (from 33 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £1,320,000,000 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

What the notice says

IMPORTANT: Please read this section before deciding whether you wish to register for this event. This section provides you with information regarding the scope of this procurement and details some of the key requirements that a successful applicant MUST be able to deliver. Thames Water has a growing smart metering estate. Through this procurement event it is seeking to identify qualified suppliers to manage the expansion of the smart metering programme and the meter replacement programme as assets reach their end of life, this is Lot 1. The commercial objectives are outcome based, reflecting the 'as a service' nature of the proposed agreement. Lot 2 is focused on managing the legacy installed smart meter base. This agreement will scale down over time as meters reach their end of life and are subsequently replaced by the Lot 1 service provider. The contract term is likely to run across several AMP periods, the initial term finishing at the end of AMP9. There will be contract provisions to extend in subsequent AMP periods, upto and including AMP12. Thames Water reserves the right to refine the award criteria. Please note that that deadline for asking for access to the PSQ & submitting of the PSQ is 4th December 2026 at 12 noon.

Should I bid?

Tick what applies to you. Nothing is saved.

Can you prepare a good bid in 21 days?Leave time for clarification questions and sign-off.
Is a contract of about £1,320,000,000 a size you can deliver?Buyers often check that your turnover is comfortably larger than the yearly contract value.
Can you deliver in East of England, London?Check the delivery locations in the tender documents.
Is one of the 2 lots a good fit?You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for the others.
Are you registered on the Central Digital Platform?You need to be registered to take part under the Procurement Act 2023.

How to bid

Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
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.
Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
Send clarification questions before 5pm, Monday 23 November 2026.
Register your interest before midday, Friday 4 December 2026. Shortlisted suppliers are then invited to bid.

Lots

Lot	Trade	Value
New and replacement installation and operations 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2035 What this lot covers The key deliverables under Lot 1 include; End-to-end delivery of Smart Connected Customer as a Service, Planning, appointments and customer contact, Meter supply and installation (coordinate digs, via 3rd party), Communication network and systems for life of assets, Meter repair and maintenance (new and legacy) Each supplier is accountable for its systems up to confirmed receipt of data in Thames Water's MDMS. Thames Water owns all data, including customer data, and can take a full extract or bring capability onto its own platforms as required. Lot 1 provides live appointment and job status APIs, returns interaction history by the next day, gives Thames Water agents read-only access and feeds the Enterprise Data Platform. Provide & operate the data service Provide & operate work, workforce & customer mgmt. systems Integrate across the service	Laboratory and scientific equipment	£1,150,000,000
Legacy estate connectivity 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2035 What this lot covers The key deliverables under Lot 2 include; Operate legacy communication networks Maintain legacy firmware and head end systems Maintain legacy connectivity (raise field work to Lot 1 if required) Support legacy transition Novated connectivity arrangements, where applicable Each supplier is accountable for its systems up to confirmed receipt of data in Thames Water's MDMS. Thames Water owns all data, including customer data, and can take a full extract or bring capability onto its own platforms as required. Sustain the legacy technology Maintain monitoring and data flows Support coordinated operations	—	£170,000,000

Timeline

12 October 2026Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 096089-2026
21 October 2026Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 099314-2026
2 November 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 103905-2026
2 November 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 103927-2026

About the buyer

Thames Water Utilities LimitedLast 12 months

Procurements

Awards

Suppliers it has used most for laboratory equipment

Stark Software International Ltd.1 contract

All tenders and awards from Thames Water Utilities Limited

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From notice 096089-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 12 October 2026, last updated 2 November 2026. We last checked for changes on 2 November 2026.