United Utilities has gone out to tender with an AMP8/9 framework contract for Specialist Design Development Partners worth an estimated £120 million.

The water company kickstarted the procurement process by inviting suppliers to register their interest for a Design Development Partner at the end of November 2023.

A key aspect of United Utilities’ AMP8 investment programme is a two-phase approach:

• Phase One - involves the Strategic Solutions Partner (SSIP) in early project stages
• Phase Two - emphasises the engagement of a Design Development Partner (DDP) to refine design aspects.

United Utilities has now issued a formal contract notice for to put a framework in place. The utility is looking to appoint Specialist Design Development Partners (DDP) in order to provide essential design development support to increase capacity, develop outline and if required detailed design packages in conjunction with UU, and then secure all required third party approvals and be issued for construction.

The successful Specialist DDP will engage in a service contract focused on providing essential resources to develop the Strategic Solutions Identification Partner’s / UU’s ‘High level solution’ to outline design, and if required detailed designs, for design & build, build-only and Rainwater management (RWM) projects.

The Specialist DDP will be required to predominantly focus on translating the high-level solution into practical and effective design outputs.

The water company said the Specialist DDP’s expertise in design will be pivotal in bridging the gap between the Strategic Solution Partner’s conceptual deliverables into tangible, executable deliverables.

The contract is being tendered in the following Lots:

Lot 1 Design Packages - £80,000,000

The Specialist Design Development Partners – Design Packages, will support the company’s delivery of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects in AMP8 and AMP9. The design package can be either a discrete design package, for example to provide a structural design of a reinforced concrete tank with the required outputs being the calculations, a rebar schedule and supporting drawing(s) or it could be to develop a high level solution into an outline and / or detailed design where the Specialist DDP is responsible for all elements of that design, including but not limited to acting as Principal Designer under CDM.

Where the Specialist DDP are responsible for all elements of the design the Specialist DDP's role will be scoped through the NEC4 Engineering Works Information (EWI) to ensure clarity and efficiency in the design process.

The Specialist DDP will be required to maintain an interactive collaboration with UU, the Strategic Solutions Partner’s and build only contractor teams for actionable insights.

Lot 2 Rainwater Management and Nature Based Solution Design - £40,000,000

The Specialist Design Development Partners – framework will support the Company’s delivery of Rainwater Management Solutions Projects in AMP8 and AMP9. Primary responsibilities will be to develop stipulated high level design solutions into outline and /or detailed design and produce design packages ready for delivery via the companies’ Rainwater Delivery Partners.

The Rainwater Design Development Partners will be responsible for one or more of four areas-

• Cumbria
• Lancashire
• Greater Manchester
• Merseyside and Cheshire

The current programme indicates that there will be c8000 ,interventions required across the whole network area. United Utilities is highlighting that the programme will remain fluid as part of PR24 and may realise as many as 15,000 interventions.

The water company also points out that while some of the packages of work within this programme are not innovative in isolation, they are innovative in the scale at which they are being proposed to be delivered.

In addition, to support United Utilities’ ‘Our Future Plan’ the strategy may need to be adaptive and delivered across multiple asset management planning periods or integrated as a methodology within a place-based planning approach.

Initial contract term is 6 years with a further five year renewal option.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is now 30 May 2024 (extended from original date of 22nd May)  – click here to access the tender documentation.