NI Water has this morning formally launched the preliminary market engagement exercise for its proposed IF109 Integrated Partnerships Framework – which has an estimated total value of £12.6 billion including VAT.
This is the first stage of a strategic procurement programme that will support the delivery of future capital investment across water and wastewater infrastructure throughout Northern Ireland.
NI Water intends to undertake an initial supplier market engagement event on Wednesday 26th August 2026.
An initial market engagement session will be held by NI Water from 08:45am to 13:00 pm, taking place online and in-person. Full joining instructions, including venue details (where applicable) will be provided directly to registered attendees.
The purpose of the event is to provide an overview of the proposed IF109 Integrated Partnerships Framework, communicate NI Water's emerging requirements, and provide suppliers with an opportunity to better understand the proposed procurement.
Suppliers wishing to attend (either in-person or virtually) should register their request by completing an online registration form no later than 12pm on Monday 17th August 2026. Registration requests should include:
- Organisation name
- Contact name and email address
- Preferred attendance method (in-person or virtual)
- A brief description of the organisation's services and capabilities relevant to the delivery of Water & Wastewater Capital Works for NI Water
Attendance will be limited to a maximum of one in-person representative per organisation. NI Water reserves the right to permit additional attendees where venue capacity allows.
Interested suppliers are asked to note that in-person attendance is subject to venue capacity. Once maximum capacity has been reached, any additional registrants will be invited to attend virtually.
The water company says it will take appropriate measures to ensure that participation in preliminary market engagement does not distort competition or result in any supplier obtaining an unfair advantage in any subsequent procurement process.
NI Water may consider any feedback received through the engagement activity as part of the ongoing development of the procurement strategy. Additional market engagement activities may be undertaken where considered appropriate
The new framework is a progression from NI Water's existing IF105 Integrated Partnerships Framework and will play a key role in supporting the delivery of NI Water's future investment programme, including the business planning/regulatory period from 2028 (PC28).
The proposed IF109 framework is anticipated to support a broad range of infrastructure delivery requirements and create opportunities for suppliers across the water sector supply chain. NI Water is keen to engage with organisations that can contribute the skills, expertise and capacity required to support future investment ambitions.
The framework is expected to provide long-term delivery capability across a range of capital projects and programmes, supporting improvements to water and wastewater services across Northern Ireland.
Tzvetelina Bogoina, Director of Infrastructure Delivery at NI Water, said:
"The IF109 framework represents a significant opportunity for the market to partner with NI Water in delivering one of the largest and most important infrastructure investment programmes ever undertaken in Northern Ireland.
“Our existing Integrated Partnerships Framework has played a key role in delivering critical infrastructure improvements, and we are now looking to build on those foundations through a more collaborative, integrated and outcome-focused delivery model.
“The future framework will provide a long-term platform to support delivery across PC28 and future investment periods, while creating the flexibility, resilience and innovation needed to address the challenges facing the water and wastewater sector.
“We look forward to engaging with suppliers and shaping a framework that delivers lasting value for customers, communities and the wider economy."
Click here to access the online registration form
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