Estimating, Bid & Procurement Advisory

Working Across Both Sides of the Procurement Table

Water infrastructure investment is procured, funded and delivered through a complex ecosystem of regulated utilities, Tier 1 contractors, specialist subcontractors and framework partners. Aqua Assurance Consulting is positioned to add value at every point in that chain — whether working directly for a water utility building its capital investment strategy, or for a contractor developing a framework bid submission.

With over 25 years of experience spanning both client-side and contractor-side roles, we understand what both parties need from the procurement process — and how to structure submissions, investment cases and contracting strategies that achieve the best outcomes for all parties.

For Regulated Water Utilities — Client-Side Procurement & Investment Advisory

As Ofwat's PR29 price review (effective 1 April 2030) comes into planning focus, water utilities face the challenge of building robust, evidenced investment cases that can withstand regulatory scrutiny whilst meeting the expectations of customers, the Environment Agency and the CMA. Getting the capital programme strategy right — scope, phasing, procurement model and cost benchmarking — is foundational to a credible PR29 business plan submission.

We provide senior advisory support to utilities across the full investment planning and procurement cycle:

• Capital programme scoping and investment case development for PR29 business plans
• Totex benchmarking and efficient cost justification for Ofwat submission
• Procurement strategy — framework structure, lot definition, contract model selection
• Employer's Requirements and output specification development (NEC4, CESWI 8)
• Contractor evaluation framework design — scoring criteria, quality weighting, interview design
• Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and alliance model structuring
• AMP8 in-period programme assurance — ODI compliance tracking and PCD reporting
• PR29 readiness assessments — gap analysis between current delivery evidence and regulatory requirements

For Tier 1 Contractors — Bid Strategy & Submission Management

Winning major water infrastructure frameworks demands more than competitive pricing. Evaluation panels at water utilities are increasingly sophisticated — seeking evidence of genuine sector capability, credible supply chain integration, and realistic delivery programmes. A technically weak bid at a sharp price will fail; a strong bid at fair value, clearly articulated, will win.

We provide end-to-end bid leadership for contractors pursuing AMP8 framework lots and direct works opportunities:

• Go/no-go assessment and bid qualification against framework requirements
• Win strategy development — pricing strategy, win themes, differentiators
• NEC4 target cost, EPC and schedule of rates pricing model build
• Technical submission authoring — method statements, programmes, resource plans
• Estimating support — build-up, benchmarking, risk quantification and contingency allowances
• Supply chain identification and subcontract pricing coordination
• Clarification management and post-submission interview coaching
• CESWI 8 specification compliance — civil bid pricing and method statements aligned to current Water Industry specification requirements
• Framework mobilisation planning to support submission commitments

PR29 — Planning Ahead for AMP9

PR29 will set price controls effective from 1 April 2030, governing the AMP9 investment period (2030–2035). Water utilities are already beginning to develop the evidence base required for their business plan submissions — investment needs, cost justifications, delivery strategies and performance commitments. Contractors working on AMP8 delivery should be simultaneously positioning themselves for PR29 procurement, building the delivery track record and framework relationships that will determine their AMP9 pipeline.

Aqua Assurance Consulting supports both utilities and contractors in thinking ahead — whether that means building an early evidence base for PR29 investment justification, or advising a contractor on how to leverage AMP8 delivery performance into a compelling PR29 bid narrative.

Independent Bid & Procurement Review

For clients who manage their own bid or procurement processes, we offer independent review at key stages — challenging pricing assumptions, stress-testing investment justifications, identifying risk exposure, and strengthening technical narrative before final submission. A structured external review by a senior practitioner with experience on both sides of the table consistently identifies material improvements that internal teams, close to the process, may have missed.