Scope
Reference
PRO005040
Description
United Utilities Laboratory Services require a courier service for the transportation of samples from sites across the Company to the central Laboratory at Lingley Mere (Warrington) on a daily basis. It is a requirement of OFWAT (The Water Services Regulation Authority) that the Company constantly undertakes analysis of water/waste water samples from various sample points throughout the North-West Region. Water Quality Officers, Network Owners, Wastewater Operatives, Trade Effluent Officers, Agricultural Advisors and Project Staff obtain the samples requiring analysis. Samples are left at drop off points for collection by the dedicated courier in a refrigerated van. Samples need to be transported under refrigerated conditions to ensure that they are maintained at a temperature of between 2 and 7 degrees centigrade. It is a requirement to maintain evidence that this has been achieved to enable United Utilities to adhere to regulatory requirements with respect to the transportation of accredited samples under the Environment Agency's Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTs), Drinking Water Test Specifications (DWTS) and ISO 17025. On collection, the courier takes the samples to a Sample Registration Centre (SRC) or directly to Lingley Mere Laboratories Sample Reception. An additional dedicated courier service is then required to operate between the SRC's and the Laboratories at Lingley Mere, where required. Consignment Notes or Delivery Notes detailing the sample load carried and all other required information to the Laboratory at Lingley Mere are part of the hand-over procedure at the SRCs and the Laboratory. These are currently in paper form, the Company would like to move this to an electronic format, where reports should consist of (minimum requirement): • Sample bottle barcode number • crate barcode number • vehicle registration • collection date and time • collection location • time samples dropped off • location of sample drop off Route optimisation will also be a requirement of the tender, with bidders expected to demonstrate how routes will be optimised to ensure efficiency, reliability, and timely delivery of samples while maintaining required temperature controls. Detailed dates and milestones will be share in the tender documentation.
Total value (estimated)
- £9,600,000 excluding VAT
- £11,520,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 6 July 2026 to 6 July 2034
- 8 years, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 64120000 - Courier services
Contract locations
- UKD - North West (England)
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
20 February 2026, 12:00am
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
12 June 2026, 11:59pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
30 June 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | Quality | 60% |
| Commercial | Price | 40% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Utilities
Competitive flexible procedure description
United Utilities Laboratory Services requires a courier service for the transportation of samples from sites across the Company to the central Laboratory at Lingley Mere (Warrington) on a daily basis. The new contract will transition from the current arrangements of United Utilities owned fleet to a fully managed service model, including supplier-provided refrigerated vehicles, drivers, route management, and reporting. Samples need to be transported under refrigerated conditions to ensure that they are maintained at a temperature of between 2 and 7 degrees centigrade. It is a requirement to maintain evidence that this has been achieved to enable United Utilities to adhere to regulatory requirements with respect to the transportation of accredited samples under the Environment Agency's Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTs), Drinking Water Test Specifications (DWTS) and ISO 17025. The tender will look to award to a sole supplier to provide the service.
Contracting authority
United Utilities Water Limited
- Companies House: 02366678
Lingley Mere Business Park
Warrington
WA5 3LP
United Kingdom
Contact name: Sofia Gomes
Telephone: +44 7901172777
Email: Sofia.Gomes@uuplc.co.uk
Website: https://www.unitedutilities.com
Region: UKD61 - Warrington
Organisation type: Private utility