Scope
Description
Great British Nuclear) is aiming to procure up to two OEs as part of its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme.
The OE will provide essential independent assurance to the Intelligent Customer and Intelligent Client for the relevant SMR project. This will support the deployment of first-of-a-kind nuclear technology in the UK and facilitate GBN's goal of reaching a Final Investment Decision(s) for up to two SMR projects. In particular, the OE will act as a 'client friend' to the Intelligent Customer and Intelligent Client and provide competent resource to undertake specification, oversight, audit, review and advice for decisions relating to design, scope, budget, risk, delivery and contract compliance. It will also play the role of subject matter expert to deliver independent technical and delivery Line of Defence 2 assurance on major design and build contracts.
Each tenderer will be expected to be able to evidence how it will provide all of the capabilities outlined in the Technical ability section of the questions relating to the conditions of participation.
The total contract value of £600m stated in this notice assumes that GBN will award two OE contracts (one for each planned SMR project), each with a total contract value of up to £300m. The actual value will depend on a number of factors. GBN reserves the right not to proceed with two SMR projects.
The duration of the OE contract(s) is not yet confirmed. This notice envisages a 14-year term, but please note that GBN will set a completion date once the outcome of the SMR Technology Partner procurement is known.
Total value (estimated)
- £600,000,000 excluding VAT
- £720,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 26 March 2026 to 26 March 2040
- 14 years, 1 day
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 71300000 - Engineering services
- 71500000 - Construction-related services
- 71600000 - Technical testing, analysis and consultancy services
- 79417000 - Safety consultancy services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
There will be a stringent economic and financial standing assessment as part of the first stage of the procurement.
The existence of conflicts of interest will also be assessed in the first stage of the procurement process given the potential capacity and capability constraints in the industry, particularly in light of the other services required for the SMR programme.
Additional conditions of participation will be included in the first stage of the procurement.
Technical ability conditions of participation
From the commencement of the contract, any prospective OE (either by itself or through its supply chain, a joint venture, a special purpose vehicle or a consortium) will need to commit to providing the following technical and programme capabilities:
Technical
1. Core Design Authority
2. Safety Case
3. BAT Case
4. Chemistry
5. Civil Engineering
6. Commissioning
7. Control & Instrumentation
8. Construction, incl. CDM
9. Conventional Waste
10. Criticality
11. Cyber Security (incl. Security by design)
12. Decommissioning
13. Electrical Engineering
14. Environmental Protection
15. Engineering Management
16. Equipment Qualification
17. Emergency Planning & Response
18. External Hazards
19. Fault Studies
20. Fuel & Core Design
21. Human Factors
22. Internal Hazards
23. Leadership and Management for Safety, Supply Chain and Quality
24. Mechanical Engineering
25. Protective Security (incl. Security by design)
26. Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA)
27. Radiological Protection
28. Radioactive Waste Management
29. Reactor Core Physics
30. Requirements Management
31. Safeguards (incl. Safeguards by design)
32. Safety Case Analysis and Techniques (incl. Safety by design)
33. Severe Accident Analysis (SAA)
34. Structural Integrity
35. System Engineering
36. Training
Programme
1. Planning and Scheduling
2. Cost Estimating and Cost Management
3. Risk Management
4. Scope Management
5. Change Management
6. NEC Contracts
Please note that while GBN considers this list of technical and programme capabilities to be comprehensive, it reserves the right to change them (and any other information provided in this notice) by the time of launching the OE procurement.
It is expected that SMEs will have the chance to participate in this procurement through a tenderer's supply chain, a joint venture, a special purpose vehicle or a consortium.
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
2 June 2025
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
19 September 2025, 11:59pm
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
12 March 2026
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
The Owner's Engineer (OE) will be procured using the Competitive Flexible Procedure outlined in the Procurement Act 2023 (the Act).
There will be two stages in the OE procurement. In the first stage, tenderers will need to respond to the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ), which will include conditions of participation. The PSQ will cover topics including, but not limited to, conflicts of interest, economic and financial standing and the tenderer's ability to provide the technical and programme capabilities listed later in this notice. The capabilities set out in the technical ability conditions of participation section below can be delivered in various ways, including (but not limited to) by a tenderer and its supply chain, a joint venture, a special purpose vehicle or a consortium. Please note that while GBN considers this list of capabilities to be comprehensive, it reserves the right to change them (and any other information provided in this notice) by the time of launching the OE procurement.
If the response submitted by a tenderer as part of the first stage of the procurement satisfies all the relevant conditions, the tenderer will be invited to submit a tender as part of the second stage of the procurement. GBN will then assess the tenderer's proposals against questions covering Technical, Commercial and Social Value criteria. Please note that GBN reserves the right to refine its award criteria during the procurement process.
Contracting authority
GREAT BRITISH NUCLEAR
- Companies House: 05027024
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PRCJ-2655-YDML
Department For Energy Security & Net Zero
London
SW1A 2EG
United Kingdom
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - central government