Scope
Description
Severn Trent are looking to understand sources of PFAS in 2 surface waters feeding 2 Water Treatment Works (WTW) with a view to understand risk at our WTW now and in the future.
We are also keen to explore what is controlling variation and concentrations, and what mitigation actions may help to reduce PFAS levels in these catchments and their potential effectiveness. This information will be used to plan the necessary level of PFAS removal required at water treatment works in these catchments now and for the future, and work towards less reliance on energy intensive removal / destruction techniques. The work also aims to further develop our stakeholder engagement activity, fulfilling commitments in DWI guidance as well as working with stakeholders to reduce sources in catchment.
The objectives of the work are to:
To understand where PFAS of concern are originating from considering both current and historic activities in our catchments
To understand how PFAS levels may change in the future
To understand what is controlling PFAS concentrations
To review what mitigation options are available to reduce PFAS levels and how feasible / effective they could be in our catchments and at what cost including attempting to reduce the use of carbon and intensive energy systems such as GAC.
Fulfilling our stakeholder engagement commitments in the DWI guidance as well as working with stakeholders to reduce sources in catchment with education
Support ST's stakeholder engagement activity
Scope
This work will be focused on the surface water catchments upstream of 2 WTW's. It should include review of water quality data available from 2022 to 2025 plus outputs from our catchment risk assessment, stakeholder engagement (where shareable) and our AMP7 investigations. For 1 catchment it is expected that the recommendations from the AMP7 investigation are reviewed and where considered appropriate, acted upon. This includes sampling further upstream in the catchment, close to potential PFAS sources identified aspart of the AMP7 investigation, sampling sediments and obtaining flow data from the catchment.
Key tasks likely to be delivered as part of this work include:
WQ monitoring throughout the catchments
Flow monitoring in the catchments, building on data availability from EA flow monitoring
Sampling of effluent and influents of large wastewater treatment work
Sampling up / downstream of possible PFAS discharges into rivers
Desktop analysis and integration of WQ data, flow data and spatial data (linked to possible PFAS sources in the catchments) from monitoring above and existing data
Forensic analysis of data (including compound breakdown analysis) and comparison with potential sources
Mass balance and simple modelling of possible sources
Recommendations around stakeholder engagement activities
Review of options to address likely sources of PFAS in catchments including contributing wastewater works.
Total value (estimated)
- £800,000 excluding VAT
- £1,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2028
- Possible extension to 31 March 2029
- 3 years
Description of possible extension:
Extensions available in the case of if further investigation is required.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 90714500 - Environmental quality control services
- 90715000 - Pollution investigation services
Contract locations
- UKF - East Midlands (England)
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
5 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
12 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Please access the full tender documentation and submit your response via SAP Ariba using the following link:
https://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/23588115
Important:
All questions or clarifications must be submitted through the Ariba Event messaging function.
Do not post queries on the Discovery listing, as they will not be monitored.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
1 April 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
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) Stage
Interested suppliers will complete a PQQ to demonstrate capability, experience, and compliance with minimum requirements.
Evaluation will be based on pass/fail criteria and qualitative responses where applicable.
A shortlist of successful suppliers will be invited to the next stage.
Request for Proposal (RFP) Stage
Shortlisted suppliers will receive the full scope, pricing schedule, and evaluation criteria.
Suppliers will submit detailed proposals including technical approach, pricing, and risk management documentation (e.g., RAMS).
Initial evaluation will be conducted against published award criteria.
Negotiation and Refinement
Following initial evaluation, The Utility may enter into negotiations with suppliers to clarify proposals, refine technical solutions, and address any outstanding questions.
Final Tender Submission
Suppliers will submit a best and final offer (BAFO) incorporating any negotiated refinements.
Final evaluation will be conducted using the agreed award criteria.
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/23588115
Please access the full tender documentation and submit your response via SAP Ariba using the following link:
https://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/23588115
Important:
All questions or clarifications must be submitted through the Ariba Event messaging function.
Do not post queries on the Discovery listing, as they will not be monitored.
Contracting authority
SEVERN TRENT WATER LIMITED
- Companies House: 02366686
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PQQN-5222-QDXR
Severn Trent Centre
Coventry
CV1 2LZ
United Kingdom
Region: UKG33 - Coventry
Organisation type: Private utility