Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is procuring a four-year framework for IT hardware, software and associated reseller services. The estimated value is £40 million excluding VAT, or £48 million including VAT, with suppliers able to compete for one or more of three lots.
The framework is relevant to enterprise IT resellers, software licensing partners, hardware providers and systems integrators. It is not a general digital consultancy opportunity, and bidders will need to show that their commercial agreements, fulfilment model and support capability match the selected lot. For a bid qualification review, contact Thornton & Lowe.
Framework lots
- Lot 1: Hardware and associated services.
- Lot 2: Software and associated services.
- Lot 3: Integrated hardware, software and associated services.
The ability to bid for any lot or combination gives suppliers flexibility, but each choice needs a clear rationale. A business with strong licensing capability should not automatically pursue the integrated lot unless it can also evidence hardware fulfilment, technical support and coordinated account management.
What Dŵr Cymru is likely to need from suppliers
A water utility depends on secure, resilient and well-governed technology procurement. Bidders should expect close scrutiny of their ability to provide competitive pricing, accurate licence advice, reliable product availability and responsive support while maintaining clear audit trails.
- Vendor relationships: relevant authorisations, accreditations and access to commercial terms.
- Quote and order management: rapid turnaround, transparent pricing and accurate product specification.
- Supply-chain resilience: alternatives for constrained products, lead-time management and escalation.
- Software asset support: renewals, licence optimisation, compliance and reporting.
- Security: controlled access, secure information handling and appropriate incident management.
- Service management: named contacts, performance reporting and clear issue resolution.
Write for the evaluation, not the product catalogue
Reseller bids can become too focused on vendor lists and product breadth. Those points matter, but evaluators also need to understand the method behind delivery. Explain who receives a request, how options are validated, how pricing is checked, what happens when a product is unavailable and how performance will be reported.
Thornton & Lowe’s guide to tender questions and answers provides a useful structure for turning operational processes into complete, evidence-led responses.
Confirm the submission requirements
Review the official Find a Tender notice for the confirmed deadline, tender portal and full procurement documents. Check whether manufacturer authorisations, financial thresholds or service certifications must be in place at submission rather than after award.
Before committing to multiple lots, assess whether the same team and evidence can genuinely support each one. A focused, credible lot response is stronger than a broad application built around generic IT claims.
If you're bidding for this Dŵr Cymru framework, Thornton & Lowe can help you qualify the lots, plan the evidence and write clear responses around service, security and commercial value. Speak to our bid writing team.
