Northern Ireland Water is preparing one of the largest infrastructure framework opportunities currently in the pipeline. The IF109 Integrated Partnerships Framework is estimated at £10.5 billion excluding VAT and is intended to support NI Water’s capital investment programme across water and wastewater assets.
The planned framework covers four routes spanning pipelaying, civil engineering, MEICA and major multidisciplinary works. NI Water currently expects to publish the tender notice on 8 October 2026, with the first stage focused on requests to participate.
If your organisation is considering IF109, speak to Thornton & Lowe now about lot selection, eligibility and the evidence you will need for the participation stage.
What will the IF109 framework cover?
IF109 is being developed as the successor to NI Water’s existing IF105 Integrated Partnerships Framework. It is intended to support the PC28 investment programme and future regulatory periods, giving NI Water access to the capacity and capability needed for a long-term capital programme.
The scope is broad. It can include programme and project management, design, engineering, construction, commissioning and related support activities. The intended outcomes include regulatory compliance, service improvement, resilience, environmental performance and long-term sustainability.
The four planned lots
NI Water’s current structure divides the framework into four lots. The final procurement documents may refine these arrangements, but suppliers can already use the value bands and disciplines to assess where they are most credible.
- Lot 1: Minor Civil Pipelaying, covering water and wastewater pipelines, rehabilitation, repair, testing and commissioning, with typical projects up to £3 million.
- Lot 2: Civil Minor Works, covering civil engineering across infrastructure and non-infrastructure assets, with typical projects up to £10 million.
- Lot 3: Minor MEICA & Process Works, covering mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, automation and process engineering, with typical projects up to £10 million.
- Lot 4: Major Civil, MEICA & Process Works, covering larger and more complex integrated capital projects, including major treatment works, pumping stations, reservoirs and network infrastructure.
A long-term route into NI Water capital delivery
The planned framework term is six years, with three possible two-year extensions, giving a maximum life of 12 years. That makes framework selection commercially important. Suppliers should consider not only whether they can pass the procurement stage, but whether the lot offers a realistic pipeline that matches their delivery capacity and growth plans.
The framework may also be used by NI Water subsidiaries and a wide group of participating authorities across Northern Ireland. This includes local councils, Northern Ireland departments, the Housing Executive and other public bodies listed in the notice.
What suppliers should prepare now
The detailed Conditions of Participation and quality weightings are due to be confirmed in the Participation Stage Package. Suppliers should therefore avoid assuming that criteria from the existing IF105 framework will simply carry over. What can be prepared now is the core evidence behind a strong infrastructure qualification response.
- Comparable water, wastewater, utilities or complex civil engineering case studies with quantified outcomes.
- Evidence of delivery at the value and complexity level of the target lot.
- Programme, design and interface management across multidisciplinary teams.
- Health, safety, environmental and quality management systems.
- Supply-chain capacity, resilience and subcontractor management.
- MEICA integration and commissioning capability where relevant.
- Approaches to carbon reduction, environmental performance and social value.
- Financial and resource capacity for a long-term capital programme.
Key dates
NI Water intends to hold a supplier market briefing on 7 October 2026 before issuing the Participation Stage Package. Registration for that briefing is due by 22 September. The planned tender notice date is 8 October, the enquiry deadline is 10 November and requests to participate are due by 16 November 2026.
The official Find a Tender notice should be checked alongside the Participation Stage Package when it is released, as the procurement strategy and evaluation approach are still being finalised.
Build the IF109 bid around the lot you can prove
The scale of IF109 will attract a wide supplier market, but the strongest responses should still be specific. Contractors need to show why their experience, systems, people and delivery model fit the particular lot rather than relying on a general infrastructure capability statement.
Our guidance on utilities and telecoms tenders explains some of the wider issues suppliers face when competing for long-term regulated infrastructure work.
Prepare before the participation stage opens
IF109 is a significant opportunity, but the first procurement stage is likely to move quickly once the October notice is published. The useful work now is to confirm lot fit, identify evidence gaps and make sure the bid team can respond as soon as the Participation Stage Package becomes available.
Thornton & Lowe supports infrastructure and utilities suppliers with bid strategy, qualification responses, tender writing and independent review. Contact our team if you want support preparing for the NI Water Integrated Partnerships Framework.
