RFP QuestBeta
Awarded · ResultStage · contract

National Highways Limited

S30117 Decarbonising concrete by validating the use of lower carbon cement blends for incorporation in the standards - Phase 2

R&DCPV 73000000 73200000
Value£340k
Awarded25 Jun 2026
Published7 Jul 2026
RegionUK-wide
Outcome — awarded

This is a contract result notice, not an open opportunity. Details from the official award data.

Contract value in context
£340ktotal contract value
median £66k
this tender£0£561k

This is a large award for Research & Development — above three-quarters of comparable contracts. Based on 20,405 valued Research & Development tenders in our corpus.

The brief

This project (Phase 2 of a two-phase programme) specifically aims to investigate and validate the expanded use of lower-carbon binary and ternary blended cements by increasing the proportion of PC replacement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as calcined clays, limestone, and other viable alternatives, through a staged laboratory experimental research and testing programme.

The research will explore blend combinations and replacement levels that exceed those currently allowed under UK standards, including BS 8500:2023, the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW), and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).

By reducing reliance on traditional SCMs such as Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and Fly Ash (FA), which both are subject to supply limitations, this project aims to support the wider adoption of more sustainable and readily available alternatives, including calcined clays and limestone.

The project will also provide the technical evidence required to inform future updates to UK concrete standards, supported by the results of an experimental research programme.

This work will build on the literature review, feasibility study, and detailed testing specification developed as part of the deliverables from the successfully completed Phase 1 of the project.

This will enable the deployment of lower-carbon cement blends at scale while ensuring the durability, performance, and long-term resilience of the UK's concrete infrastructure is maintained.

Requirements

What the notice asks for

01

By reducing reliance on traditional SCMs such

By reducing reliance on traditional SCMs such as Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and Fly Ash (FA), which both are subject to supply limitations, this project aims to support the wider adoption of more sustainable and readily available alternatives, including calcined clays and limestone.

02

The project will also provide the technical

The project will also provide the technical evidence required to inform future updates to UK concrete standards, supported by the results of an experimental research programme.

Sentences from the notice that state an obligation, surfaced automatically and shown in the order they appear. Not an exhaustive list — always confirm against the tender documents.

What this bid requires

Skills, tools & certifications

Detected from the notice — the capabilities and credentials this bid calls for. Click one to see who wins that work.

Buyer intelligence

Make the case to bid

Reveal who to approach at National Highways Limited, and generate a go-to-market strategy from their news, accounts and people.

Sign up free to unlock buyer intelligence

Free to start. Named contacts come from published notices; the strategy is generated from the buyer’s news, accounts and people.

Source & provenance
OCID
653506d0-db01-4fcd-a08a-6eff461fef2d
Stage
contract · Contract
Source
Contracts Finder
Buyer ref
tender_534117/1592120
View the original notice on Contracts Finder

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source data © Crown copyright.

Market context

Who wins this kind of work

The suppliers and buyers around this opportunity — drawn from official award data. Drag to orbit; click a node to explore.

Top suppliers & buyers in Research & Development

This view needs WebGL, which this browser has turned off.

National Highways Limited’s tender network

This view needs WebGL, which this browser has turned off.
Also open now

Similar open tenders

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Improvement Programme - 2  Energy, Waste, and Industrial Processes and Product Use

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Closes 27 Sept 2026R&D
£3.0mValue

Research relating to the impacts of the minimum wage, 2-year projects (open call)

Low Pay Commission

Closes 27 Oct 2026R&D
£100kValue