The procurement contact named on the official notice.

https://procurement.gwr.com/tenders E-Procurement Portal: The Client is using Wax Digital (current e-procurement portal). The detail within Wax Digital applicable to this tender describes how the Procurement will be conducted, including details of the associated Procurement timetable, participation and award criteria and how to respond to this opportunity. Tenderers are strongly encouraged to read through each tab/section before preparing their submission. Tenderers are also encouraged to review all attachments published with this tender. Tenderers not allocated to this procurement already will need to contact GWR using the details within this notice to be attached and receive the full tender document set.

The submission route named on the official notice.

This procurement process is being advertised and run by First Greater Western Limited on its own behalf and on behalf of the successor operator of the rail passenger transport services in respect of Great Western Railway.

That successor operator will be a public sector company, is expected to be a wholly owned subsidiary of DfT OLR Holdings Limited and will be ultimately owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.

The date for transfer of the current operations to the successor operator is not yet confirmed.

Where the transfer is completed before contract award under this procurement process, the successor operator may elect (but will not be obliged) to carry on with this procurement process in place of First Greater Western Limited, by taking on the role of contracting entity from the date of completion of the transfer (with this notice and all other procurement documents to be interpreted accordingly).

Where the transfer is not yet completed by the time of contract award, contractual rights may be included in the contractual arrangements to enable transfer to the successor operator.

Bidders should note that this procurement process (if ongoing), or any awarded contract, may be included in a transfer scheme made by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Railways Act 2005, or the transfer may be effected outside of, or separate from, such a scheme.

Framework: Services will be called off under a bespoke consultancy framework agreement and will be awarded via mini-competitions or direct award.

Spend across lots may increase or decrease over time due to changes in requirements, budget availability, or strategic priorities.

GWR will reserve the right to allocate spend flexibly across lots as needed.

The framework is intended to provide a compliant route to market; however, no supplier is guaranteed any volume of work, value of spend, or number of call‑offs during the framework term.

Call-Off Tenders: Once appointed, framework suppliers will be invited to compete for individual projects through mini‑competitions.

Each mini‑competition will include a defined scope, pricing schedule, and specific evaluation criteria.

Direct Award will be permitted across all Lots, where in line with the framework buying process, including circumstances where Lot 6 is applicable.

Evaluation weightings for Technical and Commercial submissions will vary depending on the complexity and nature of the project, typically within the following ranges: • Technical: 10% - 90% • Commercial: 10% - 90% The applicable weighting for each mini-competition will be clearly stated in the call-off documentation.

Call-off contracts will be awarded under the bespoke framework agreement.

This process ensures a fair, transparent, and flexible framework that maintains competitive tension while achieving the best balance of quality and value for money across all works.