Network Rail has announced the award of 82 framework contracts to deliver design services across the country, worth an estimated £400m for Control Period 6 (2019-2024) and up to £640m including the options to extend the framework into Control Period 7 (2024-2029).
The Design Services Framework (DSF) consists of four multi-discipline frameworks and 78 single-discipline frameworks. The new DSF aims to provide access to a wider range of multi-skilled suppliers including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who form circa 25% of the single discipline suppliers on the DSF.
The framework contracts, which went live on 1st January 2020, have been awarded to the following 34 suppliers:
Multi-Discipline National Frameworks
| Supplier | Discipline | DSF Region* |
| AECOM | Multi-Discipline | National |
| Jacobs UK | Multi-Discipline | National |
| Mott MacDonald | Multi-Discipline | National |
| WSP | Multi-Discipline | National |
Single Discipline Regional Frameworks
| Supplier | Discipline | DSF Region* |
| AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited | Track | North West & Scotland |
| Track | South West | |
| Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd | Telecoms | North West & Scotland |
| Telecoms | South West | |
| Telecoms | North East | |
| AM Signalling Design Ltd | Signalling | South West |
| Signalling | South East | |
| Amey OWR Limited | Electrification & Plant – Plant | South West |
| Signalling | South West | |
| Track | North East | |
| Andromeda Engineering Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | South East |
| Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | South West | |
| Arcadis Consulting (UK) Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Distribution | North West & Scotland |
| Electrification & Plant – Distribution | North East | |
| Civils & Structural | North West & Scotland | |
| Buildings & Architecture | North East | |
| Baker Hicks Limited | Track | South West |
| Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | North East | |
| Geotechnical | North West & Scotland | |
| Balfour Beatty Rail | Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | North East |
| Track | South East | |
| Track | North East | |
| Capita Property & Infrastructure Ltd | Civils & Structural | North West & Scotland |
| Civils & Structural | South East | |
| Consents & Environment | South East | |
| DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH | Telecoms | South East |
| Egis Rail UK Ltd | Signalling | North West & Scotland |
| Signalling | North East | |
| Idom Merebrook Ltd | Buildings & Architecture | South West |
| Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | South West | |
| Jacobs U.K. Limited | Geotechnical | North East |
| Geotechnical | South West | |
| Civils & Structural | North East | |
| Kier Integrated Services Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Plant | South East |
| Signalling | South East | |
| Kristelan (UK) t/a SVM Glasgow. | Electrification & Plant – Plant | North East |
| Electrification & Plant – Plant | South West | |
| Electrification & Plant – Plant | South East | |
| Mott MacDonald Limited | Track | North West & Scotland |
| Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | North West & Scotland | |
| Navitas Engineering Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Distribution | South West |
| Pascall & Watson Limited | Buildings & Architecture | South East |
| Pell Frischmann Consultants Limited | Civils & Structural | South East |
| Buildings & Architecture | North West & Scotland | |
| Civils & Structural | North East | |
| Ramboll UK Limited | Geotechnical | North East |
| Geotechnical | South West | |
| Geotechnical | South East | |
| Buildings & Architecture | North East | |
| Robert Bird & Partners Ltd | Civils & Structural | South West |
| RPS Consulting Services Ltd | Buildings & Architecture | South East |
| Buildings & Architecture | North West & Scotland | |
| Buildings & Architecture | South West | |
| RSK Environment Ltd | Consents & Environment | South West |
| Siemens Mobility Limited | Electrification & Plant – Distribution | South East |
| Electrification & Plant – Distribution | South West | |
| Softech Rail Limited | Telecoms | South East |
| Telent Technology Services Limited | Telecoms | North West & Scotland |
| Telecoms | South West | |
| Telecoms | North East | |
| Temple Group Limited | Consents & Environment | South East |
| Consents & Environment | North East | |
| Tony Gee & Partners LLP | Geotechnical | North West & Scotland |
| Geotechnical | South East | |
| Tony Gee & Partners LLP and Egis Rail UK Ltd | Track | South East |
| UK Power Networks Services Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Distribution | North West & Scotland |
| Electrification & Plant – Distribution | North East | |
| Electrification & Plant – Distribution | South East | |
| VolkerRail Specialist Businesses Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Plant | North East |
| Signalling | North West & Scotland | |
| Signalling | North East | |
| Waterman Infrastructure & Environment Ltd | Consents & Environment | North West & Scotland |
| Consents & Environment | North East | |
| Consents & Environment | South West | |
| Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Ltd | Consents & Environment | North West & Scotland |
| WSP UK Ltd | Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | North West & Scotland |
| Electrification & Plant – Contact Systems | South East | |
| Civils & Structural | South West |
*Note: The DSF Regions align to the Network Rail Regions as follows:
North West & Scotland = North West & Central; and Scotland’s Railway
North East = Eastern
South East = Southern
South West = Wales & Western
Daljinder Chatta, Network Rail’s commercial director, said:
“Network Rail will have greater access to a design support network providing mutual benefits to both Network Rail and the supply chain. Some of these include working more directly with suppliers, improved assurance, getting closer to experts, improved business and safety performance and enabling innovation to thrive.”