Scottish Water has awarded its DV4 Enterprise framework — one of the largest water infrastructure procurement programmes in the United Kingdom — to seven companies responsible for delivering design and asset delivery services across Scotland over an initial seven-year period, with the option to extend for a further six years.
The contracts are structured under an advanced partnering model called the Enterprise, which integrates design and construction partners into high-performing collaborative teams working toward shared, outcome-based targets.
Lot 1, covering Primary Designer services, was awarded to two firms, each receiving a contract valued at £650 million against an initial estimate of £1.3 billion:
- AECOM Limited
- Stantec UK Ltd
The Primary Designers will lead end-to-end design accountability across Scottish Water's water and wastewater asset base, managing the standard product and design library, providing strategic consultancy and feasibility studies, and supporting digital engineering capabilities including digital twin development. They will also supply seconded technical professionals to Scottish Water's in-house teams.
Lot 2, for Asset Delivery Partners responsible for Design & Build activities across civil, infrastructure, and MEICA works, was awarded to five contractors, each receiving £1.54 billion from an estimated pool of up to £7.7 billion:
- WGM Engineering
- Mott MacDonald Bentley Ltd
- Farrans Limited
- Ross-shire Engineering Limited (RSE)
- M Group Water (Network Infrastructure) Ltd
Works will span the full range of Scottish Water's asset base, including water and wastewater treatment works, pumping stations, pipework networks, and storage infrastructure across Scotland.
The framework covers the SR27 regulatory period from April 2027 to March 2033, with extension options through to 2039 under SR33. Nine tenders were received for Lot 2 and four for Lot 1. Scottish Water plans to separately procure a Domestic Subcontract Network and a Tier 2 regional framework to open opportunities for smaller and specialist firms. A mid-point supply chain review is planned for 2030 to assess partner capacity ahead of the SR33 period.
The Enterprise model is built around outcome-based KPIs, shared risk mechanisms, and a collective commitment to Scottish Water's Beyond Net Zero emissions ambitions. The total potential value across both lots and the full 13-year period reaches up to £9 billion.
