Integration, Technical, Operations, Assurance and Environment Partner for East West Rail

East West Railway Company is seeking a single Integration, Technical, Operations, Assurance and Environmental (ITOAE) Partner to support the development and delivery of East West Rail (EWR), a major infrastructure project connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. This is a 12-year term appointment under an NEC4 Professional Service Contract with value-for-money reviews at years 3, 6, and 9. The ITOAE Partner will provide continuous core services across five pillars: (1) Integration—supporting the Prime System Integrator role, managing technical and contractual interfaces, and coordinating with Network Rail, train operators, DfT and other stakeholders; (2) Technical—defining standards, providing independent design assurance, managing systems engineering and safety cases, and supporting Entry Into Service readiness; (3) Operations—supporting operational concept development, train planning, rolling stock support and operational readiness; (4) Assurance—delivering independent programme-level assurance, coordinating design and construction assurance, and managing regulatory submissions; and (5) Environmental & Consents—coordinating environmental strategy, managing post-DCO consents, and ensuring compliance with sustainability standards. The appointed ITOAE Partner will be structurally independent from other contracts to protect assurance independence and mitigate conflicts of interest, and will not be eligible to bid for main works contracts or Client Support Framework positions during the contract term. Bidders may tender for multiple concurrent lots, subject to award constraints designed to maintain independence, avoid conflicts of interest, and ensure adequate capacity and capability.