Scottish Water goes to market with £4 million physical data capture contract.
Utility wants to "harness the full scope of new technology"
Scottish Water is seeking a partner to provide it with a suite of survey and data services, covering topographic, bathymetric, and utility location surveys, along with digital modelling in an opportunity worth an estimated £4.2 million. Expressions are due by April 27, 2021, the utility said this week.
Scottish Water invested £673 million across Scotland between 2019-2020 to maintain and enhance existing assets and build new infrastructure. The data services partner will be offering critical intelligence that helps inform future capital allocation -- the utility is keen test new technologies.
"In our new investment planning period we are looking for survey suppliers to collaborate with us more closely in order to innovate. Scottish Water is keen to explore all survey methodologies that can deliver its data requirements, especially if different techniques can provide our data requirements at a lower cost, less risk or with additional value", the company said in a contract notice posted March 24.
The negotiated procedure with prior call for competition comes as Scottish Water has introduced a new agile approach to delivering transformation projects, for example, increasing productivity during capital investment projects and using digital technology to streamline processes. The utility -- which supports 2.56 million households and 152,806 business premises across Scotland -- noted in its most recent annual report that "there is much more to do over the next year and beyond to set Scottish Water on course to be the organisation it must become [to]... improve how we manage our assets... and harness the full scope of new technology."
