Merger Advice

About the buyer

Water Services Regulation Authority, known as Ofwat, is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales. A professional procurement function supports contract managers across the organisation with day-to-day purchasing decisions. Ofwat runs open competitions rather than working from a preferred supplier list, seeking quotations or full tenders for most purchases. Opportunities are advertised through the myTenders portal, with larger contracts also listed on Find a Tender. Contracts Finder carries the same notices, part of an effort to widen participation from small and medium-sized firms. Ofwat aims to pay all suppliers within 30 days of a valid invoice.

£434bn was the total UK public sector procurement spend in FY 2025/26.

Over the past 5 years, most of Ofwat's contract awards have been in business services, architectural and engineering services and IT services.