Economics Advice Support for Competition and Markets Authority Appeals

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.