Yorkshire Water Awards £80m Consultancy Framework to Drive AMP8 Investment Programme

Arup secures flagship strategic design role as leading engineering consultancies win places on multi-supplier framework supporting major water resilience, treatment and infrastructure projects across Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Water has unveiled the consultancy partners that will help deliver its ambitious AMP8 investment programme, awarding places on a new £80 million technical consultancy and design framework running through to 2030.

The framework will provide the utility with specialist engineering, design and technical assurance services across a diverse portfolio of capital projects, ranging from water supply resilience schemes to strategic resource developments and innovative treatment technologies.

The appointments came into effect on 1 July 2026 and are scheduled to run until 30 June 2030, with options to extend the framework for up to two additional years.

Four Specialist Lots Awarded

The framework has been divided into four specialist workstreams, allowing Yorkshire Water to procure support at every stage of project development, from feasibility studies and concept design through to construction and independent technical assurance.

Lot 1 – Technical Services (£12.7 million)

Nine consultancies have secured appointments to deliver technical services for smaller and medium-sized commissions:

• Aecom

• Arcadis

• Arup

• Binnies

• Egis

• Jeremy Benn Associates

• Pell Frischmann

• Pick Everard

• Sweco

Lot 2 – Technical Assurance (£4 million)

Independent design reviews, project audits and readiness assessments will be delivered by:

• Costain

• TÜV Rheinland Industrial Services

  
  

Lot 5 – Complex Project Design (£13.3 million)

Six multidisciplinary engineering consultancies have been selected to provide end-to-end design services for Yorkshire Water's most technically challenging schemes:

• Aecom

• AtkinsRéalis

• Arup

• Jacobs

• Mott MacDonald

• WSP

Lot 7 – Strategic Technical Design (£50 million)

The largest element of the framework has been awarded exclusively to Arup, which will provide strategic design leadership and digital engineering capability across Yorkshire Water's major infrastructure portfolio.

Supporting AMP8 Delivery

Yorkshire Water says the framework has been designed to provide greater flexibility as its AMP8 programme progresses, enabling specialist consultancy support to be brought in as projects evolve through planning, design and construction.

The appointments will underpin delivery of a wide-ranging investment programme aimed at improving water security, environmental resilience and long-term infrastructure performance across the region.

Major Projects Already Identified

Among the flagship schemes expected to be supported through the framework is the Kielder Transfer Strategic Resource Option (SRO), one of the UK's most significant long-term water resource proposals.

The project is investigating how water stored in Kielder Water Reservoir could be transferred to support supplies across both the Yorkshire Water and United Utilities regions.

Other major programmes expected to utilise the framework include:

• Bradford Water Supply Resilience (Chellow 2), a pathfinder project helping shape Yorkshire Water's future approach to major infrastructure delivery.

• South Yorkshire Sources, a strategic water resource programme intended to replace supplies currently provided from the Upper Derwent Valley while strengthening regional drought resilience.

• Nottinghamshire Mine Water Treatment, which is exploring how treated mine water could become a sustainable future source of public drinking water.

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Consultancies Welcome Appointments

Engineering firms have described the framework as an important opportunity to support one of the water sector's largest investment programmes.

James Gallagher, Business Director at Arcadis, said the company's appointment across all three technical service sub-lots recognised the breadth of its expertise within the UK water industry.

He said the consultancy looked forward to helping Yorkshire Water deliver improvements in resilience, sustainability and customer outcomes throughout AMP8.

Meanwhile, Richard Whale, Market Director for Water at AtkinsRéalis, said the framework would enable the consultancy to support projects delivering long-term benefits for both customers and the environment.

He highlighted the importance of improving water quality, increasing resilience to drought and ensuring projects move efficiently from early planning through to construction.

Strengthening Yorkshire's Water Network

The new framework represents another significant milestone in Yorkshire Water's AMP8 delivery strategy, giving the utility access to some of the UK's leading engineering and environmental consultancies while creating a flexible procurement model capable of supporting projects of every size and complexity.

With billions expected to be invested across the UK water sector over the next five years, frameworks such as this are becoming increasingly important in providing utilities with the specialist technical capability needed to accelerate delivery while improving resilience, environmental performance and long-term water security.