Provision of Heathrow Expansion Banking Advisor

What the buyer is asking for

The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking to appoint an experienced Banking Adviser to provide independent financial and commercial advice in support of the Heathrow expansion programme. The Government's ambition is to enable the delivery of an operational third runway at Heathrow Airport by 2035 through a privately financed, market-led delivery model. As one of the UK's largest and most complex infrastructure programmes, Heathrow expansion presents significant financing, affordability, delivery and regulatory challenges. The successful Adviser will act as a sponsor-side adviser to DfT, providing independent advice on matters including: • The financeability and financial deliverability of Heathrow expansion; • Debt and equity market appetite and financing conditions; • Affordability, risk allocation and investor confidence; • Measures to improve financeability and reduce delivery risk; • Government exposure to programme costs and risks; • Delivery structures, governance arrangements and commercial models; and • Emerging financing, commercial and regulatory issues. The successful Adviser will also be required to deliver a strategic financeability assessment every six months throughout the contract term. The anticipated contract term is three (3) years with an option to extend for a further one (1) year. The estimated total contract value is approximately £3 million (excluding VAT). Suppliers wishing to participate in this procurement must register on the Jaggaer portal and access the procurement documentation through that system. Tender submissions, clarification questions and all procurement communications must be conducted via Jaggaer. 1. To enrol an account on DfTs Jaggaer platform (if your organisation does not already have one), please navigate to: https://dft.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html 2. ITT Code =itt_3358 Once registered, please access the event using the below link: https://dft.app.jaggaer.com/go/8716167101A0D8503795 In addition, suppliers must ensure they have completed the relevant supplier registration requirements on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Full details of the requirement, scope of services, procurement process, evaluation methodology, timetable and submission requirements are contained within the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation available through the Jaggaer portal. Interested suppliers are strongly encouraged to review the complete ITT pack and all associated appendices before preparing a Tender submission.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 70%qualityStage 1 - Technical and Social ValueTenderers will be evaluated on their relevant experience, technical capability, understanding of the financial and commercial challenges associated with Heathrow expansion, proposed delivery approach, team structure and governance arrangements, approach to pricing future Statements of Work, and ability to deliver wider economic and social value. Responses will be assessed against the criteria and weightings set out in the Invitation to Tender. Following completion of the Stage 1 evaluation, Tenderers will be ranked in order of their Total Quality Score. Up to the three highest-scoring Tenderers will be invited to participate in Stage 2 (Presentation and Interview). Stage 1 evaluates: (i) relevant infrastructure finance and financial advisory experience; (ii) understanding of financeability, affordability and investor considerations associated with Heathrow expansion; (iii) proposed delivery model, governance and key personnel; (iv) approach to pricing and managing future Statements of Work; and (v) delivery of wider economic and social value. Stage 1 carries a weighting of 70% of the overall evaluation score. The highest-ranked Tenderers will progress to a presentation and interview stage.
• 10%qualityStage 2Stage 2 – Presentation and Interview (10%) Up to the three highest-scoring Tenderers from Stage 1 will be invited to participate in a presentation and interview assessment. Tenderers will be required to respond to a scenario-based exercise designed to assess their ability to mobilise quickly, identify and prioritise key financing and commercial issues, apply sound financial and commercial judgement, and provide clear, evidence-based advice to senior Government stakeholders. The evaluation will consider: • The proposed team's ability to mobilise and respond at short notice. • The identification and prioritisation of key financeability, affordability and delivery risks. • The proposed approach to analysis, stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering. • The quality, clarity and practicality of advice provided to senior decision-makers. • The effectiveness of the proposed team in responding to challenge and demonstrating relevant expertise. Stage 2 carries a weighting of 10% of the overall evaluation score and will be combined with the Stage 1 Quality Score and Commercial Score to determine the final Tender ranking.
• 20%priceCommercail EvaluationCommercial Evaluation (20%) The Commercial Evaluation carries a weighting of 20% of the overall evaluation score. Tenderers are required to submit a completed Attachment 1 – Pricing Schedule. The Commercial Evaluation will assess the Total Evaluated Price, comprising: • The total cost of six six-monthly strategic financeability assessments; and • The total monthly retainer fee over the 36-month contract term. Pricing will be evaluated using a relative percentage scoring methodology, whereby the lowest priced compliant Tender will receive the maximum available score and other Tenderers will receive a proportionate score relative to the lowest priced submission. Additional Statements of Work are not included within the evaluated price and will be commissioned separately during the Contract term, where required, in accordance with the Contract provisions.

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  Participation is subject to the conditions set out in the procurement documents, including economic and financial standing requirements, minimum insurance requirements, conflicts of interest requirements and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 exclusion grounds regime. Full details are contained within Appendix 4 – Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ).

• technical

  Tenderers must demonstrate relevant experience and capability in infrastructure finance, capital markets, debt and equity advisory services, financeability assessments, regulated infrastructure financing models and the delivery of advisory services to Government or comparable clients. Full details are set out in the procurement documents.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 25 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice publishedyesterday

   25 Sept 2026, 13:07 BST
2. Clarification questions byin 17 days

   13 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
3. Submission deadlinein 27 days

   23 Oct 2026, 17:00 BST
4. Award decision expected byin 68 days

   2 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice25 Sept 2026, 13:07 BST090985-2026

Payment terms

Payment will be made in accordance with the Contract following satisfactory delivery and acceptance of the relevant services by the Authority. The Contract includes fixed fees for six-monthly strategic financeability assessments and a monthly retainer fee. Additional services may be commissioned through separately approved Statements of Work. Valid and undisputed invoices will be paid in accordance with the Authority's standard payment terms set out in the Contract.

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender