The supply chain

You can find out more about the design, goals, timelines and other aspects of the RTS on our about the Scheme pages.

Interested suppliers should register on the Defra e-tendering platform, Atamis, and then look out for notices published on the Find a Tender service.

The RTS is financed by the public and so everything we buy for the project is subject to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 to ensure that an open, fair and transparent process is adopted.

You can also email us for more information: RTS_Commercial@environment-agency.gov.uk

When we have a preferred tier 1 supplier in place, where appropriate we will potentially look to organise a virtual roadshow or similar event(s) to bring together interested tier 2 and local SME businesses with the selected tier 1 construction partner.

It is important to note that the RTS will not be carrying out the procurement of tier 2 and local SME services. This will be the role of the tier 1 construction partner.

We are developing both social and sustainability targets for the delivery of the RTS that the tier 1 contractor will be incentivised to achieve. These will include a requirement to maximise their use of local SMEs.

The RTS will reduce the risk of flooding for homes, businesses and infrastructure and support improving access to open, green space, sustainable travel and connections to wildlife. In addition, the RTS will create a network of quality habitat to deliver a net gain in biodiversity, supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Delivering social value is a key aspect of the RTS.

To fulfil their social value responsibilities, a tier 1 supplier will be incentivised to use local firms and SMEs within its supply chain. This will also form part of the supplier selection and tender evaluation process for the tier 1 supplier.

While the Environment Agency can facilitate the process by which tier 1 and tier 2 businesses find out more about each other, and we can make it a requirement of tier 1s that they engage with the local supply chain, we cannot influence the tier 1 supplier's decision regarding who they work with.

The scheme represents a huge opportunity not only for the civil engineering and construction sector, but also for a wide variety of small and medium-sized businesses in Surrey and the surrounding area.

The RTS' wider benefits will include new walking and cycle paths, improved access to quality green spaces and the creation of new wildlife habitat areas to improve biodiversity.

The procurement programme is, to a large extent, governed by the timescales around approval of the development consent order (DCO).

Without DCO approval, the RTS does not have the necessary approval to commit funds to construction activities. However, wherever possible (subject to consents and funding), we are investigating opportunities to bring works forward and deliver earlier.