Information for SMEs

We’re committed to making it easier for SMEs to work with us.

Every year, we spend around £7bn on goods, services and works. We currently have around 11,000 listed suppliers – 4,000 of these were engaged in the last financial year. And of that £7bn annual spend, we have committed to spend at least 33% with SMEs (direct and indirect). This equates to over £2 billion annually. 

A comprehensive SME Guide is coming soon, for context and guidance to help SME suppliers bid for contracts with us and our supply chain. 

The Procurement Act 2023, due to be live in October 2024, is changing the way goods, services and works are procured for the public sector, for the better. This includes opening up public procurement to new entrants such as small businesses and social enterprises so that they can compete for and win more public contracts. Find out how the Act may impact our procurement activities here.

What are the opportunities? 

We produce a pipeline of procurement opportunities. This is updated regularly and includes opportunities for the coming months and years.

We advertise our contract opportunities on the government’s Find a Tender Service (FTS). You can search for our upcoming open and framework contract opportunities through this service, however, please note that where individual opportunities within a framework are being tendered, these will not be listed here.  

How do we get on board? 

If you want to work directly for us: 

  1. Register on our procurement portal, BravoNR 
  1. Check if the goods, services or works you supply are on the Railway Industry Classification List (RICCL) 
  1. If the goods, services or works you supply are on RICCL, register on the RISQS system to become an audited supplier 
  1. Check BravoNR and the Network Rail procurement pipeline for opportunities to bid on projects. Contact information for buyers and additional information will be provided 
  1. Familiarise yourself with Network Rail standards relevant to the procurement. You can register for access to these standards via this form. Access to the Standards is free of charge. 

Opportunities for working with our strategic partners

For Control Period 7 (2024 to 2028) we are looking to our strategic partners to deliver key projects. Support will be needed from a large range of suppliers, including SMEs, to enable the delivery of these. Find out who the regional framework contractors are in each of the five regions – map of regions and contacts coming soon.  

Whether working directly with us, or in the supply chain, if the goods, services or works you provide are on the Railway Industry Classification List (RICCL), you will still need to become an audited supplier:

  1. Check if the goods, services or works you supply are on the Railway Industry Classification List (RICCL). 
  1. If the goods, services or works you supply are on RICCL, register on the RISQS system to become an audited supplier.  

SME champions 

We have a national network of SME Champions who act as the single point of contact for each of the five regions (Eastern, North West & Central, Scotland, Southern and Wales & Western), as well as Route Services. 

Each SME Champion will encourage measures to improve engagement, transparency, and provide a clear and concise communication to the SME community. 

Contact your regional champion

What’s coming up? 

SME Action Plan – an updated action plan for Control Period 7 will be published during summer 2024. 

We are working closely with all our supply chain partners, including SMEs, and always looking for more sustainable alternatives, wasting less and recycling more. We are refreshing our sustainability strategy for Control Period 7 and will launch it during summer 2024. 

Events 

Come and speak to us directly at these events: 

  • Rail Live 2024 – Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 June at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, Warwickshire 

Frequently asked questions

Useful links

Below you can find relevant portals and useful information.

We’d love to hear from you 

We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any queries, questions, or concerns. Your feedback and inquiries are valuable to us, and we are committed to addressing them promptly and effectively

Or get in touch with one of our SME Champions.