National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) Data Transformation and Ingestion Service

The purpose of the procurement will be to appoint an organisation “the Supplier” to deliver the Data Transformation and Ingestion (DT&I) Service component of the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR).

The NUAR Programme is a Government Digital Service (GDS) initiative to build a digital map of underground pipes and cables that will revolutionise the way the different sectors of the economy install, maintain, operate, and repair Great Britain’s buried infrastructure.

The NUAR programme delivers underground asset data to thousands of utility users through the Safe-Dig User Interface. This improves the efficiency and safety of underground works by providing secure access to privately and publicly owned location data about the pipes and cables beneath our feet. The digital map, available through the Safe-Dig Interface, gives planners and excavators standardised access to the data they need, when they need it, to carry out their work effectively and safely. It also includes features to keep data secure and improve its quality over time.

The NUAR Service is currently in Public Beta across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It serves the Safe-Dig use case and enables the NUAR Programme to receive valuable feedback on what users need to enhance the service further. It includes data from all the major energy and water providers, major telecommunications companies, as well as smaller providers of these services, transport organisations and local authorities.

The DT&I Service provides the interface for all Asset Owner (AO) data entering NUAR, receives AO data, validates and transforms it into the NUAR Harmonised Data Model (NHDM). The data will then be made available for publication into the NUAR database.

This procurement will be to appoint a Supplier to deliver the Data Transformation and Ingestion (DT&I) Services which forms part of the NUAR Data Lifecycle. The Supplier will:

• Work with Asset Owners to document the specification of incoming AO Data and assist the Authority in information exchanges and discussions with AOs.

• Develop and agree the transformation of AO data into the NHDM and document the mapping between the input and output data structures.

• Specify and implement a data transformation workflow and system in the specified cloud computing environment.

• Configure data validation and transformation for each AOs in scope of NUAR (circa 750 AOs).

• Test and prove successful transformation for a dataset from each AO against a defined target.

• Be required to transition a proportion of Asset Owners (AO) prior by 1st April 2026 and plan, in consultation with the Authority, for transitioning the remaining Aos.

• Validate and transform each dataset provided by an AO during the term of the contract and to work with the AO resolve any data supply and transformation issues and errors to generate a transformed dataset within a specified timeframe.

It is intended that the implementation and transition of the services will take place between 15 December 2025 and 31 March 2026. The contract for delivering the DT&I service will commence from 1 April 2026. The initial term of the contract for delivering the DT&I service will be for two years with the option for the Authority to extend the contract annually for a further three years (2+1+1+1). Therefore, if all extensions are taken, the total length of the contract to deliver the DT&I service will be for five years.