Research and innovation assignment 'Future of physical work in train maintenance at NS'
Onderzoeks- en innovatieopdracht 'Toekomst van fysiek werk bij treinonderhoud van NS'
Netherlands · Utrecht · how to bid here →
Your path to submission
- Deadline: 4 November at 10:00 — 31 days left.
- The submission point is stated in the notice (link on the right).
- Offer and evidence in: NLD.
- Collect your evidence — the eligibility requirements are listed above; for many of them the analysis explains how to obtain them.
Clement What the numbers say about this buyer
- The median procedure drew 3 bids (159 procedures with a bid count); 23% ended with a single bidder. Sector: median 9 bids.n = 159
- 4% of this buyer's awards went to companies that had already won here before (183 awards since 2015, spread over 96 companies). That is well below the sector norm (30%) — this buyer switches suppliers more often than others.n = 183 awards since 2015
- 20% of awards went to companies from abroad (183 awards with a known winner country). Sector average: 33%.n = 183
- 51% of the bids received came from small and medium-sized enterprises (22 procedures with a bid mix). Sector: 52%.n = 22
From this buyer's documented awards; comparison values from the same sector and country. Not a forecast, not legal advice. As of 04/10/2026.
Foreign bidders
In Netherlands · R&D services, 177 contracts went to foreign companies over the last 3 years (of 572 recorded awards) — mostly from Belgium, Germany, France.
Submission language: NLD.
Typical field: median 9 (from 507 awards).
What the buyer is looking for
NS is looking for a collaboration partner for a multi-year research and innovation programme aimed at shaping future-proof physical mechanics work within NS Maintenance & Service (O&S), with an initial focus on maintenance company (OB) Leidschendam and on work that is heavy and physically demanding. The assignment is an integral cyclical innovation approach in which analysis, co-creation, design, prototyping, pilots, impact measurement, evaluation, scale-up and knowledge assurance are inextricably linked. We are not only looking for a partner who is researching, but also a party that independently enables NS to build up a repeatable innovation approach after the collaboration, which NS can later apply to other maintenance locations. The assignment should lead to a more attractive employership for mechanics, less physical stress, more job satisfaction, higher sustainable employability and better productivity.
Selection criteria — in the procurement documents
The buyer states in the notice that the selection criteria are in the procurement documents (link on the right), not in the EU form. The document analysis below extracts them from there — bid and evidence in Dutch.
Contract
Who has won here before
| Company | Awards | Period |
|---|---|---|
| ALSTOM Netherlands B.V. | 2 | 2026 |
| Siemens Mobility B.V. | 2 | 2025–2026 |
| Maximum | 2 | 2025–2026 |
| Tata Consultancy Services Netherlands B.V. | 2 | 2025 |
| Rivion B.V. | 2 | 2025 |