Canal de Isabel II's €13.15 million tender for NB-IoT water meters ended without an award on 21 September 2026: all four lots were declared void, although each drew three bids. An appeal was filed on 15 October, and on 26 October 2026 the procedure was suspended.
What was on offer
The five-year contract, file 129-2025, covered household and larger meters with integrated NB-IoT communication, split into four lots. Bidders had to deliver physical samples to Canal's meter laboratory before the deadline, and no bidder could win more than one lot. A separate tender for NB-IoT communications services, file 230-2025, was valued at €1.33 million.
A rollout already near completion
The setback comes late in Canal's metering programme. On 7 August 2026 remote reading covered 93% of meters, and Canal expects all 1.6 million to have it by the end of 2026. An earlier tender, in 2023, gave Vodafone the largest of four lots, about 315,000 meters over five years for €25 million.
Why it matters
The outcome of the appeal decides when Canal can buy meters again under this procedure. The decision sits with the Community of Madrid's public procurement tribunal, named as the review body in Canal's tender notices. Other procurements also await decisions, including the €42.45 million Madrid gallery and network contract that closed for bids on 7 September 2026.
Which of Canal's other tenders are open or pending, who already holds its largest contracts, and where should meter, pipe and treatment suppliers focus first? The brief answers each, including the status of a €620.3 million network services contract. The full report, Canal de Isabel II: Utility Account Brief, is available for USD 499 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/canal-de-isabel-ii-utility-account-brief. For a free overview, read the Canal de Isabel II Utility Snapshot at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/utilities/canal-de-isabel-ii.