FM21209 - Equivalent of Maintenance and Fuel Quality Standards for the Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (NDRHI) Scheme

The final date and time for the submission of bids is Wednesday 2nd February 2022 at 11:00.

DO NOT apply directly to the buyer.

All tender information MUST be submitted through the Delta eSourcing Portal.

Brief Description

Launched in 2011, the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (NDRHI) helps businesses, public sector and non-profit organisations meet the cost of installing renewable heat technologies such as biomass, heat pumps, (ground source, water source and air source), solar thermal collectors and biomethane. The NDRHI along with its sister scheme the Domestic RHI has been administered by the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) since their launch.

In the Government Response to the consultation 'NDRHI: Ensuring a Sustainable Scheme', published in January 20211, the government made a commitment to introduce two new obligations to NDRHI participants using biomass:

- Participants will be required to adhere to a fuel quality standard as detailed in Schedule 4A of the 2021 RHI regulations2; - Participants using biomass boilers will be required to carry out an annual maintenance check in accordance with an industry standard developed by MCS3 and accredited by HETAS4, or an equivalent.

This tender therefore aims to secure an independent third-party able to assess equivalence between new standards and accreditation schemes against the benchmarks provided in legislation, these are:

• Maintenance standards for biomass boilers. The benchmark for this assessment will be the MCS 040 Standard. • Accreditation schemes for biomass boilers maintenance standards. The benchmark for this assessment will be the HETAS Approved Biomass Maintenance Scheme. • Fuel quality standards. The benchmark for this assessment will be the standards specified in Schedule 4A of the 2021 RHI Regulations. • Certification schemes for fuel quality standards. The benchmark for this assessment will be the Woodsure Certification Scheme.

Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found with the Document Uploads tab within the Delta eSourcing Portal.

This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria as set out in the ITQ document

How to Apply

UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) will be using the Delta eSourcing Portal for this procurement.

To register on the Delta eSourcing portal please use the link https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and follow the instructions to register.

If you are already registered on the Delta eSourcing Portal and wish to participate in this procurement, please use the link: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ and the follow the instructions to 'Log in'

Once you are logged into the system you will be able to link yourself into this procurement using the Access Code:JVKF6CNE79

Additional information: DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO BUYER

All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts)

Responses must be received by the date in the tender documentation; responses received outside of the deadline or not sent via the Delta eSourcing portal will not be accepted or considered further for this opportunity.

As a user of the Delta eSourcing Portal you will have access to the Delta messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific tender event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these messages on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information applicable to this opportunity.

The contracting authority expressly reserves the right:

i. not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;and

ii. to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the procurement; and in no circumstances will the contracting authority be liable for any costs incurred by any supplier. If the contracting authority decides to enter into a contract with the successful supplier, this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of bidders.

About UK Shared Business Services

UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) brings a commercial attitude to the public sector; helping our contracting authorities to improve efficiency, generate savings and modernise.

Where UK SBS is not named as the Contracting Authority within the documentation, UK SBS will be acting as an agent on behalf of the Contracting Authority.

Our broad range of expert services is shared by our customers. This allows our customers the freedom to focus resources on core activities; innovating and transforming their own organisations.

For full details of our partner base please review the following link: http://www.uksbs.co.uk/services/procure/contracts/Pages/default.aspx