Increased Sustainable Bioenergy Feedstocks Feasibility Study

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Energy Innovation Portfolio are considering a programme of work on bioenergy feedstock innovation.

This programme would aim to accelerate the deployment of afforestation and energy crops through increasing profitability for land managers and developing lower cost and lower carbon impact production of feedstock. This covers innovation in the varieties, approach to establishment, and management and harvesting of materials.

The Department is currently looking to procure the first stage of this programme, which will be a feasibility study. This feasibility study will last five months and will be procured through the Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets Dynamic Purchasing System. It will examine the key relevant bioenergy feedstock supply chains for the UK, identify the carbon impact and costs of the process steps, consider locational differences and analyse the land manager perspective that would identify which innovation types would significantly improve the relative economic benefit of feedstock planting. The purpose of the study is to identify innovation opportunities that would provide significant contributions to cost and greenhouse gas emission reduction, as well as improve profitability for land managers. It will also assess UK industry's capacity to innovate in this sector, with a view to launch a subsequent innovation competition as part of the Energy Innovation Programme.

We will be holding a supplier engagement day with the details as follows: Date: 22nd February 2019 Time: 11am - 1pm Location: Conference Centre Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1 Victoria Street Westminster London SW1H 0ET

Please note that as this procurement will go through the Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets Dynamic Purchasing System (HELGA). If you intend to attend this event, you must start your registration on HELGA as soon as possible. This is because you must be registered on HELGA to be eligible to bid for this tender. We intend to tender for this requirement in early March and suppliers not registered on HELGA by this time will not be able to be invited to bid. You don't need to have completed the full registration process by the date of the event, but please note it can take up to 15 working days for the Crown Commercial Service to process your registration. Instructions on how to register on HELGA are found in the Additional Text section below, and we will be able to take questions about HELGA at the event.

The procurement on HELGA will use Service 1 - Energy Advisory, Design and Technical Services with a filter on bioenergy. Full details of this requirement will be shared with appointed HELGA suppliers when the competition launches.

To sign up to the event, please use the following link to Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bioenergy-feedstocks-engagement-event-tickets-55712760366

The password is 'bioenergyfeedstocks'.

Additional information: The aim of the Innovation portfolio is to reduce the UK's carbon emissions and the cost of decarbonisation by accelerating the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes into the mid-2020s and 2030s. This feasibility study is examining the potential cost and greenhouse gas emission reductions in bioenergy feedstock supply chains, and the profitability for land managers. The results will inform an innovation competition in this field. Please note - as space may be limited at this event, places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To ensure the widest spread of supplier are able to join us on the 22 February, we also request that only one representative per organisation attends the event if possible.

Full details of how to register to the Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets Dynamic Purchasing System are found below:

To be eligible to bid into this project, you will have to be a registered supplier on HELGA by 6th March 2019. To register you must fill in two sets of questionnaires: a general supplier set-up questionnaire and one specific to HELGA. After this, the Crown Commercial Service will assess your application and register you as a supplier. This may take up to 15 working days.   This video explains how to register and use the dynamic purchasing system. The first step is to register as a supplier at: https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ For further information you can visit the following websites where you can download a bid pack: https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/dps#utilitiesandfuels https://ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/contracts/rm3824   If you are interested in potentially producing a tender for this project you need to begin the HELGA registration process as soon as possible.

Your application to join HELGA will not be assessed until you complete both questionnaires.   If you have any further questions regarding the registration process, please contact [email protected]

PLEASE NOTE: documents used/ QA from the event on 22 February 2019 have now been added.