Delivery of the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator

The Keele University SEND will provide a real community based at-scale demonstrator, across multiple energy vectors, to support RD&I into smart, flexible energy supply, storage and monitoring to deliver improved energy security, reduce energy costs and reduce carbon emissions within a mixed environment and community. The purpose of this procurement is to appoint a Contractor to complete the final design, deliver the new and upgraded/refurbished utility infrastructure to enable demonstration, introduce and upgrade (to enable demonstration) the control system for the SEND, and oversee the introduction of procedural changes.\n The SEND project has the following functional objectives:\n * Basic Information Management\n * Basic Demand Side Management\n * Advanced metering infrastructure and heat load analysis\n * Integrated Energy Systems, Leveraging Advanced Information Management\n * Realising Micro-grids through advanced DER management\n * Unlocking low carbon transport potential\n * Introduce self-healing network characteristics\n \n The Prior Information Notice was published in OJEU in October 2016 and anticipated that the award criteria would be 60% in respect of quality and 40% in respect of cost. Following further consideration, the University has adjusted the weightings to 70% for quality and 30% for cost, given the critical importance of quality to the success of the SEND project.\n \n The form of contract to be utilised will be the FIDIC Silver Book First Edition 1999 as will be amended by the University as specified in the procurement documents.\n \n The SEND is part funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds England Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Additional information: The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://intendhost.co.uk/universityofkeele/aspx/Home

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofkeele/aspx/Home

Information for the electronic procedures relating to ordering, invoicing and payment can be found at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofkeele/aspx/Home and http://www.keele.ac.uk .

Tenderers will remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Tenderers in connection with taking part in this procurement, regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence direct or indirect of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the University at any time.

The University reserves the right at any time to: i) reject any or all responses and to cancel or withdraw this procurement at any stage; ii) award a contract without prior notice; iii) change the basis, the procedures and the timescales set out or referred to within the procurement documents; iv) require a bidder to clarify any submissions in writing and/or provide additional information (failure to respond adequately may result in disqualification); v) terminate the procurement process; and vi) amend the terms and conditions of the selection and evaluation process.

Tenderers will be subject to a financial assessment to evidence that they have an acceptable level of financial standing to deliver a contract of the SEND's size and complexity. As part of this assessment, Tenderers will be required to evidence that their average annual turnover over the previous three financial years was at least £14million (noting that, where a Tenderer is bidding as a consortium, this threshold shall apply in the aggregate to the consortium members as a whole, provided that the lead consortium member's average annual turnover over the last three years meets or exceeds 70% of the requirement). In conjunction with the above, the University will undertake an N2 Check credit report in respect of the Tenderer. Tenderers may be excluded from the process where their credit score is 40 or below out of 100.

The SEND is part funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds England Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

For the avoidance of doubt, the contract duration expressed in Section II.2.7 indicates the anticipated build programme of the SEND only (ie 47 months). Tenderers should note that following taking over the whole of the works, there will be a period of post-completion testing . There will also be defects obligations, followed by typical latent defects obligations on the Contractor (potentially lasting for up to 12 years following such 'taking over', in accordance with usual latent defects obligations under building contracts executed as deeds). To that end, the University anticipates that the entire duration of the contract could range from 16-18 years from commencement of works. However, the duration of such on-going obligations will be a topic for negotiation during the CPN procedure.

Delivery Notes

Tenders are invited from interested parties for the delivery of the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND).This will cover both the design and construction of the SEND under a single-stage design and build contract.

Conceptually the SEND project will transform the University's current utilities infrastructure into a dual use system that operates to both supply energy and acts as a laboratory for research, development and innovation(RD&I) to support both business and academic driven research programmes and support new product, processes and services developments.

The SEND is part funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds England Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Funding Type (WEFO or EU) : ERDF

Funding Description

The SEND is part funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds England Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No