Tenders

The Provision of Cambridge City Centre District Heat Network

Open
Deadline
286 days left
December 15, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Other
Reference
014531-2026
Value
Not disclosed
Location
East Anglia, United Kingdom
Published
February 24, 2026
Organization
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

February 17, 2026

Deadline for Questions

December 08, 2026

Submission Deadline

December 15, 2026

Contract Start Date

January 31, 2027

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Budget
Not disclosed
Duration
180 months
Location
East Anglia
Type
Other
54
Quality Score/100
Fair

Original Tender Description

Since June 2023 Cambridge City Council has been working with consultants and academic partners to develop an Outline Business Case for a City Centre District Heating Network. Detailed Project Development has now completed, proposing a low carbon network using air source and river source heat pumps, and supported by a transition to electric boilers from gas boilers to supplement peak heat demand. This work has been brought forward through a partnership between the City Council, the County Council, and 19 Academic institutions with significant heating demand in the city centre. Connections to many of these partner heat loads now forms the basis of the Minimum Viable Product identified for delivery through a Partner-invested Joint Venture Partnership, and with strategic ambition to expand such a network across the City in the long term, informed by an informal Heat Zoning review which has also been completed. Cambridge City Council will be looking for potential partners who wish to be appointed to the established partnership to provide Design, Build, Operation and maintenance Services, inclusive of metering and billing. We feel that establishment of a new district heating network in a city of Global significance is a momentous opportunity, and we wish to procure a DBOM partner who shares our vision and understanding of the opportunities which this may bring.

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Requirements & Qualifications

15 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (1)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (3)
Technical (9)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS1
--Submit the bid by the deadline: 2026-12-15T00:00:00.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are mentioned in the provided information.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS3
--Be a potential partner willing to be appointed to the established partnership.
--Be willing to enter into a Partner-invested Joint Venture Partnership.
--Share the Council's vision and understanding of the opportunities presented by the district heating network.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS9
--Ability to provide Design services for a district heating network.
--Ability to provide Build services for a district heating network.
--Ability to provide Operation services for a district heating network.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--Willingness to invest as part of a Partner-invested Joint Venture Partnership.

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Documents

No processed documents available for this tender.

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54
Fair

Tender Quality Score

This tender outlines a significant low-carbon district heating network project but suffers from critical deficiencies in documentation, transparency, and evaluation criteria, posing substantial challenges for potential bidders.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance65/100

The tender defines the procedure type as 'Open' and 'Below threshold - open competition' with a correct CPV code, and no disputes are noted. However, the absence of specified mandatory exclusion grounds, missing reveal date, and classified estimated value are significant legal compliance issues regarding transparency and basic procurement principles.

No specific mandatory exclusion grounds mentioned
Missing reveal date
Clarity55/100

The project description is clear and outlines the scope well, and AI-extracted requirements are understandable. However, the complete absence of actual tender document content and the explicit lack of evaluation criteria severely undermine the overall clarity for potential bidders. The 'share our vision' eligibility criterion is subjective.

No tender document content available
No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness45/100

Basic information like title, reference, organization, deadlines, and duration are present. However, the critical absence of actual tender document content, missing evaluation criteria, and the classified estimated value represent major completeness deficiencies. Key fields like 'Liable Person' and procedure codes are also unpopulated.

No tender document content available
No evaluation criteria specified
Fairness35/100

Fairness is significantly compromised by the lack of full document access, classified estimated value, and the explicit absence of objective evaluation criteria. The lack of e-submission and the subjective 'share our vision' eligibility requirement further reduce transparency and equal access for all potential bidders.

No full document access (content missing)
Estimated value classified
Practicality55/100

The contract start date and duration are clearly specified, which is practical. However, the absence of electronic submission support ('No e-submission') and the critical lack of actual tender document content create significant practical barriers for bidders. The classified value also makes it difficult for bidders to assess financial viability.

No e-submission supported
No tender document content available
Data Consistency65/100

Dates (submission, contract start, duration) are logical and consistent, and there are no reported disputes or suspensions. However, several key fields, such as 'Liable Person', procedure codes, and crucially, the content of the tender documents and evaluation criteria, are unpopulated or missing, indicating inconsistencies in the overall data provision.

Missing 'Liable Person' and procedure codes
No tender document content available
Sustainability75/100

The tender demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental sustainability by focusing on a low-carbon network, air/river source heat pumps, and a transition to electric boilers. This is a significant positive. However, the automated checks indicate a lack of explicit social criteria or innovation focus within the tender requirements for bidders.

No explicit social criteria
No explicit innovation focus for bidders

Strengths

Clear project description and strategic vision for a low-carbon district heating network
Specific technical requirements for Design, Build, Operation, and Maintenance (DBOM) services
Long contract duration (15 years) offers stability for a joint venture partner
Strong focus on environmental sustainability through low-carbon solutions

Concerns

Absence of actual tender document content, making detailed assessment impossible
Lack of specified evaluation criteria, undermining transparency and fairness
Estimated value is classified, hindering financial planning for potential investors
No mandatory exclusion grounds specified, which is a legal compliance oversight
No e-submission capability and subjective eligibility criteria

Recommendations

1. Immediately publish all tender documents, including detailed specifications and objective evaluation criteria.
2. Disclose the estimated value to enable informed bidder participation and financial planning.
3. Clearly define mandatory exclusion grounds and ensure e-submission is supported for broader access.

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