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T2723 - Belfast City Council District Heating Network Project

Tender Overview

ORGANIZATION

Belfast City Council

LOCATION

Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

VALUE

Not disclosed

DEADLINE

February 13, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

65000000

REFERENCE

006338-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original Tender Description

Belfast City Council is progressing Northern Ireland’s first city-centre low-carbon, district heat network. The climate team was set up five years ago, to build partnerships across the city to deliver climate initiatives beyond the Council estate. Early development of the heat network has been underway for 18 months, supported by Innovate UK funding and the climate team’s internal budget. The Council is now seeking engagement with heat network developers, developer-led teams, or consortia with strong experience of development, delivery, operation and investment. The Council is conducting this pre-market engagement exercise to engage with potential lead developers to provide such organisations with some preliminary information about the procurement opportunity. It is anticipated that there will be subsequent, more detailed pre-market engagement exercises prior to the formal launch of any competitive process. The Council would also like to use this opportunity to test market capability, appetite for innovation and refine the future procurement and delivery strategy for this important project. A key theme for the project is drawing on innovative approaches to lowering the heat tariff for users. To support this PME exercise we have developed a more detailed PME project prospectus document setting out more detail about the project and further engagement plans with interested lead developers. To request a copy of this prospectus please email cps@belfastcity.gov.uk before the 'Engagement Deadline' i.e. 13th February 2026.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No mandatory exclusion grounds are specified in this pre-market engagement notice.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be a heat network developer, a developer-led team, or a consortium.
  • Must be interested in engaging in a pre-market exercise for Belfast City Council's district heat network project.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Must possess strong experience in the development of heat networks.
  • Must possess strong experience in the delivery of heat networks.
  • Must possess strong experience in the operation of heat networks.
  • Must possess strong experience in the investment in heat networks.
  • Must be capable of providing innovative approaches to lowering the heat tariff for users.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific financial requirements are specified in this pre-market engagement notice.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Must request a copy of the PME project prospectus document.
  • The request for the prospectus must be sent via email to cps@belfastcity.gov.uk.
  • The email request must be sent before the Engagement Deadline of 13th February 2026.

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HTM
Planning Notice
General Information006338-2026.html
Summary:
This notice from Belfast City Council is a preliminary market engagement for Northern Ireland's first city-centre low-carbon district heat network project, inviting experienced heat network developers to request a detailed prospectus by emailing cps@belfastcity.gov.uk before 13th February 2026.
DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data006338-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
This OCDS record provides initial details for Belfast City Council's pre-market engagement regarding Northern Ireland's first city-centre low-carbon district heat network, seeking experienced developers for its development, delivery, operation, and investment.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data006338-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
This document is an OCDS Release Package providing preliminary information about Belfast City Council's pre-market engagement for Northern Ireland's first city-centre low-carbon district heat network, seeking experienced developers.
PDF
Official PDF Version
Administrative Documents006338-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
Belfast City Council is conducting a preliminary market engagement for Northern Ireland's first city-centre low-carbon district heat network, seeking experienced developers to refine procurement strategy and test market capability, with interested parties invited to request a project prospectus by February 13, 2026.

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76
Good

Tender Quality Score

This is a well-structured pre-market engagement (PME) notice, clearly outlining the project's intent and how to participate, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. While some details typical of a formal tender are absent, this is appropriate for a PME phase.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

As a pre-market engagement, this notice is not subject to the full legal compliance requirements of a formal tender. The purpose is clearly stated, CPV codes are relevant, and there are no disputes. The 'Type: None' and 'Procedure: None' in structured data are minor gaps but mitigated by the descriptive text.

Formal procedure type not specified in structured data (though clarified as PME in description)
Clarity80/100

The description of the project and the purpose of the pre-market engagement are exceptionally clear and unambiguous. Requirements for engagement are well-defined, and the intent to gather market insights is evident.

Completeness70/100

The notice provides all essential information for a pre-market engagement, including project title, organization, reference, and engagement deadline. While estimated value is not disclosed and evaluation criteria are absent, this is typical and acceptable for a PME phase.

Estimated value not disclosed
Evaluation criteria not specified (expected for PME)
Fairness85/100

The pre-market engagement process itself promotes fairness by seeking broad market input before a formal tender. Requirements are generic and not tailored. While document access requires an email request, this is a reasonable approach for a PME.

Document access requires email request rather than direct download
Practicality65/100

Engagement via email for prospectus requests is practical for a PME. The future contract start date and duration are specified, which is helpful. However, the lack of direct document URLs and detailed financing information for the main project reduces overall practicality.

No direct document URL provided for prospectus
Financing details for the main project are not available
Data Consistency90/100

Key fields are largely populated, and dates are logical and consistent. There are no reported suspensions or disputes, indicating good data integrity.

Sustainability80/100

The project has a strong inherent focus on environmental sustainability (low-carbon district heat network) and explicitly seeks innovative approaches. While social aspects are not explicitly detailed, the core project aligns well with green procurement principles.

No explicit social criteria mentioned

Strengths

Clear purpose and detailed description of the pre-market engagement.
Strong focus on environmental sustainability (low-carbon heat network).
Emphasis on innovation for user tariff reduction.
Good data consistency and logical future timelines.
Requirements for engagement are generic and fair.

Concerns

Estimated value of the future contract is not disclosed.
Document access requires an email request instead of direct download.
No explicit social aspects mentioned within sustainability criteria.
Lack of direct e-submission portal for engagement.
Detailed financing information for the main project is not available.

Recommendations

1. For the subsequent formal tender, ensure full disclosure of the estimated contract value.
2. Consider providing direct download links for PME documents where feasible to enhance accessibility.
3. Explore incorporating explicit social criteria into future procurement phases to broaden sustainability impact.

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B
Tender Quality Score
76/ 100 · Good

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