Procurement for the provision, maintenance and operation of on-street Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure

Description

Reading Borough Council (RBC) is inviting tenders from suitably qualified operators for the provision of a network of EV charging infrastructure. It is envisaged that this network will primarily consist of at least 1,500 standard speed on-street EV chargers that utilise the existing on-street lamp column network for power where possible. Where this network is inadequate, unsuited to the requirements of the site selection process, or otherwise inappropriate for use as EV charging infrastructure, the provision of EV chargers via new or alternative electrical supply may be required. The scope of the contract includes: • Delivery of a full solution EV charging solution from planning, project management and sourcing, to installation and commissioning, to operation and maintenance, and finally, decommissioning • Operation of the service will be on a concession basis, with the supplier taking on financial and operating risks, including financing capital costs and revenue. • Delivery of a solution that is compliant with the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) and Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). • Delivery of a solution that is compliant with PAS 1899, as far as practicable • The operator will be required to work with Distribution Network Operators to upgrade network connections. • The operator will be required to obtain and manage all necessary consents and licences. This opportunity is offered on a concession basis. This means that the operator will be responsible for all financial and operational risks of this contract, including revenue generation. RBC will be providing a limited subsidy to the preferred bidder. This subsidy is provided through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) which has been secured to support the "at-scale" adoption of EV charging infrastructure within the Borough and to encourage resident adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in areas that may not yet be commercially viable. The contract is due to commence in October 2025 and will be for an initial period of 15 years, with the option to extend for an additional period of 12 months. As this is a concession contract, the total value is based upon the anticipated level of revenue generated by the supplier. This is estimated to be in the region of £190,000,000 over the entire contract period, based upon: • £766,000 of LEVI subsidy • Estimated revenue from EV charging activities which has been calculated as an average price of £0.60 per kWh, across 1,500 on-street standard charges (averaging 5kW), utilised on average for 30% of the day, over 16 years. However it must be noted that the total value of this contract may vary considerably, according to wholesale energy prices, EV take-up, speed of charge point roll out, availability of any additional subsidy payments, any change in the number of chargepoints installed etc. The contract terms are provided within the documents and all bidders are advised to review these as early as possible. As part of the concession contract, a concession fee, made up of a fixed fee and a gross profit share is required from the supplier. The procurement will take place over 2 stages: • Call for Expressions of Interest (supplier shortlisting) - RBC invites expressions of interest by submission of a Selection Questionnaire and supporting documentation. It is anticipated that the highest scoring 5-10 bidders from this stage will be invited to receive the Invitation to Tender, although RBC reserves the right to amend the number of bidders invited to tender where a significant discrepancy in the scores (for example between bidders ranked 4 and 5, or 11 and 12) gives RBC cause to do so to. • Tender - shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit tenders against RBC's requirements. If required, RBC reserves the right to invite bidders to attend an interview. Following the completion of the evaluation process, the highest-ranking bidder will be determined and awarded the contract. Lot 1: Reading Borough Council (RBC) is inviting tenders from suitably qualified operators for the provision of a network of EV charging infrastructure. It is envisaged that this network will primarily consist of at least 1,500 standard speed on-street EV chargers that utilise the existing on-street lamp column network for power where possible. Where this network is inadequate, unsuited to the requirements of the site selection process, or otherwise inappropriate for use as EV charging infrastructure, the provision of EV chargers via new or alternative electrical supply may be required. The scope of the contract includes: • Delivery of a full solution EV charging solution from planning, project management and sourcing, to installation and commissioning, to operation and maintenance, and finally, decommissioning • Operation of the service will be on a concession basis, with the supplier taking on financial and operating risks, including financing capital costs and revenue. • Delivery of a solution that is compliant with the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) and Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). • Delivery of a solution that is compliant with PAS 1899, as far as practicable • The operator will be required to work with Distribution Network Operators to upgrade network connections. • The operator will be required to obtain and manage all necessary consents and licences. This opportunity is offered on a concession basis. This means that the operator will be responsible for all financial and operational risks of this contract, including revenue generation. RBC will be providing a limited subsidy to the preferred bidder. This subsidy is provided through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) which has been secured to support the "at-scale" adoption of EV charging infrastructure within the Borough and to encourage resident adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in areas that may not yet be commercially viable. The contract is due to commence in October 2025 and will be for an initial period of 15 years, with the option to extend for an additional period of 12 months. As this is a concession contract, the total value is based upon the anticipated level of revenue generated by the supplier. This is estimated to be in the region of £190,000,000 over the entire contract period, based upon: • £766,000 of LEVI subsidy • Estimated revenue from EV charging activities which has been calculated as an average price of £0.60 per kWh, across 1,500 on-street standard charges (averaging 5kW), utilised on average for 30% of the day, over 16 years. However it must be noted that the total value of this contract may vary considerably, according to wholesale energy prices, EV take-up, speed of charge point roll out, availability of any additional subsidy payments, any change in the number of chargepoints installed etc. The contract terms are provided within the documents and all bidders are advised to review these as early as possible. As part of the concession contract, a concession fee, made up of a fixed fee and a gross profit share is required from the supplier. The procurement will take place over 2 stages: • Call for Expressions of Interest (supplier shortlisting) - RBC invites expressions of interest by submission of a Selection Questionnaire and supporting documentation. It is anticipated that the highest scoring 5-10 bidders from this stage will be invited to receive the Invitation to Tender, although RBC reserves the right to amend the number of bidders invited to tender where a significant discrepancy in the scores (for example between bidders ranked 4 and 5, or 11 and 12) gives RBC cause to do so to. • Tender - shortlisted suppliers will be invited to submit tenders against RBC's requirements. If required, RBC reserves the right to invite bidders to attend an interview. Following the completion of the evaluation process, the highest-ranking bidder will be determined and awarded the contract. Following the completion of the evaluation process, the highest-ranking bidder will be determined and awarded the contract. Key dates for the procurement process are as follows: • Shortlisting - clarification deadline: 20th February 2025 • Shortlisting - submission deadline: 16:00 on 3rd March 2025 • Shortlisting - notification of outcome: 28th March 2025 • Tender - release of documents: 14th April 2025 • Tender - clarification deadline: 22nd May 2025 • Tender - submission deadline: 16:00 on 2nd June 2025 • Tender - interviews (if required): 14th - 17th July 2025 • Tender - decision letters sent: 2nd August 2025 • Tender - standstill ends: 12th August 2025 • Contract commences: 1st October 2025