Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2023-12-13
Buyer: National Grid UK Limited
Country: UK
Contract type: Works
Procedure: Negotiated procedure
CPV classification: 31321300 | 31321500 | 45000000: Construction work | 45314310
Estimated value: 21300000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2024-01-15
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Please note that the scope of the HVDC Cable Framework includes but is not limited to the following areas:
- Design, manufacture, testing and commissioning of HVDC submarine and underground cable systems, including but not limited to extruded and mass-impregnated non-draining cable systems at different voltage ratings as well as all associated cable accessories
- HVDC onshore underground cable system delivery, installation and associated civil engineering works as required (to be defined on a project-specific basis)
- Cable spares requirements including spare cable storage (to be defined on a project-specific basis)
- Design, engineer, prepare, procure and install landfall HDD (Horizontal Direct Drilling) ducts as required for each landfall (to be defined on a project-specific basis).
- Front-end engineering design services, in relation to any or all of the aforementioned scope (to be defined on a project-specific basis)
National Grid is an international Electricity and Gas Network Company and one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world, based in the United Kingdom with operations in the north-east of the United States of America too. National Grid is looking to establish a multi-year HVDC Cable Framework to service its growing HVDC requirements. National Grid also has a developing portfolio of HVDC projects in the US, these works will be subject to a separate Procurement exercise.
The scope of this Procurement includes c.15 HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) projects; certain projects, and other identified projects that it is currently anticipated will be of similar size and value and will be identified as infrastructure to enable the connection of 50GW of Offshore Wind by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050. The scope also comprises other as-yet unidentified additional major HVDC projects, the precise location and nature of which is not yet known but which will share the same key features as the other projects.
The HVDC Cable Framework is intended to be used for the delivery of National Grids HVDC Cable portfolio of projects. National Grid anticipates that the HVDC Cable Framework will be used for the delivery of the following early projects:
If awarded, these early projects will form call-off contracts under the HVDC Cable Framework; however, due to the criticality of these projects and the need for them to be realised within the timeframe set by Ofgem's Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment framework, the call off process will be run in parallel with the procurement of the framework agreement itself. Interested parties will, therefore, be asked to express their interest in, and capacity to deliver, these early projects at the PQQ stage of the framework procurement. As more fully described in the RFP, the interested parties that NG determines are capable of delivering the early projects will then be invited to participate in the early project call-off process, alongside the framework RFP. For the avoidance of doubt, given the parallel running of the framework and early project call-off procurements for the reasons explained, interested parties will not have confirmation of their appointment to the framework agreement before they are required to participate (if they are interested) in the call-off procurements for the early projects; however, securing a place on the framework agreement will be a condition for the award of any call-off contract. Being shortlisted for or awarded a call-off contract for the early projects is not though a condition to securing a place on the framework agreement.
Again, for the avoidance of doubt, whilst NG's current expectations regarding the early projects are as set out above, NG reserves its rights to utilise different procurement routes.
Please note that National Grid reserves the right to award submarine HVAC cable system projects at different voltage ratings through this HVDC Cable Framework at its sole discretion, should the requirement arise.
Please note that National Grid expects for most of its future submarine HVDC projects to utilise extruded cable systems, as reflected in the focus of this HVDC Cable Framework's pre-qualification questions, however National Grid retains the right at its sole discretion to award projects utilising other cable system technologies through this HVDC Cable Framework should the need arise.
The initial Framework duration is expected to be 60 (sixty) months, with the option to extend for up to 36 (thirty six) months via single or multiple fixed terms.
All financial values stated in this notice are estimates only and the final outturn values will depend on the precise works to be delivered, the means of delivery, the way in which the programme and project risks materialise, the actual rates of inflation up to completion of the programme, and other factors.

Eligibility requirements: National Grid requires Candidates to have the capability to deliver the full requirements as set out in the Framework Scope, including in particular the requirements to supply and install the HVDC cables. These requirements may be satisfied by a single entity or a group of entities formed e.g. as a consortium or joint venture. Where a single entity or consortium/joint venture is proposed at the PQQ stage, that entity or consortium/joint venture will be appointed by National Grid as the contractor(s) to the framework agreement. However, the party or parties identified at the PQQ stage, and therefore appointed to the framework agreement, may change for the purposes of the award of a call-off contract under the framework agreement, but only where the following conditions are satisfied: • a change in contractor will only be permitted in respect of the installation element of any call-off contract, i.e. the cable manufacturer cannot change; • a change will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, for example where capacity constraints at the time of the relevant call-off contract mean that the installation element of that project cannot be delivered by the original installation contractor and this exceptional circumstance must be demonstrated by the original framework contractor(s); • National Grid must approve in writing any proposed change of installation contractor and such approval is at the absolute discretion of National Grid; • the proposed replacement installation contractor must satisfy the criteria for qualitative selection initially established as part of the procurement process for the framework agreement; and • if the proposed replacement installation contractor is otherwise appointed to the framework agreement in any capacity, National Grid must be satisfied that no actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest will arise. Where a sub-contracting arrangement is proposed instead, with the installation sub-contractor identified at the PQQ stage, a change in subcontractor will also be permitted provided that the conditions set out above are satisfied.

Award value: 21300000000