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Tenders

The Provision of Cambridge City Centre District Heat Network

Open
Deadline
263 days left
December 15, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Open Procedure
Reference
014531-2026
Value
Not disclosed
Location
East Anglia, United Kingdom
Published
March 19, 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
Open Procedure
61
Quality Score/100
Good

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

13 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (1)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (3)
Technical (7)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS1
--Submit the bid by the deadline of 2026-12-15T00:00:00.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are provided in the tender description.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS3
--Be a legal entity capable of entering into a Joint Venture Partnership.
--Be capable of providing Design, Build, Operation, and Maintenance (DBOM) services for a district heating network.
--Be a potential partner interested in establishing a new district heating network in Cambridge City Centre.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS7
--Demonstrate expertise in urban development construction work (CPV 45211360).
--Possess experience in designing, building, operating, and maintaining district heating networks.
--Have specific experience with low-carbon heating solutions, including air source and river source heat pumps.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--No specific financial requirements are provided in the tender description.

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Documents

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61
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender outlines an important and sustainable district heating project but suffers from significant deficiencies in transparency, completeness, and fairness due to missing critical information and documents.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance65/100

The tender's legal compliance is moderate. While the procedure type and CPV code are appropriate, the undisclosed estimated value and the absence of explicit mandatory exclusion grounds in the provided description are significant transparency and compliance concerns, even for a 'below threshold' tender.

Estimated value is not disclosed (Value Classified: Yes)
No specific mandatory exclusion grounds provided in the tender description (as per AI summary)
Clarity65/100

The project description and AI-extracted requirements are clear and understandable. However, the complete absence of specified evaluation criteria is a major clarity issue, making it difficult for bidders to understand how their proposals will be judged.

No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness55/100

The tender is significantly incomplete. Key information such as the estimated value, full tender document content, and specific financial requirements are missing. While basic details are present, the lack of these crucial elements hinders a comprehensive bid preparation.

Estimated value is not disclosed
No tender document content available (4 documents listed, 0 with content)
Fairness45/100

Fairness is severely compromised. The lack of access to full tender documents, undisclosed value, and absence of transparent evaluation criteria create an uneven playing field. The lack of e-submission also limits equal access for potential bidders.

No full tender document content available
Estimated value is not disclosed
Practicality55/100

The practicality for bidders is low due to several missing elements. The absence of an e-submission option, undisclosed financial information, and inaccessible tender documents make the bidding process cumbersome and uncertain. However, contract start and duration are clear.

No e-submission option
No financial information available (estimated value, financial requirements)
Data Consistency85/100

Data consistency is generally good, with logical dates and consistent information where provided. Minor fields like 'Liable Person' and procedure codes are empty, but this does not impact the consistency of the core data points.

Some minor fields (e.g., Liable Person, Type Code, Procedure Code) are empty
Sustainability75/100

The tender demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability, explicitly detailing a low-carbon network using renewable heat sources and a transition to electric boilers. While social criteria are not explicitly mentioned, the core project is inherently green and innovative.

No explicit social criteria mentioned

Strengths

Clear project description and technical requirements for a low-carbon network.
Strong focus on sustainable and innovative heating solutions.
Long contract duration (15 years) offers stability.
Well-defined project scope and partnership approach.
Dates are logical and consistent.

Concerns

Estimated value is not disclosed, impacting transparency.
No actual tender document content is available.
Absence of specified evaluation criteria.
No explicit financial requirements for bidders.
No e-submission option available.

Recommendations

1. Publish the full tender documents, including detailed financial requirements and clear, objective evaluation criteria.
2. Disclose the estimated contract value to enhance transparency and allow bidders to assess suitability.
3. Implement an e-submission platform to facilitate equal access and streamline the procurement process.

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