Section one: Contracting entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NATIONAL GRID INTERCONNECTORS LIMITED
1-3 Strand
LONDON
WC2N5EH
Contact
Radka Street, IT Senior Buyer
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
03385525
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures
one.1) Name and addresses
RTE RESEAU DE TRANSPORT D'ELECTRICITE
Immeuble Window, 7C Place du dôme
La défense Cedex
92037
Contact
Radka Street
Country
France
Region code
FR - France
France
444 619 258
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.rte-france.com/en/home
one.1) Name and addresses
ENERGINET SYSTEMANSVAR A/S
Tonne Kjærsvej 65
Fredericia
DK-7000
Contact
Radka Street
Country
Denmark
Region code
DK - Denmark
Denmark
39314959
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.1) Name and addresses
NEMO LINK LIMITED
1-3 Strand
London
WC2N 5EH
Contact
Radka Street
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
08169409
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.1) Name and addresses
NATIONAL GRID IFA2 LIMITED
1-3 Strand
London
WC2N 5EH
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
09129992
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures
one.1) Name and addresses
NATIONAL GRID VIKING LINK LIMITED
1-3 Strand
London
WC2N 5EH
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
09075537
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures
one.1) Name and addresses
NATIONAL GRID NORTH SEA LINK LIMITED
1-3 Strand
London
WC2N 5EH
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
08082344
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law
Law of England & Wales, with a parallel notice being published in the OJEU and the procurement complying with relevant requirements of the national procurement laws of France and Denmark.
one.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at
https://www.achilles.com/uvdb/
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.achilles.com/uvdb/
one.6) Main activity
Electricity
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Regional Nominations Platform 2.0
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72212100 - Industry specific software development services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The contract is for the replacement of the Regional Nominations Platform (RNP) currently used to operate a number of UK-EU interconnectors. The procurement covers application development, hosting, maintenance, support and helpdesk services.
The RNP is used to nominate against capacity purchased in the Long-term, Day Ahead and Intraday auctions. 24/7 helpdesk is available to the customers and the Power Trading Team to support if there is an issue with completing the nominations process or if there is an interconnector unplanned outage.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £17,300,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
- DK - Denmark
- FR - France
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scope
The scope of the contract/tender covers the following:
• Hosting (either deployed on physical hardware or to the cloud) secured by design to meet the standards of NIST cyber security framework including maintenance patching, disaster recovery solution, etc.
• Application development - UI rich interface to support our customers in the nominations process, either through intuitive GUI and an option for an API for data extraction. Needs to be secure by design. Should include testing, roll out, support, patching, disaster recovery solution, training, user guides/manuals.
• Support and maintenance;
• 24/7 Helpdesk services to support the Client, customers, trading teams, provide reporting, user management, support during system incidents, development of standard operating procedures.
The RNP 2.0 aims to deliver a new solution for Belgium, France, Denmark and UK in the current scope for handling the Nomination aspects of the overall Capacity Management of the Interconnector as well as the interfacing with the national TSOs, and other market coupling systems.
The details of the scope are outlined below:
• Receipt/Calculation, Verification and Processing of Net Transfer Capacity
• Interconnector Outage Management
• Calculation of Available Transfer Capacity and provision to the Allocation Platform(s)
• Facilitating of Explicit Auctions and Market Coupling at various timescales on other platforms
• Receipt of Capacity Rights from the Allocation Platform(s)
• Nominations at Long Term, Day Ahead and Intraday timescales
• Market Notifications
• Nomination interfaces for Physical Transmission Rights (PTR)
• Nomination Curtailment
• Publications (includes Transparency publications to UK/EU TSOs and Transparency Platforms)
• Customer self-service for account management
• APIs to support data extraction and submission by Client and end users including auditable confirmations of successful use for end users
• Multifactor authentication of users
• Clean UI central screen that allows customisable end user dashboards/homepages/data tables to tailor the UI to their preference
• End user notifications which are effective and customisable based on preferences
Timescales
The Client anticipates to award the contract in January 2025 with a view that the Design will commence within 4 weeks of Contract Award and the Implementation phase being completed by October 2026, giving an absolute maximum contingency period until December 2026.
Provisional tender timeline - Please note that these timescales are indicative only and are subject to change solely at the discretion of the Client. Bidders should ensure that appropriate personnel are available throughout the procurement process.
• Issue of PQQ on Achilles: 14th February 2024
• PQQ deadline: 13th March 2024
• Issue RFP: 2nd May 2024
• RFP deadline: 13th June 2024
• RFP clarifications, presentations, demos: Mid-June to mid-September 2024
• Negotiations: October to November 2024
• Contract award: 6th January 2025
Participation
The Client uses a global qualification system Achilles UVDB for 1st stage pre-qualification. Suppliers willing to express an interest in the tender event will be required to be registered on Achilles UVDB as a Silver Plus member under the following code(s) before the end of 13th February 2024:
• 1.5.10 Utility Software and/or
• 2.1.3.5 Software Helpdesk Services
Suppliers not registered under the code(s) at the point of tender launch (PQQ) will not be able to participate.
The PQQ will be a questionnaire divided into general questions regarding the applicant and more specific questions regarding the applicant's experience relevant to the scope of the project. Full details about the PQQ process will be described within the PQQ documentation.
The Client
RNP 2.0 platform will be shared by the Interconnectors IFA, IFA2, Nemo Link, Viking Link and North Sea Link. The Client may wish to add additional parties to the Platform throughout the lifetime of the Contract.
The applicable national procurement law is that of England & Wales, with a parallel notice being published in the OJEU and the procurement complying with relevant requirements of the national procurement laws of France and Denmark.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £17,300,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
144
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Minimum initial term of 3 years from go-live. Possible renewal options (for example 3+5+2, 4+3+3, 5+3+2) will be explored in the RFP. Maximum contract duration of 10 years from go-live.
two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 3
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
List and brief description of rules and criteria
Mandatory Client Standards will be evaluated on a Pass / Fail basis. Failure to pass these questions may lead to the Client deselecting you from the Pre-Qualification process at its discretion. This section includes a financial assessment, security questionnaire etc.
Technical Standards will be evaluated on a Pass / Fail basis. Failure to pass these questions may lead to the Client deselecting you from the Pre-Qualification process at its discretion.
Experience/Case Studies - These questions will be evaluated on a scored basis. Each question will be scored and assigned a score from 0-4. A minimum score of 3 for each question is required in order to be shortlisted to the RFP stage.
three.1.6) Deposits and guarantees required
The Client reserves the right to request a parent company guarantee at a contract award stage if deemed required.
three.1.7) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them
As stated in the procurement documents.
three.1.8) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded
As stated in the procurement documents.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
As stated in the procurement documents - Contract terms and conditions will be shared in the PQQ.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated procedure with prior call for competition
four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
13 March 2024
Local time
1:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
2 May 2024
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 12 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
six.3) Additional information
Electronic invoicing details will be outlined in the PQQ documentation.
This joint procurement exercise is being led by National Grid Interconnectors Limited for and on behalf of itself and RTE Reseau de Transport d'electricite, Nemo Link Limited, National Grid IFA2 Limited, National Grid Viking Link Limited, National Grid North Sea Link Limited (NSL), and Energinet Systemansvar A/S.
As National Grid's interconnector business is run by National Grid Ventures (NGV) which operates outside of National Grid's core regulated transmission businesses in the UK, it is not subject to the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (UCR 2016). However, for the purposes of this joint procurement with the above contracting entities, the procurement is being conducted in accordance with the principles of the UCR 2016 and the EU Utilities Directive 2014/25/EU so as to ensure compliance with relevant national public procurement law in French and Denmark.
All PQQ and RFP responses must be submitted in English. All communication (before, during and after the procurement) must be made in English.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court, Royal Courts of Justice
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom