- Lot 1. Substation OT Prof Services (security assurance in substations, firewalls, common platforms)
- Lot 2. OT Security Services inc. Training & Awareness
- Lot 3. OT Infrastructure and Network Services inc. Substations (hardware, networking)
- Lot 4. OT Operations (BAU Support and Development)
- Lot 5. Data Center Hosting
- Lot 6. Delivery Services
Scope
Description
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Plc (SHET) trading as SSEN Transmission has
identified a requirement to establish an OT specific Framework of suppliers to maintain a
dedicated pool of suppliers to support the successful delivery of our T3 programme. Details
of the programme can be found at https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/globalassets/documents/riio-t3-documents/ssent-riio-t3-business-plan.pdf
NB. Original notice published is Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-020450 & updated on notice identifier 2025/S 000-031698. This notice is to reflect change to dates, including change of deadline for PQQ responses from 16.06.25 @12:00 to 20.06.25 at 12:00
Commercial tool
Establishes an open framework
Total value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2034
- 8 years
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
Framework - Purchase via call off contracts
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Lot 1. Substation OT Prof Services (security assurance in substations, firewalls, common platforms)
Description
Design and build of security solutions to be deployed into substation environments,
including the infrastructure and services for backup, monitoring, endpoint protection and
firewalls.
• Design and build of physical security solutions for substation environments, including
automated access control systems (AACS), CCTV, and other access control and monitoring
solutions such as key safes and door contact sensors.
• Procure and supply the hardware for the security solutions. In most cases this will be free
issued by SSEN-T.
• Provide ongoing 2nd line maintenance and support of the service / solution.
• Consultancy engagements focused on future development or addressing emerging
challenges, specific to Lot 1.
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 2. OT Security Services inc. Training & Awareness
Description
Training and Awareness - Development of training content to educate users of operational
technology about the risks from cyber security threats.
• Provide specialised OT Security Consultancy and related services including process
development and assurance (IDAM, VM, Change Management), maturity assessment,
collation and summary of threat intelligence, testing and configuring security tools
(Firewalls, EDR, IDS, SIEM).
• Security architecture - risk assessing a new changed system IT/OT systems to ensure
security principles are followed and residual risks are understood.
• Penetration testing - undertaking targeted investigations to highlight vulnerabilities within
our existing systems and controls that could be exploited by a threat actor.
• OT Forensics - capability to undertake forensic investigations on low level devices used
within the electricity sector. e.g. those running Realtime operating systems such as Vxworks.
• Consultancy engagements focused on future development or addressing emerging
challenges, specific to Lot 2
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 3. OT Infrastructure and Network Services inc. Substations (hardware, networking)
Description
• Design and build of IT/OT infrastructure to be deployed into data centres and data rooms
within offices. Including hardening of servers, software installation, network configuration,
physical deployment (racking and wiring).
• Design and build supporting applications such as identity services, domain management,
key management and backup servers.
• Provide infrastructure support, including patching, processing change requests, fault
investigation and repair.
• Design, build or procurement of network infrastructure to include but not limited to
Routers, Switches, Firewalls and typical Datacentre technologies
Page 6 to 15
• Consultancy engagements focused on future development or addressing emerging
challenges, specific to Lot 3.
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 4. OT Operations (BAU Support and Development)
Description
• Provide specialist application support and development for OT Applications including
PowerOn, PI to respond to incidents, facilitate configuration changes and deliver updates.
• Provide technical assistance for wider OT estate, including Active Directory and firewalls -
often required as part of fault diagnosis, technical remediation and/or project resourcing
Page 7 to 15
• Provide assistance and expertise with build and support of physical and virtual OT Windows
clients. Building, applying and testing new client images via SCCM for use in Production OT
environment.
• DR testing - provide technical expertise with backup solutions such as NetBackup & Rubrik,
to assist with comprehensive DR restoration tests for our OT servers and applications.
• Consultancy engagements focused on future development or addressing emerging
challenges, specific to Lot 4.
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 5. Data Center Hosting
Description
• Provide data center hosting in a secure and resilient environment suitable for critical
national infrastructure (CNI) (likely to be Tier 3 as a minimum) with proximity to the SSEN
Transmission OT network in the north of Scotland and connectivity to public cloud services.
• Provide data center hosting to Security Check Level to meet Cabinet Office requirements.
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Lot 6. Delivery Services
Description
• Professional and Consultancy services.
• Skillset with Operational Technology (OT) expertise. Roles to include, but not limited to;
1. Business analysis
2. Design development
3. Testing
4. Change management
5. Architecture
6. Project delivery and management
7. Technical design
8. Service design
Lot value (estimated)
- £240,000,000 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Same for all lots
CPV classifications, contract dates and options are shown in the Scope section, because they are the same for all lots.
Framework
Open framework scheme end date (estimated)
31 January 2034
Maximum number of suppliers
Unlimited
Maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers
0%
Framework operation description
As per Tender Documentataion
Award method when using the framework
With competition
Contracting authorities that may use the framework
SSE group companies
Contracting authority location restrictions
- UK - United Kingdom
Submission
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
20 June 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
SSEN invite interested suppliers to view the Tender Documents on our Jaggaer eprocurement system under "Current Opportunities" here:
https://sse.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=426
Full details of the service required and how to respond to the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
can be found on that page
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
1 November 2025
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| As per PQQ / ITT Doumentation | As per PQQ / ITT Doumentation |
Cost |
Weighting description
As per PQQ / ITT Doumentation
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Utilities
Competitive flexible procedure description
PQQ to be issued -2 step procedure under PA23 utilising Jaggaer / Find a tender. Open
Framework to be utilised. Following PQQ evaluation, down selection will be made to move to
ITT stage.
Awards will be made per lot. Total of 6 available lots
Contracting authority
SCOTTISH HYDRO ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION PLC
- Companies House: SC213461
Inveralmond House, 200 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 3AQ
United Kingdom
Region: UKM77 - Perth & Kinross and Stirling
Organisation type: Private utility