Scope
Description
***This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice, not a Tender Notice***
Overview:
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority (the Authority) is seeking to engage with industry providers to explore the feasibility, design and deployment of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with PV (Photovoltaic) integration for the building type of a local fire station, specifically On-Call stations which are similar in gross internal area to a non-commercial domestic property but have critical infrastructure for the running of a fire station. The purpose of the solution is to increase energy resilience, reduce reliance on grid power, and maintain uninterrupted operations during grid power outages.
This preliminary market engagement (PME) seeks input on technical, operational, and financial aspects of potential solutions to help inform and develop understanding of the installation of potential systems at our fire stations.
Details:
Our fire stations serve a emergency response function and must remain operational during grid failures, natural disasters, or other disruptions. The desired system should be capable of the following:
• Provide 1-3 days of energy resilience, based on typical energy loads
• Include on-site PV generation (new or integrated with existing)
• Be compatible with a central control system for intelligent energy management, system diagnostics and remote monitoring
• Support automatic switchover during outages
Objectives:
The Authority are seeking preliminary market engagement with suppliers to:
• Understand the range of available technologies and configurations
• Review the technical and operational pros and cons of each system
• Obtain budgetary estimates to inform future capital investment planning
• Assess the integration potential with existing infrastructure and any regulatory or grid requirements, such as Distribution Network Operator (DNO) restrictions.
• Understand options for the support and maintenance, of proposed different systems, during and after install and any indicative costs associated
[Please note that the Contract Start and End Dates in this PME notice are mandatory fields that the Authority is required to complete. The Authority does not currently have contract start and end dates for this project identified. This is very early stages preliminary market engagement and may not result in a procurement/contract process.]
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026
- 1 year
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 09330000 - Solar energy
- 45261215 - Solar panel roof-covering work
Contract locations
- UKK - South West (England)
Engagement
Engagement deadline
12 September 2025
Engagement process description
The Authority will make available five (5) , one-to-one, meeting slots with interested suppliers to present upon the Objectives outlined in the Procurement description section of this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice.
Suppliers are invited to express an interest in presenting at a one-to-one meeting with Authority representatives. Expressions of interest should be submitted via email by the closing date of this PME notice to procurement@dsfire.gov.uk and be marked for the attention of Aimee Lee (Category Manager - Estates & Environmental). Please include the name of your organisation and the name and contact details of the Lead Person from your organisation. You should also confirm whether you are a manufacturer or an installer, and the make/models of your products e.g. your panel, inverter, and battery products.
The five (5) one-to-one meetings will be held from mid-September 2025 and are available on a first come first served basis. Dates and times for the five meetings are identified as:
Thursday 18 September 2025 13:00 to 14:30
Thursday 25 September 2025 13:00 to 14:30
Friday 26 September 2025 10:30 to 12:00noon
Tuesday 30 September 2025 10:00 to 11:30
Thursday 02 October 2025 14:00 to 15:30
Please note these dates and times may be subject to change at the Authority's discretion. The Authority also reserves the right to invite further suppliers for a meeting and as such a waiting list of expressions of interest will be collated where a higher number of interested suppliers apply.
The Authority will contact suppliers directly via email with an available date and time, to invite them to a meeting. Please do not attempt to request specific meeting dates and times. If you are unable to attend at the date and time offered to you, then you will forego the opportunity, and the Authority will propose that date and time to the next supplier on the waiting list. If you do not respond to the invitation to confirm your acceptance of the meeting within 2-working days, the Authority will revoke the invitation and offer it to the next supplier on the waiting list.
The meeting will be a maximum of 1.5hours in length; 45minutes for the supplier to present in respect of the Objectives (as outlined in the Procurement Description section of this PME Notice) and 45minutes for questions and answers. The meetings will be held remotely via MS Teams. Supplier attendees will be restricted to 3 persons. The meetings will be recorded for reference purposes.
We want these meetings to be productive, efficient, and technology focussed. Please avoid concentrating on Sales information about your organisation. If you require any specific information from the Authority prior to the meeting, you may request this in reply to the invitation. Please note we may not be able to provide any/all requested information.
If you are not invited to a meeting but wish to provide information which you believe will assist the Authority, you are welcome to submit such information via the email address provided.
Please note all information received from suppliers will be considered disclosable through this PME process unless identified as commercial sensitive and notified of such sensitivity to the Authority by the Supplier.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Contracting authority
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PNLD-1131-HTWN
Service Headquarters
Exeter
EX3 0NW
United Kingdom
Region: UKK43 - Devon CC
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government