Official UK procurement notice
CORE Education Trust – Electricity & Gas Fixed Supply Products 2026
Authority: CORE Education Trust (Public body)·On behalf of: The Howard Partnership Trust
Sectors: Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy (09) Delivery: UK
Published estimate£2,989,896total for 2 lots · £3,113,284 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 1 Sept 2026awarded 13 Oct 2026
Award (standstill) to Drax (UK) Limited, SEFE Energy Limited2 awards
Contract term 3 yrsends 30 Sept 2029 · up to 30 Sept 2030 with extensions · starts 1 Oct 2026
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThrough this tender, the Trust is seeking to appoint a reliable and experienced energy supplier(s) capable of supporting a multi-site portfolio with varied consumption profiles. Tenderers are expected to demonstrate competitive pricing, high-quality account management, robust and accurate billing, and a proactive approach to risk management and sustainability, aligning with the Trust’s operational and environmental objectives.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Jun 2029, 23:59 BST.
- No preliminary market engagement: preliminary Premarket engagement is a recommended step to ensure informed and effective procurement activity. As an energy consultancy, our role involves continuous and direct engagement with the energy markets. This includes regular interaction with suppliers, monitoring of market trends, participation in industry forums, and ongoing analysis of commercial and regulatory developments. This sustained market presence provides us with up-to-date intelligence and supplier awareness, which informs our requirements and procurement approach. We consider this level of engagement to constitute sufficient and appropriate premarket engagement for the purposes of this tender, ensuring the process is compliant, market-aware, and proportionate.
CPV: Electricity · Natural gas
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value (£2,989,896 together) · same conditions of participation on every lot · evaluation weights differ by lotLot #1Electricity (REGO)AwardedRenewalPublished value£2,057,091
The requirement is for the provision of fixed Electricity (REGO) in accordance with the specifications set out in the Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)1
- Economic & financial standing
All parties wishing to tender must be registered with Ofgem and hold a valid GB Supply Licence.
The selection criteria are detailed within the procurement documents.
Lot #2Gas (Brown)AwardedRenewalPublished value£932,805
The requirement is for the provision of Fixed Natural Gas (Bown) in accordance with the specifications set out in the Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)1
- Economic & financial standing
All parties wishing to tender must be registered with Ofgem and hold a valid GB Supply Licence.
The selection criteria are detailed within the procurement documents.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
How bids were scored
Lots publish different evaluation splits; there is no single procedure weighting.
| Lot | Quality | Price | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Electricity (REGO) | 60% | 40% | |
| 2 · Gas (Brown) | 60% | 40% |
Conditions of participation · identical on every lot1
- Economic & financial standing
All parties wishing to tender must be registered with Ofgem and hold a valid GB Supply Licence.
The selection criteria are detailed within the procurement documents.
What this means for your bid
- Price carries 40 points on every lot: a 10% discount moves about 4 points.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Jun 2029
- First published
- 4 Aug 2026, 16:02 BST
- Last source update
- 13 Oct 2026, 16:05 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 10 Sept 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-073844- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06dba3Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 1 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 24 Aug 2026, 16:00 BST
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Timeline
4 Aug 2026 → 22 Oct 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published77 days ago4 Aug 2026, 16:02 BST
- Clarification questions by57 days ago24 Aug 2026, 16:00 BST
- Submission deadline49 days ago1 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
- Award decision expected by40 days ago10 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts20 days ago1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent8 days ago13 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published7 days ago13 Oct 2026, 16:05 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Standstill endsin 2 days22 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 4 Aug 2026- Tender notice published4 Aug 2026, 16:02 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published26 Aug 2026, 13:15 BSTUK4
- Deadline moved to 1 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST26 Aug 2026, 13:15 BST+1 days · was 31 Aug 2026, 16:00 BST
- Contract award notice published13 Oct 2026, 16:05 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete13 Oct 2026, 16:05 BST
- Contract signature expected26 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecastAwards 2some still in standstill
Awarded value £2,989,8962 awards exc. VAT
Bids received 9
| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 · Electricity (REGO)1 award | |||
| Drax (UK) LimitedCORE Education Trust – Electricity Fixed Supply Products 202626 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2029 · up to 30 Sept 2030Extensions: Following the expiry of the initial fixed term, the Contracting Authority reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to extend the contract. Any extension shall be subject to the Authority’s requirements at the relevant time and may be structured in a manner deemed appropriate by the Authority. The decision to exercise this option, and the form it may take, rests solely with the Contracting Authority. Under no circumstances shall the total contract duration, including any extensions, exceed four (4) years from the initial commencement date. This extension provision is made in accordance with the principles of the Procurement Act 2023, ensuring transparency, fairness, and value throughout the contract lifecycle. · Options: To include Site additions in line with procurement act 2023 | £2,057,091 | 13 Oct 2026standstill to 22 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
| Lot 2 · Gas (Brown)1 award | |||
| SEFE Energy LimitedCORE Education Trust – Gas Fixed Supply Products 202626 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2029 · up to 30 Sept 2030Extensions: Following the expiry of the initial fixed term, the Contracting Authority reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to extend the contract. Any extension shall be subject to the Authority’s requirements at the relevant time and may be structured in a manner deemed appropriate by the Authority. The decision to exercise this option, and the form it may take, rests solely with the Contracting Authority. Under no circumstances shall the total contract duration, including any extensions, exceed four (4) years from the initial commencement date. This extension provision is made in accordance with the principles of the Procurement Act 2023, ensuring transparency, fairness, and value throughout the contract lifecycle. · Options: To include Site additions in line with procurement act 2023 | £932,805 | 13 Oct 2026standstill to 22 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Electricity (REGO) | 5final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 · Gas (Brown) | 4final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- The Howard Partnership TrustBeneficiary authority
- Ginger energyProcuring entityThis tender is being managed on behalf of CORE Education Trust by Ginger Energy Limited. Ginger Energy Limited (GEL) is a specialist consultancy with extensive expert knowledge in the utility industry. Ginger Energy provides its clients with a wide variety of energy-related services.
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- Drax Awarded supplier
- SEFE Energy LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (11)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Procurement Specific Questionnaire
- Bidding documents and specifications Utility Services Specification Questionnaire
- Bidding documents and specifications Invitation to Tender
- Bidding documents and specifications Tender Support Document
- Bidding documents and specifications Letter Of Authority
- Bidding documents and specifications Form of Tender Electricity
- Bidding documents and specifications Form of Tender Gas
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender