Find a TenderPlanned procurementPreliminary market engagement notice
Published 3 Nov 2026, 16:41 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Hounslow Strategic Energy Partnership

Authority: London Borough of Hounslow (Local council)

ServicesAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Planned pipeline value£500,000,000pipeline notice, not a live tender
Tender notice expected 8 Oct 2027from the planned procurement notice
Contract term 15 yrsends 25 Oct 2043 · up to 25 Oct 2048 with extensions · starts 24 Oct 2028
Notice summaryFrom the published notice

Following Cabinet approval in December 2025, the London Borough of Hounslow ("the Council") intends to commence a procurement mid-late 2027 to select a Strategic Energy Partner ("the Partner") for a Strategic Energy Partnership ("SEP"). The Partner will help unlock investment and deliver a diverse portfolio of energy projects and programmes to drive the borough's energy transformation, accelerate decarbonisation and support the Council's net zero ambitions for both its own operations and estate and the wider borough.

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Opportunity

Following Cabinet approval in December 2025, the London Borough of Hounslow ("the Council") intends to commence a procurement mid-late 2027 to select a Strategic Energy Partner ("the Partner") for a Strategic Energy Partnership ("SEP"). The Partner will help unlock investment and deliver a diverse portfolio of energy projects and programmes to drive the borough's energy transformation, accelerate decarbonisation and support the Council's net zero ambitions for both its own operations and estate and the wider borough.

An estimated £500m+ pipeline of energy infrastructure has been identified to support the borough's regeneration, growth and decarbonisation agenda. This includes building retrofit, renewable energy generation, vehicle fleet decarbonisation and EV charging infrastructure.

The Council aims to structure a commercially viable partnership that can fund, develop and deliver this pipeline in support of the borough's economic, social and environmental objectives. A key role of the Partner will be to identify and develop further pipeline opportunities and innovative energy solutions.

The partnership is intended as a long-term collaboration with the Council, the partnership and the respective roles of the Council and the Partner will be shaped by the feedback received through this engagement.

Who Should Take Part

The Council would like to hear from organisations with experience in large-scale or place-based energy, infrastructure or related sectors, including those able to bring capital and delivery capability to the partnership. Consortia are welcome, as are smaller organisations interested in future supply chain opportunities.

CPV: Corporate finance and venture capital services · Electricity · Electricity distribution · Energy and related services · Environmental issues consultancy services · Financial leasing services · Heat pumps · Heating equipment · Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning installation work · Hydrogen · Installation services of electrical equipment · Mechanical and electrical engineering services · +7 more

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1PlannedRenewal 15 yrsSMEVCSE
Contract period: 24 Oct 2028 – 25 Oct 2043 (15 yrs) · up to 25 Oct 2048 with extensions
Delivery: LondonEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: Extension options published

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published

How London Borough of Hounslow buys Roof works and other special trade construction works (CPV 4526), and who usually turns up

London Borough of Hounslow’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Roof works and other special trade construction works (CPV 4526) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

Question for the bid
This buyerLondon Borough of Hounslow · all categories
What to do with it
How often do SMEs win?
i

How often small and medium firms win.

Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.

The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 14 of 27 known-size awards · market: CPV 4526 · Greater London, n=85
52%81%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
i

How often local firms win similar work.

Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.

Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Greater London.

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 20 of 35 known-location awards · market: CPV 4526 · Greater London, n=109
57%27%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.

How long to a decision?
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 8 decided notices · market: CPV 4526 · Greater London, n=15
40 days51 days

Half of these awards have an award date within 40 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: at least 13 of 38 procurements with awards had no recorded rival · market: CPV 4526 · Greater London, n=153
34%31%

Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.

How many bids did past lots attract?

i

How many bids past lots received.

Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.

Past bids do not predict this tender.

Last 36 months.

This buyer15 lots with bid counts · all categories
7% had one bid
The market22 lots with bid counts · CPV 4526 · Greater London
18% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid7% / 18%
Buyer: 1 of 15 lots with published bid counts. Market: 4 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
2–313% / 18%
Buyer: 2 of 15 lots with published bid counts. Market: 4 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
4–640% / 23%
Buyer: 6 of 15 lots with published bid counts. Market: 5 of 22 lots with published bid counts.
7+40% / 41%
Buyer: 6 of 15 lots with published bid counts. Market: 9 of 22 lots with published bid counts.

How did awards compare with estimates?

i

Where winning prices landed against estimates.

Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

This buyer7 lots with estimate and award · all categories
57% below estimate
The market21 lots with estimate and award · CPV 4526 · Greater London
52% below estimate
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
Below estimate57% / 52%
Buyer: 4 of 7 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 11 of 21 lots with an estimate and award.
Within ±2%43% / 24%
Buyer: 3 of 7 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 5 of 21 lots with an estimate and award.
Above estimate0% / 24%
Buyer: 0 of 7 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 5 of 21 lots with an estimate and award.
2

Assess each lot
i

What past awards tell you about each lot.

See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.

No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1CPV 4526180 monthsSME suitablePublished estimate£500m
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 22 past lots.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

—No model forecast yet18% chance of a single bid
Past bids on 22 similar lots
1 bid18%
4 of 22 similar past lots received 1 bid (18%).
2–318%
4 of 22 similar past lots received 2–3 (18%).
4–623%
5 of 22 similar past lots received 4–6 (23%).
7+41%
9 of 22 similar past lots received 7+ (41%).
Comparable past lots usually drew 5 bids.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—No model forecast yet
No comparable awards on record for this lot’s category yet. The published estimate is £500m, and the forecast stays empty until the market has a record to read.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.

About this data
  • Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
  • Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
  • Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
  • Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Planned procurement
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
Unspecified in notice
First published
3 Nov 2026, 16:41 GMT
Last source update
3 Nov 2026, 16:55 GMT
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-104424
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Corporate finance and venture capital servicesElectricityElectricity distributionEnergy and related servicesEnvironmental issues consultancy servicesFinancial leasing servicesHeat pumpsHeating equipmentHeating, ventilation and air-conditioning installation workHydrogen
+9 moreInstallation services of electrical equipmentMechanical and electrical engineering services
Delivery area
London (UKI75)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-07970e Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

3 Nov 2026 → 24 Oct 2028 · 4 dates
  1. Planning notice publishedjust passed
    3 Nov 2026, 16:41 GMT
  2. Today
    3 Nov 2026
  3. Market engagementin 45 days
    18 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

    How The Engagement Will Work

    The Council will conduct a two-stage preliminary market engagement.

    Stage 1 will allow interested parties and the Council to explore the SEP opportunity and share information to refine the partnership structure, approach and proposed pipeline. It will comprise:

    • a webinar presented by the Council on Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 12:00, held online via Microsoft Teams; and
    • one-to-one interviews with the Council and its advisors over a two-week period from Monday 7 December 2026 to 18 December 2026

    Stage 2 is expected to take place in spring 2027 and will provide more detailed information on the proposed pipeline, the Council's commercial development work and procurement approach.

    How To Take Part

    If your organisation is interested in becoming the Council's Strategic Energy Partner and wishes to take part, please register your interest via the Council's eTendering portal procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗ by 23:59 on Monday 23 November 2026 where a link is provided to the webinar.

    Market Engagement interviews

    Interview slots are limited and will be prioritised to organisations intending to bid as the primary contractor or a lead specialist contractor.

    A primary contractor would be contracting directly with the Council as the Partner, solely, leading a consortium or partnership. A lead specialist contractor for a key area of decarbonisation delivery or investment who would be part of a consortium or partnership. Participants must confirm their intention on the portal with their interview request.

    Interviews are subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), available on the portal. Invitations will be issued once the signed NDA has been uploaded on the portal. Members of a potential consortium or partnership are asked to attend a single interview together.

    The Council welcomes feedback from across the market, including supply chain organisations, SMEs and VCSEs.

    Questions may be submitted via the portal, before and after the engagement, up to the deadline in the timetable below. Interviewees will be subject to the confidentiality provisions of the NDA. The Council and its advisors will respond via the portal. The webinar presentation, together with an anonymised record of questions, responses and any other relevant information shared during the engagement, excluding information identified as commercially sensitive, will be made available on the portal to all registered parties.

    Related Opportunity

    The Council is also procuring a Heat Network Development Partner to fund and deliver a district heating network across the borough (the "Hounslow Heat Network"). A separate preliminary market engagement notice has been published for that opportunity (Portal Ref: DN834949). The Hounslow Heat Network is not being procured as part of the SEP.

    Organisations may take part in either or both engagements.

    Fair And Transparent Engagement

    • Taking part in this engagement is not a condition of taking part in any future procurement and will not give any organisation an advantage.
    • A summary of the questions, answers and key information shared at each stage will be published to all registered parties via the portal and included in any future procurement documents. Questions will be anonymised and commercially sensitive information will not be disclosed.
    • The Council is supported by Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP and Amberside Advisors. When registering, please declare any relationship with the Council, its officers or its advisors that could give rise to a conflict of interest.

    Indicative Timetable

    The indicative timetable for the SEP engagement and procurement is as follows (subject to change):

    Stage 1 engagement

    Preliminary market engagement notice published: Tuesday 3 Nov 2026

    Registration deadline; webinar invitation and information pack issued: Monday 23 Nov 2026, 23:59

    Webinar: Wednesday 25 Nov 2026, 12:00

    One-to-one interviews: Monday 7 - Friday 18 Dec 2026

    Deadline for submission of questions: Friday 18 Dec 2026, 1pm

    Publication of Stage 1 engagement feedback: Thursday 14 Jan 2027

    Stage 2 engagement

    Stage 2 engagement event (details to follow): Q2 2027

    Procurement

    Tender notice published with full tender documentation: Q3 2027

    The Council currently expects to use the competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, including stages of dialogue. The procedure will be confirmed in the tender notice and associated tender documents.

    All communications will be via the Council's eTendering portal procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗.

    _______________________________________________________________

    IMPORTANT INFORMATION

    This notice is not a call for competition or an invitation to tender and does not bind the Council to carry out a procurement process.

    Information provided through this engagement is subject to change and does not represent final decisions or commitments.

    The Council and its advisers are not liable for any costs that interested parties may incur in taking part in this preliminary market engagement.

    Information submitted may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Please identify any information you consider commercially sensitive. Personal data will be handled in accordance with the Council's privacy notice

    (www.hounslow.gov.uk/privacy-notice ↗).

    This engagement is carried out in compliance with sections 16 and 17 of the Procurement Act 2023.

  4. Tender notice expectedin 339 days
    8 Oct 2027, 23:59 BST
  5. Contract starts
    24 Oct 2028, 00:00 BST

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 3 Nov 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    3 Nov 2026, 16:41 GMT
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    3 Nov 2026, 16:55 GMT
    UK2
Published amendments (1)

Link issues corrected

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

London Borough of Hounslow

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PQYY-1684-DYLV Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, London, London, TW3 3EBContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure