Official UK procurement notice
Merchant Payment Services · UK public procurement notice
Authority: ENERGIA GROUP NI HOLDINGS LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionEnergia Group is seeking to procure Merchant Payment services (Merchant Services), for the
processing of customer card payments within both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
Energia wishes to offer their customers an efficient payment processing experience using a streamlined uninterrupted process for making card payments. Energia currently operates a
payment service process, using their own Payment Service Provider, which involves the transfer of funds paid by their customers via debit and credit bank cards, to a third-party
processing platform owned by the Supplier.
The Supplier must be able to facilitate the transaction process by attaining and receipting information from the customer, receive authorisation from the bank approving the funds transaction, collecting the funds from the bank and then transferring the payment to Energia.
The Supplier will be required to ensure that the transaction funds are approved by the customer's bank and acceptance of the combined settlement of card funding transactions
(authorisation process). As a minimum, Energia will require the suppliers processing platform to transfer debit and
credit cards from Visa, Mastercard and Electron. All platforms must be Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant www.pcisecuritystandards.org ↗ (settlement process).
Energia requires a platform that will accommodate their customers choice of payment card options and differing currencies. The platform must be available to process payments made by customers 24x7x365.
Energia also require an online portal for the receipt of daily transaction information and reconciliation reports.
For ongoing management information, Energia will require the Supplier to be able to populate management information containing monthly and quarterly performance metrics, scheme updates, compliance updates, new / upcoming solutions and changes within the industry.
The provision of Merchant Payment Services is expected to commence in September 2025, although the Supplier will be expected to work with Energia Group to facilitate the implementation of the Merchant Payment Service prior to commencement.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 14 Mar 2028, 23:59 GMT.
- How the procedure runs: It is envisaged, the CFP will be conducted in the following stages. Please note, stages are subject to change. Stages outlined below may not be availed of even though they were intended to be at the COP stage. This will be at Energia's discretion. STAGE 1 - COMPLETENESS / COMPLIANCE CHECK Responses will be subjected to a check to ensure that the Supplier has provided a complete and compliant response to all questions and requirements requested. Failure to submit a complete/compliant response may result in the Supplier being excluded from the process. STAGE 2 - CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION Those Suppliers that submit a complete and compliant response, will have their response assessed against the criteria stated in Annex 3 - COP Assessment and Supplier Response. The Supplier must commit in their response that they are able to meet the criteria. Energia will use Stage 2 to confirm that neither the Supplier, nor any related persons within its corporate group, associate persons relied on to meet the COP or sub-contractors are listed on the Cabinet Office debarment list. If any such entities are on the debarment list, Energia will consider its obligations under the Act. Energia will notify Suppliers in writing of whether or not they have been successfully shortlisted to participate in stage 3. STAGE 3 - INVITATION TO SUBMIT INITIAL TENDERS SUBMISSIONS Shortlisted Suppliers will receive an invitation to tender from Energia requesting them to submit an initial tender response. The initial tender response will be assessed for the purpose to reduce the number of Suppliers invited to participate in dialogue/negotiation and/or inform the content/agenda for dialogue/negotiations. This stage will include 1. repeating the process outlined in Stage 2 to comply with the Act debarment list obligations. 2. Key Contractual Requirements documents will be issued. Energia expect these as a minimum to be embedded into the Suppliers T&C'S. 3. an assessment of the initial tenders against the criteria outlined in Annex 3 - COP Assessment and Supplier Response. 4. following assessment of the initial tenders, Suppliers will be selected to participate in the negotiation/dialogue stage as set out below in stage 4. 5. once the assessment is concluded, Suppliers will be notified in whether they have been invited to participate in Stage 4. Energia intends to shortlist a maximum of 5 Suppliers to participate in the dialogue/negotiation stand. Energia reserve the right to award the contract to the preferred supplier based on the assessment of their initial tender without undertaking any negotiation or dialogue which may have been intended to be part of the process at the start of the CFP. STAGE 4 - INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN DIALOGUE/ TO NEGOTIATE Shortlisted Suppliers will receive an invitation from Energia to participate in dialogue/negotiate meetings. This invitation will describe how the dialogue/negotiation will be conducted, including the location and proposed dates for the relevant meetings. This stage will include 1. Providing any new information made available to Suppliers. 2. conclusion around the closure of the dialogue and/or negotiations. Energia reserves the right to amend/refine the tender award (technical/quality/pricing schedule) criteria throughout the procurement process. The contract(s) will be awarded to the bidder(s) that submit to Energia Group the most advantageous tender(s) (MAT). A maximum of 100 marks will be available in the scoring of submissions. The award criteria and associated weightings which will be used to determine this are as follows: No Evaluation Criteria Weighting 1 Technical (Quality) 40% 2 Financial 50% 3 Legal (Quality) 10% Total Weighting 100% Energia reserves the right to amend/refine the above existing tender criteria or criteria weightings, add or amend sub criteria and/or add detail to the existing criteria throughout the procurement process.
CPV: Financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and clearing-house services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£6,500,000
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The contract(s) will be awarded to the bidder(s) that submit to Energia Group the most advantageous tender(s) (MAT). A maximum of 100 marks will be available in the scoring of submissions. The award criteria and associated weightings which will be used to determine this are as follows:
No Evaluation Criteria Weighting
1 Technical (Quality) 40%
2 Financial 50%
3 Legal (Quality) 10%
Total Weighting 100%
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).
Published sub-criteria (3)
- Technical: 40%
- Legal: 10%
- Financial: 50%
Published award criteria (3)
- Financial: Financial 50%
- Technical: Technical (Quality) 40%
- Legal: Legal (Quality) 10%
- Condition of participationshortlisting
The contract(s) will be awarded to the bidder(s) that submit to Energia Group the most advantageous tender(s) (MAT). A maximum of 100 marks will be available in the scoring of submissions. The award criteria and associated weightings which will be used to determine this are as follows:
No Evaluation Criteria Weighting
1 Technical (Quality) 40%
2 Financial 50%
3 Legal (Quality) 10%
Total Weighting 100%
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 14 Mar 2028
- First published
- 14 Mar 2025, 11:37 GMT
- Last source update
- 10 Feb 2026, 15:46 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 14 Aug 2025
- Authority reference
EG25001 Merchant Payment Services- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-009394- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area in notice
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ed32Find a Tender
- How it runs
It is envisaged, the CFP will be conducted in the following stages. Please note, stages are subject to change. Stages outlined below may not be availed of even though they were intended to be at the COP stage. This will be at Energia's discretion.
STAGE 1 - COMPLETENESS / COMPLIANCE CHECK
Responses will be subjected to a check to ensure that the Supplier has provided a complete and compliant response to all questions and requirements requested. Failure to submit a complete/compliant response may result in the Supplier being excluded from the process.
STAGE 2 - CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Those Suppliers that submit a complete and compliant response, will have their response assessed against the criteria stated in Annex 3 - COP Assessment and Supplier Response. The Supplier must commit in their response that they are able to meet the criteria.
Energia will use Stage 2 to confirm that neither the Supplier, nor any related persons within its corporate group, associate persons relied on to meet the COP or sub-contractors are listed on the Cabinet Office debarment list. If any such entities are on the debarment list, Energia will consider its obligations under the Act.
Energia will notify Suppliers in writing of whether or not they have been successfully shortlisted to participate in stage 3.
STAGE 3 - INVITATION TO SUBMIT INITIAL TENDERS SUBMISSIONS
Shortlisted Suppliers will receive an invitation to tender from Energia requesting them to submit an initial tender response. The initial tender response will be assessed for the purpose to reduce the number of Suppliers invited to participate in dialogue/negotiation and/or inform the content/agenda for dialogue/negotiations.
This stage will include
- repeating the process outlined in Stage 2 to comply with the Act debarment list obligations.
- Key Contractual Requirements documents will be issued. Energia expect these as a minimum to be embedded into the Suppliers T&C'S.
- an assessment of the initial tenders against the criteria outlined in Annex 3 - COP Assessment and Supplier Response.
- following assessment of the initial tenders, Suppliers will be selected to participate in the negotiation/dialogue stage as set out below in stage 4.
- once the assessment is concluded, Suppliers will be notified in whether they have been invited to participate in Stage 4. Energia intends to shortlist a maximum of 5 Suppliers to participate in the dialogue/negotiation stand.
Energia reserve the right to award the contract to the preferred supplier based on the assessment of their initial tender without undertaking any negotiation or dialogue which may have been intended to be part of the process at the start of the CFP.
STAGE 4 - INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN DIALOGUE/ TO NEGOTIATE
Shortlisted Suppliers will receive an invitation from Energia to participate in dialogue/negotiate meetings. This invitation will describe how the dialogue/negotiation will be conducted, including the location and proposed dates for the relevant meetings.
This stage will include
- Providing any new information made available to Suppliers.
- conclusion around the closure of the dialogue and/or negotiations.
Energia reserves the right to amend/refine the tender award (technical/quality/pricing schedule) criteria throughout the procurement process.
The contract(s) will be awarded to the bidder(s) that submit to Energia Group the most advantageous tender(s) (MAT). A maximum of 100 marks will be available in the scoring of submissions. The award criteria and associated weightings which will be used to determine this are as follows:
No Evaluation Criteria Weighting
1 Technical (Quality) 40%
2 Financial 50%
3 Legal (Quality) 10%
Total Weighting 100%
Energia reserves the right to amend/refine the above existing tender criteria or criteria weightings, add or amend sub criteria and/or add detail to the existing criteria throughout the procurement process.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 4 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 4 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 21 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
procurement.energiagroup.com ↗
In order to get you set up on the portal, if you wish to respond can you please provide the following information:
Applicant Company Name:
Applicant Address:
Primary Contact Name:
Primary Contact Email Address:
Primary Contact Telephone Number:
Secondary Contact Name:
Secondary Contact Email Address:
Secondary Contact Telephone Number:
As per the CoP pack please use [email protected] email address for all further correspondence.
Timeline
14 Mar 2025 → 19 Feb 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published14 Mar 2025, 11:37 GMT
- Clarification questions by21 Mar 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline4 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by14 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent254 days ago10 Feb 2026
- Latest notice published253 days ago10 Feb 2026, 15:46 GMT
- Standstill ends244 days ago19 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
5 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 Mar 2025- Tender notice published14 Mar 2025, 11:37 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published10 Feb 2026, 15:46 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete10 Feb 2026, 15:46 GMT
- Procurement method changed10 Feb 2026, 15:46 GMT
- Contract signature expected10 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. BANK EUROPE DAC10 Mar 2026 – 9 Mar 2029 · up to 9 Mar 2031Extensions: 2x 12 month periods | £6,500,000 | 10 Feb 2026standstill to 19 Feb 2026 | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- U.S. BANK EUROPE DACAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specificationsAccess: https://procurement.energiagroup.com In order to get you set up on the portal, if you wish to respond can you please provide the following information: Applicant Company Name: Applicant Address: Primary Contact Name: Primary Contact Email Address: Primary Contact Telephone Number: Secondary Contact Name: Secondary Contact Email Address: Secondary Contact Telephone Number: As per the CoP pack please use [email protected] email address for all further correspondence.
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender