Official UK procurement notice
NEPO303 Meter Operator Services
Authority: The Association of North East Councils Limited (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe NEPO303 Meter Operator Services Framework will ensure the continuity of a critical service as the current agreement approaches the end of its extended term. The Framework shall support the requirements of NEPO's Member and Associate Authorities for electricity metering and associated data services under prevailing industry settlement arrangements.
- Not divided into lots: The integrated nature of MOP, DC and DA services requires a coordinated approach to data collection, management and reporting. Dividing the requirement into multiple lots could increase operational complexity, create interface risks between providers, and reduce the efficiencies associated with a single managed service.
CPV: Electricity meters · Energy meters · Public utilities
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Open framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
- Places
- up to 1 suppliers
- Framework period
4 yrs · up to 6 yrs from 1 Apr 2028, The Framework Agreement is anticipated to exceed 48 months in duration, with a 24 month extension resulting in a maximum term of 72 months. This is due to the commercial and contractual complexity of the Framework Agreement combined with the high level of data and communications required for Electricity Meters, particularly at the point of mobilisation and onboarding.
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
2.50% of call-off value · NEPO operates a contract rebate arrangement whereby Suppliers are asked to repay NEPO a set percentage of each invoice in respect of orders placed by NEPO or any Contracting Authority accessing the Framework Agreement. The maximum rebate taken by NEPO against the value of awarded contracts will not exceed 2.5%.
Who may buy through it
NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities.
The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: www.nepo.org/associate-membership ↗
NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023).
A list of permissible users available at: www.nepo.org/associate-membership… ↗
Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org ↗
Further information regarding Contracting Authorities that may use the agreement can be found in the tender Documents.
Published description of the framework
The successful supplier will enter into a framework agreement (NEPO303 Meter Operator Services) with NEPO. The Framework will be accessible to NEPO Member Authorities and Associate Members through call-off contracts entered into in accordance with the framework agreement. NEPO will establish the overarching contractual terms and conditions governing use of the Framework.
Pricing will be determined through the tender process and evaluated in accordance with the published award criteria and associated weightings set out in the Invitation to Tender.
Pricing will be fixed from the point of the Framework commencement for a minimum period of 12 months until 31st March 2029. Thereafter an annual price increase will be considered where the supplier can demonstrate in a transparent manner that such increases are justified.
The pricing schedule is structured by meter type and service category, with separate pricing for HH and NHH meters to reflect differing service requirements.
Tendered rates will apply nationally to all Framework users, ensuring consistency, transparency, and cost certainty across Contracting Authorities.
The Framework is a sole - supplier arrangement and will be accessed exclusively via Direct Award. Call-off contracts may be awarded at any point during the Framework term, with Contracting Authorities accessing the services on the pre-agreed terms, conditions, and pricing established through the Tender process.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£15,000,000
- Technical & professional ability
Suppliers must be authorised and complaint to undertake metering activities in accordance with the Consolidated Metering Code of Practice (CoMCoP), and be authorised by the local Distribution Network Operators (DNO).
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)
- Quality: 32%
- ESG: 8%
- Price: 60%
Published award criteria (3)
- Price
- Quality
- ESG
- Technical & professional ability
Suppliers must be authorised and complaint to undertake metering activities in accordance with the Consolidated Metering Code of Practice (CoMCoP), and be authorised by the local Distribution Network Operators (DNO).
- Price carries 60 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 6 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “NEPO303 Meter Operator Services” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How The Association of North East Councils Limited buys Meters (CPV 3855), and who usually turns up
The Association of North East Councils Limited’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Meters (CPV 3855) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
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.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside North East England.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 118 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
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.
1 bid16% / 0%
2–343% / 100%
4–619% / 0%
7+22% / 0%
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.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.
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.
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 3855Published estimate£15m
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.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid7%
2–353%
4–627%
7+12%
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £50m50 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | 20 live · £32m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 27% below n=6 | |
| £2.4m24 awards in 36m · last this month | 6 live · £354k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 16% below n=5 | |
Engie Power LimitedLarge | £1.8bn3 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago | None on file | 40% above n=3 |
| £2.4m12 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 6 live · £739k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 4% below n=1 | |
Unity Five LimitedLarge | £1.1m5 awards in 36m · last this month | None on file | 19% below n=2 |
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- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities. The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023). A list of permissible users available at: http://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org Further information regarding Contracting Authorities that may use the agreement can be found in the tender Documents.
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 29 May 2026, 09:06 BST
- Last source update
- 18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 25 Feb 2027
- Authority reference
NEPO303- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-088785- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a84fFind a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via OPEN-UK- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Appointment period ends
- 23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 16 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
call-off levy · 2.50% of call-off value · NEPO operates a contract rebate arrangement whereby Suppliers are asked to repay NEPO a set percentage of each invoice in respect of orders placed by NEPO or any Contracting Authority accessing the Framework Agreement. The maximum rebate taken by NEPO against the value of awarded contracts will not exceed 2.5%.
NEPO intends to publish an Invitation to Tender via the Open eTendering system. Suppliers wishing to be considered for this Framework must register their expression of interest and submit a tender through the Open eTendering system at open-uk.org ↗
Tenders must be submitted via the link above. Submissions via email or post will not be accepted.
Guidance for how to create an account, search for opportunities and respond is included within the Suppliers Hub. If you require further support please email [email protected]
Timeline
29 May 2026 → 1 Apr 2028 · 8 dates- Planning notice published144 days ago29 May 2026, 09:06 BST
- Market engagement129 days ago12 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
NEPO seeks to procure a framework agreement for Meter Operator Services. The purpose of this notice is to provide prior information to the market on the intentions of NEPO to procure such a framework agreement. This notice also provides an open invite to market consultation meetings.
NEPO intends to hold market consultation meetings with suppliers prior to this procurement project. The market consultation meetings are advertised openly using this notice.
A Market Consultation Questionnaire will be made accessible via the Open eTendering system on 29 May 2026, with a submission deadline of 5 p.m. on 12 June 2026.
Suppliers wishing to access and complete the Market Consultation Questionnaire must first register on the eTendering system using the following link: www.open-uk.org ↗
Within the questionnaire, suppliers will be given the opportunity to register for a market consultation meeting via an Eventbrite link.
Market consultation meetings are limited in number and will take place during June and July 2026 . Appointments will be no longer than one hour, and NEPO intends to conduct these sessions virtually through online meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams or other secure meeting platforms.
Attendance at market consultation is optional and does not provide suppliers with an advantage in any future related procurement.
Attendance also does not constitute an intention to tender. Dates may be subject to change depending on availability and supplier uptake.
Please note the above information may be subject to change.
- Next notice expected32 days ago17 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published32 days ago18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
- Clarification questions by3 days ago16 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Admission / appointment period endsin 3 days · period end, not a bid countdown23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected byin 129 days25 Feb 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts1 Apr 2028, 00:00 BST
Notice history
6 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 29 May 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published29 May 2026, 09:06 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £15,000,00018 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
- Status changed to active18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
- Procurement method changed18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
- Deadline published: 23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST18 Sept 2026, 15:11 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender