Non-Daily Metered Sampling Read Service Provision

The decision to direct award this two-year contract for the procurement of repeated goods and services from the existing supplier is based on the necessity of ensuring unbroken

continuity of the service through compatibility with the existing systems and technologies.

The reasons for this are outlined below.

a) It is necessary in order to operate critical national infrastructure. This service is deemed a key gas industry requirement because of the significant negative impact a break in data provision would cause to numerous crucial downstream activities.

b) It is necessary in order to ensure the proper functioning of the gas industry, as the energy sector has a significant impact on the United Kingdom's economic stability. gas sector on which the economic stability of the United Kingdom relies. The data provided by this service is a key component for accurately forecasting and 'balancing' gas on a daily basis at a local and national level to ensure the volumes within the National Gas

Transmission and Distribution Network infrastructures are sufficient to meet Britain's requirements and remain within safe limits.

The goods and services required are the same as the existing requirements and would require that any successful bidder could integrate with the existing bespoke technology architecture. A change in supplier would result in Xoserve receiving equipment that is incompatible with the existing architecture and this incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance of the goods and

services. Continuing to use the existing technical architecture provides the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to ensuring the efficient uninterrupted operation of the NDMSP services, safeguarding the quality and integrity of the systems already in place.

The Utilities therefore consider that, for all relevant purposes, the goods and services under the contract should continue to be supplied by the economic operator named below under regulation 41 of the Procurement Act 2023