Official UK procurement notice
Trafford Council Heat Network Development Partner
Authority: Trafford Council (Local council)·On behalf of: AECOM LIMITED
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionTrafford Council is one of the leading authorities participating in the Government's Advanced Zoning Programme (AZP). Under the AZP, Trafford Council has procured a Development Agreement with a partner to fully design and ultimately invest, build, operate and manage the Trafford Civic Quarter Heat Network (a Green Heat Network Fund supported scheme) and wider North Trafford heat zone opportunity.
CPV: Engineering design services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£1,118,003,000
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: 45%
- Commercial: 35%
- Social Value: 20%
Published award criteria (3)
- Technical: See ITT document for full break down
- Commercial: See ITT document for full break down
- Social Value: See ITT document for full break down
- Price carries 35 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
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
- Services
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 29 Sept 2025, 15:02 BST
- Last source update
- 7 May 2026, 15:12 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 27 May 2026
- Authority reference
12782- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-077391- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a42bFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 18 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 28 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
The DN reference DN789896
Timeline
29 Sept 2025 → 15 Jun 2026 · 9 dates- Planning notice published392 days ago29 Sept 2025, 15:02 BST
- Market engagement364 days ago27 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
As one of the leading authorities participating in the Government's Advanced Zoning Programme, Trafford Council is pleased to present our opportunity for a Green Heat Network Fund supported scheme, with potential to become a zonal-scale heat network.
This webinar will provide details regarding the procurement of a Development Partner for the Trafford Civic Quarter Heat Network and wider North Trafford heat zone opportunity. Under the Advanced Zoning Programme, Trafford Council is seeking to procure a Development Agreement with a partner to fully design and ultimately invest, build, operate and manage the heat network. Invitation to tender documents for the procurement are planned be issued by November 2025.
The North Trafford Heat Zone represents an opportunity of up to 500GWh/year heat demand. As well as the Trafford Civic Quarter, with its award-winning area action plan, the zone covers the exciting development at Trafford Wharfside, the Old Trafford Regeneration project and Trafford Park, the source of almost half of the carbon emissions from across Trafford and a priority for Council decarbonisation efforts.
This online event has been organised for Monday 13th October 2 - 3pm. Senior officers from Trafford Council and advisors will present an outline of the Civic Quarter scheme and the exciting opportunity from the wider zone.
Event link: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6c48682e-8b7e-… ↗
- Tender notice published334 days ago26 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Clarification questions by272 days ago28 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline223 days ago18 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent173 days ago7 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published172 days ago7 May 2026, 15:12 BST
- Award decision expected by152 days ago27 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts134 days ago15 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
11 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 29 Sept 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published29 Sept 2025, 15:02 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published26 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMTUK4
- Published value published: £1,400,000,00026 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Status changed to active26 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Procurement method changed26 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Deadline published: 4 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT26 Nov 2025, 15:52 GMT
- Tender notice published26 Nov 2025, 17:12 GMTUK4
- Tender notice published9 Dec 2025, 20:39 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published7 May 2026, 15:12 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete7 May 2026, 15:12 BST
- Contract signature expected19 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-09: 1 release · 29 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vital Energi Utilities Limited22 Jun 2026 – 21 Jun 2027Options: The contract does not have a general right to extend its overall term, but there is a specific mechanism to extend the key longstop date. This date may be extended, but only if the Promoter (Trafford Council) agrees in writing. If the Development Partner believes the Project cannot be Fully Developed by the Longstop Date, it may submit a Viability Report. As part of this process, the parties may agree amendments to the Mandatory Requirements, and/or an extension to the Approvals Gateway Notice Longstop Date. | £1,118,003,000very large published value · not counted until verified, check the notice | 7 May 2026 | Awarded |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonVITAL ENERGI UTILITIES LIMITED · North West England
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
4 public bodies on the noticeOther public bodies
- AECOM LIMITEDProcuring entityTechnical Advisors
- ASTEROS ADVISERS LTDProcuring entityFinancial Advisors
- HERMETICA BLACK LIMITEDProcuring entityCommercial Advisors
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- VITAL ENERGI UTILITIES LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- 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
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender