Direct Award

BEIS is procuring an auction platform to provide value for money auctioning of UK Emissions Trading Scheme allowances. This will also include related services (which includes processing admissions to bid; clearing and settlement; high quality customer service; monitoring; and reporting) to His Majesty’s Government (HMG). The first auction under the terms of the appointment will be on a specified date (to be agreed) on or after 4 January 2023.

The Contracting Authority (BEIS) is looking for an auction platform to provide value for money auctioning of UK Emissions Trading Scheme allowances. This will also include related services (which includes processing admissions to bid; clearing and settlement; high quality customer service; monitoring; and reporting) to His Majesty’s Government (HMG). The first auction under the terms of the appointment will be on a specified date (to be agreed) on or after 4 January 2023. Auctioning on the UK platform must be secure, reliable, user-friendly and fully compliant with the requirements of UK legislation on the auctioning of UK ETS emissions allowances on a definitive auction platform. The auction platform must also maximise and facilitate participation in the auctions, including for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Contractor must ensure that the performance of the contract complies with the applicable legislative framework. This includes, but is not limited to, the relevant elements of the following legislation, including any amendments:

• The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020
• The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Auctioning Regulations 2021 (the “Auctioning Regulations”)
• The Recognised Auction Platforms Regulations 2011
• The UK Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse, as it has effect in domestic law)
• The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) Regulations 2017
• The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Prayer) Regulations 2017
• The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2 (MiFID 2).

The Contractor must have the legal, technical and organisational capacity to perform the services referred to in regulation 25 of the Auctioning Regulations.

This includes provision of the necessary IT infrastructure, which must be secure, reliable and user friendly and ensure the smooth functioning of the auctions. The Contractor must ensure it has a full back-up system in place, which should be able to cope seamlessly with a technical failure in the main data centre supporting the auction platform, ensuring a minimum service uptime of 99.999%. The back-up system should be capable of restoring the main system at transaction level in the event of a failure, to ensure no data is lost. Any proposed backup system (including its data centre) should be located at a site other than that where the main system is located and must be secure, reliable and not lead to discrimination between bidders.

The services are to be performed in accordance with the objectives and requirements of this specification, the Auctioning Regulations, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020 and other relevant legislation. The award of contract will take account of the overarching appointment requirements in regulation 25(5) of the Auctioning Regulations. Additional information: Please note there were no price considerations in the awarding of this contract