Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

This Invitation to Tender (ITT) is issued by WSCC to seek and identify suitably qualified and interested organisations from the private, public and third (voluntary, community and charitable) sector to carry out surveys and to prepare a design and costing of the installation and maintenance of Solar PV and BESS, to install the equipment and to maintain the equipment at Designated Sites identified in Document No. 9 (Asset List). There is also the opportunity to add Pipeline Sites and Wider Estate to the Programme as detailed under 5- Scope of the ITT

The Price that was used to evaluate the commercial aspect of tender returns was not Total Contract Value but was designed to provide a specific and 'benchmarkable' price for each bidder against items that the Council could 100% quantify/need as detailed in the ITT documentation. Therefore winning bidders price does not equate to Total Contract Value. Total Contract Value is still estimated to be a maximum of £23M.

This Invitation to Tender (ITT) is issued by WSCC to seek and identify suitably qualified and interested organisations from the private, public and third (voluntary, community and charitable) sector to carry out surveys and to prepare a design and costing of the installation and maintenance of Solar PV and BESS, to install the equipment and to maintain the equipment at Designated Sites identified in Document No. 9 (Asset List). There is also the opportunity to add Pipeline Sites and Wider Estate to the Programme as detailed under 5- Scope of the ITT.

The Solar PV and Battery Storage Programme (“SPVBS Programme”) is set up in three phases: Phase 1 NEC4 Term Services Contract (“NEC4 TSC for Phase 1”) for the survey, design and costing works, Phase 2 NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (“NEC4 ECC for Phase 2”) for the installation works and Phase 3 NEC4 Term Services Contract (“NEC4 TSC for Phase 3”) for the ongoing maintenance services.

Following approval of the design and costing carried out in Phase 1 in relation to each Designated Site and/or Pipeline Site and/or Wider Estate, WSCC may then proceed to appoint the Contractor to carry out the installation of the equipment at that Site under Phase 2 and maintenance of the Equipment at that Site under Phase 3, in accordance with the relevant Contract Terms and Conditions as set out in Document 03 (Contract Terms and Conditions).

WSCC is under no obligation to award a contract under Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 in respect of any Designated Site and/or Pipeline Site and/or Wider Estate that is subsequently incorporated into the Programme.

The Works, as further described in Document No. 2 (The Specification) are being tendered by WSCC in accordance with WSCC’s Standing Orders on Procurement and Contracts and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015).

This is the only programme in place for delivering retrofit roof-top solar PV and ‘Behind the Meter’ Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across WSCC’s estate. The contract value (of up to £23m) therefore allows all remaining corporate sites and schools in the Wider Estate, in West Sussex, to be approached to register their interest in being surveyed and if found suitable to be brought into the SPVBS Programme over the Contract Period.

Following a market engagement exercise and technical and structural feasibility surveys completed by WSCC’s multi-disciplinary contractor (MDC), AtkinsRealis (AR), 23 corporate and 56 school sites including Pipeline Sites (see Document No. 09 Asset List) have been identified to date as suitable for having Solar PV and, where suitable, BESS technology installations.

All 56 schools registered their interest in having Solar PV, and where suitable, BESS installed. Of the 56 schools, 38 have formally committed to participating in the Programme (subject to the outcome of the Phase 1 detailed surveys) via a formal Letter of Intent (“LOI”). These are referred to as the “Designated Sites”.

WSCC is currently working with the Department for Education (DfE) to gain formal commitment from the 14 academy schools (which form part of the 56 schools) to sign up to the Programme. The academy schools and the 4 other non-WSCC owned schools, require a lease agreement to be signed (“the Lease”) and the terms of the Lease agreements shall be agreed with the DfE and academy trusts. Once the approved draft Lease agreement has been shared with the academies, and other non-WSCC owned sites, these schools will also be asked to commit to participating in the Programme via an LOI. The schools and corporate sites not yet committed to the Programme are the “Pipeline Sites”. A further 44 potentially suitable sites have already been identified by WSCC or have expressed an interest in participating in the Programme and have been placed on a waiting list. These are a part of the “Wider Estate”.

This procurement process will be conducted using the Open procedure and in compliance with the PCR 2015.