The EV charging procurement wave in UK public sector
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure has become one of the fastest-growing categories of UK public sector procurement. Central government targets, fleet electrification commitments, and the availability of capital grant funding have combined to generate a sustained surge in EV charging tenders across councils, NHS trusts, housing associations, universities, and transport operators.
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) through local highway authorities, is channelling hundreds of millions of pounds into on-street and destination charging infrastructure. Councils receiving LEVI funding are required to procure installation competitively, which generates a steady stream of tender notices across England. The LEVI programme alone represents a multi-year procurement pipeline worth tracking.
NHS Property Services and individual NHS trusts are electrifying their car parks and fleet charging facilities as part of the NHS net zero supplier roadmap, which commits the health service to net zero scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2045. Each trust's estates team typically procures its own charging infrastructure, creating dozens of individual opportunities rather than one large national contract.
Housing associations with large residential estates are commissioning on-street and communal parking charging infrastructure for their tenants, often through local authority LEVI grant streams. Blue light services (police, ambulance, and fire) are electrifying their non-emergency vehicles and procuring depot charging infrastructure. Transport for London and regional transport operators are tendering large-scale bus depot charging and public transport electrification contracts.
Types of EV charging tenders
Charge point installation is the most common tender type, covering both AC slow and fast charging (7kW to 22kW, typically for workplace, residential, and destination charging) and DC rapid and ultra-rapid charging (50kW to 350kW, typically for public highways and fleet depot charging). CPV codes for installation include 31681500 (electric charging equipment), 45315300 (electricity supply installations), and 45316100 (installation of outdoor lighting equipment).
Charge point network management and maintenance contracts cover the ongoing operation of installed infrastructure, including remote monitoring, fault response, software updates, and electricity payment processing. These are often let as multi-year managed service contracts alongside or separately from the initial installation.
Smart charging management software is procured by fleet managers and estates teams wanting to optimise charge scheduling, manage load, and integrate with energy management systems. CPV codes include 48000000 (software packages) and 72212000 (programming services).
Grid connection and electrical infrastructure works, including substation upgrades and cable laying, are frequently required to support large charging installations and are let as separate civil and electrical engineering contracts. CPV codes include 45230000 (construction work for pipelines and roads) and 45315000 (electrical installation work of heating and other electrical building equipment).
EV feasibility studies and site surveys are commissioned by public bodies at the planning stage, covering demand assessment, site selection, grid capacity review, and planning consent. These are professional services contracts using CPV codes in the 71000000 range.
Key buyers and funding programmes
Local highway authorities are the primary buyers under the LEVI programme, with county councils, unitary authorities, and London boroughs each running their own procurement exercises. Some LEVI-funded authorities procure jointly or through existing charge point frameworks, with guidance from the LEVI support body. Central government departments are electrifying their estate car parks under the Government Fleet Commitment. Housing associations are adding charge points across their estates, sometimes through local authority LEVI schemes. Universities are commissioning campus-wide EV strategies with multi-year installation programmes.
Procurement routes for EV infrastructure
Above-threshold EV charging contracts are published on Find a Tender. Below-threshold contracts appear on Find a Tender (Contracts Finder for procurements started under the old rules), council procurement portals, and housing association systems. The Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service) Technology Products and Associated Services framework covers some EV charging hardware procurement. SCAPE Group and Pagabo operate construction and infrastructure frameworks that are used for groundworks and electrical installation elements of large charging projects. TenderSignal monitors the publicly advertised notices across these routes, although call-offs under frameworks are usually run privately with framework members.
How TenderSignal covers EV charging procurement
TenderSignal aggregates EV charging tenders from Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, council portals, NHS estate systems, housing association portals, and transport operator procurement systems. Set CPV codes for electrical equipment, installation, and energy management alongside infrastructure codes, and receive a matched digest of relevant opportunities across the UK, weekly free or daily on Pro. Pipeline intelligence flags multi-year EV programmes approaching their first-phase review or maintenance contract renewal.
EV charging tender FAQ
What funding is available for public sector EV charging?
The main sources are the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund for on-street and destination charging via highway authorities; the Workplace Charging Scheme for staff parking; and Salix Finance interest-free loans for public sector fleet depot and estate charging. Each funding stream triggers competitive procurement by the end-user authority.
What CPV codes should I use for EV charging tenders?
The primary codes are 31681500 (electric charging equipment), 45315300 (electricity supply installations), and 09332000 (solar installations, where EV charging is bundled with solar). For network management software use 48000000 (software packages). For grid connection and civil works use 45230000 and 45315000. Set all relevant codes in TenderSignal to maximise coverage.
Do councils have to tender EV charging infrastructure publicly?
Yes, if the contract value exceeds the relevant procurement threshold (£207,720 including VAT for sub-central authorities under PA23, from 1 January 2026). Below-threshold installations must still follow competitive quotation requirements under most councils' standing orders, typically above £10,000 to £30,000, and many councils advertise even smaller contracts on Find a Tender or their own portal to demonstrate transparency. TenderSignal captures all publicly advertised EV charging opportunities.