Notice Information
Notice Title
DfE Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy - Regional Supplier Contract for Northern Ireland
Notice Description
The UK Government has committed GBP5bn to enable hard-to-reach communities to access gigabit-capable broadband. This is being spent through a package of coordinated and mutually supportive interventions, collectively known as Project Gigabit. Project Gigabit, is a UK Government intervention to provide a subsidy to support the deployment of a gigabit speed broadband network to cover premises across Northern Ireland that would otherwise not be provided with access to gigabit broadband speeds, as these premises do not present a commercially viable investment for a private sector operator. Project Gigabit is a strategically important initiative for Northern Ireland's society (people and businesses), is a key enabler for delivering the DfE Minister's Economic Vision, and will help to maintain Northern Ireland's connectivity and infrastructure at a level that is competitive with Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland and is attractive to inward investment. As part of this DfE, along with Building Digital UK (BDUK), is developing a procurement approach to incentivise the telecoms market to invest in delivering gigabit capable wholesale infrastructure in areas not considered to be commercially viable for new infrastructure. This procurement approach will be a successor to the much-needed Superfast broadband programme and DfE's broadband intervention, Project Stratum. The overarching aim of Project Gigabit is, simply stated, to provide universal, or near universal, gigabit-capable broadband coverage in Northern Ireland by increasing provision in areas which are currently poorly served and not capable of attracting wholly commercial investment. The project aim can be categorised into three key objectives: * Address market failure, whilst maintaining and promoting competition within the market. It is currently not commercially viable for telecoms service providers to extend gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure to many of the presently unserved premises in Northern Ireland. * Maximise gigabit-capable broadband coverage in a way that is balanced and supportive of rural areas and communities. * Choose procurement and delivery options which seek to maximise value for money (in terms of a balance of quality of technology/products, coverage, timescale and cost to Government), mitigate risk, incentivise performance and meet affordability criteria for Government and for end users.
Lot Information
Lot 1
The UK Government has committed GBP5bn to enable hard-to-reach communities to access gigabit-capable broadband. This is being spent through a package of coordinated and mutually supportive interventions, collectively known as Project Gigabit. Project Gigabit, is a UK Government intervention to provide a subsidy to support the deployment of a gigabit speed broadband network to cover premises across Northern Ireland that would otherwise not be provided with access to gigabit broadband speeds, as these premises do not present a commercially viable investment for a private sector operator. Project Gigabit is a strategically important initiative for Northern Ireland's society (people and businesses), is a key enabler for delivering the DfE Minister's Economic Vision, and will help to maintain Northern Ireland's connectivity and infrastructure at a level that is competitive with Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland and is attractive to inward investment. As part of this DfE, along with Building Digital UK (BDUK), is developing a procurement approach to incentivise the telecoms market to invest in delivering gigabit capable wholesale infrastructure in areas not considered to be commercially viable for new infrastructure. This procurement approach will be a successor to the much-needed Superfast broadband programme and DfE's broadband intervention, Project Stratum. The overarching aim of Project Gigabit is, simply stated, to provide universal, or near universal, gigabit-capable broadband coverage in Northern Ireland by increasing provision in areas which are currently poorly served and not capable of attracting wholly commercial investment. The project aim can be categorised into three key objectives: * Address market failure, whilst maintaining and promoting competition within the market. It is currently not commercially viable for telecoms service providers to extend gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure to many of the presently unserved premises in Northern Ireland. * Maximise gigabit-capable broadband coverage in a way that is balanced and supportive of rural areas and communities. * Choose procurement and delivery options which seek to maximise value for money (in terms of a balance of quality of technology/products, coverage, timescale and cost to Government), mitigate risk, incentivise performance and meet affordability criteria for Government and for end users. Additional information: The Supplier should note that there may be future changes in the scale of the services required duringthe term of the Contract that could not be identified or foreseen at the time of this procurement exercise, but which are consistentwith the overall nature of the Authority's' current and future operational requirements for a gigabit speed broadband network to coverpremises across Northern Ireland as defined in the specification and associated documents/appendices. In such circumstances, theAuthority may seek to agree a modification to the Contract to facilitate the provision of such services by the Supplier, with the Charges.for such services to be determined in accordance with Clause 48 by reference to and consistent with the pricing parameters andassumptions used by the Supplier in its Financial Model and by reference to the mechanisms and protections provided in the Conditionsof Contract. It is envisaged that such modifications would be made without requiring a new procurement procedure in accordancewith Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. An example of such changes could include future requirements to includepremises identified through OMR / PR as "White" but the Authority has decided to defer build until later in the contract, and/or premisesidentified through OMR / PR as "Under Review". Examples: * premises identified through OMR / PR as "White" which could be targeted.under a procurement but the contracting authority has decided to defer build until later in the contract for reasons which may include.the premises not being a priority for build within the Initial Scope; and/or * premises in areas where gigabit infrastructure may become.available through other means e.g. through commercial or voucher-funded build; and/or * premises identified through Open Market.Review / Public Review as "Under Review". The Local Area Review process will be used to monitor developments in the Lot on an annualbasis and if required further premises are added using contract change control subject to further funding being made available and that itrepresents VFM
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-04b578
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085636-2025
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Tender, Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- Tender Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Selective
- Procurement Method Details
- Restricted procedure
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- SME
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
50 - Repair and maintenance services
51 - Installation services (except software)
64 - Postal and telecommunications services
71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
-
- CPV Codes
32412100 - Telecommunications network
32412110 - Internet network
32420000 - Network equipment
32424000 - Network infrastructure
32425000 - Network operating system
32500000 - Telecommunications equipment and supplies
32510000 - Wireless telecommunications system
32520000 - Telecommunications cable and equipment
32521000 - Telecommunications cable
32522000 - Telecommunications equipment
32523000 - Telecommunications facilities
32530000 - Satellite-related communications equipment
32531000 - Satellite communications equipment
32532000 - Satellite dishes
32562100 - Optical-fibre cables for information transmission
32562200 - Optical telecommunication cables
32562300 - Optical-fibre cables for data transmission
32570000 - Communications equipment
32571000 - Communications infrastructure
32572000 - Communications cable
32572200 - Communications cable with coaxial conductors
45231600 - Construction work for communication lines
45232300 - Construction and ancillary works for telephone and communication lines
45232332 - Ancillary works for telecommunications
45232340 - Mobile-telephone base-stations construction work
45314000 - Installation of telecommunications equipment
45314300 - Installation of cable infrastructure
45314310 - Installation of cable laying
50330000 - Maintenance services of telecommunications equipment
50332000 - Telecommunications-infrastructure maintenance services
50334400 - Communications system maintenance services
51300000 - Installation services of communications equipment
64200000 - Telecommunications services
64210000 - Telephone and data transmission services
64227000 - Integrated telecommunications services
65300000 - Electricity distribution and related services
71316000 - Telecommunication consultancy services
72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services
72222000 - Information systems or technology strategic review and planning services
72400000 - Internet services
72410000 - Provider services
72411000 - Internet service providers ISP
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £81,000,000 £10M-£100M
- Lots Value
- £81,000,000 £10M-£100M
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- £81,000,000 £10M-£100M
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 23 Dec 20258 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- 16 Dec 2024Expired
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 16 Dec 20258 months ago
- Contract Period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Cancelled
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Active
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- Department for the Economy
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- BELFAST
- Postcode
- BT2 8FD
- Postcode Area
- Northern Ireland
- Country
- Northern Ireland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLN Northern Ireland
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLN0 Northern Ireland
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLN06 Belfast
- Delivery Location
- TLN Northern Ireland
-
- Local Authority
- Belfast
- Electoral Ward
- Central
- Westminster Constituency
- Belfast South and Mid Down
Further Information
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.