Planning

Procurement of Market Administration Support Services

CENTRAL MARKET AGENCY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

30 Apr 2025 at 08:34

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process initiated by Central Market Agency Limited, located in Stirling, United Kingdom, focuses on the title "Procurement of Market Administration Support Services." This process is currently in the planning stage and pertains to the IT services industry, specifically software package and information systems. The procurement involves expressions of interest for services related to application development, maintenance, and system operations of Central Systems used in regulating the Wholesale Water Market in Scotland. Expressions of interest are open until 4th June 2025, with the potential contract awards expected by 25th November 2025.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for IT service providers, particularly those specialising in software development and system operations. Businesses with a proven track record in managing large-scale IT systems and those capable of demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements, such as ISO27001 accreditation, are well-suited to compete. The tender is structured in two lots, accommodating suppliers interested in either application development or operational management services, with an estimated total contract value exceeding £4.4 million over a period extending up to four years. This could be a substantial growth avenue for tech organisations meeting the qualification criteria, offering long-term engagement with an established entity in the Scottish market.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

Procurement of Market Administration Support Services

Notice Description

The Central Market Agency Limited ("the CMA") is seeking expressions of interest from potential suppliers with respect to the provision of services in connection with the ongoing application development and maintenance and management of day-to-day operations of its principal Central Systems, along with other supporting systems. The CMA's systems are used to manage the Wholesale Water Market in Scotland, as regulated by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS). Its operational and development activities are derived from its Market Code, as amended and developed by the Market's Participants, which include Scottish Water, as the sole Wholesaler, and its Licensed Providers. WICS can introduce changes or veto changes proposed by the Market. The two key functional components of Central Systems are: Central Settlement System - the systems and business processes operated and maintained by the CMA to support the calculation of Wholesale Charges. Supply Point Register - the database (and any related business processes) which facilitates the Registration of Supply Points to Licensed Providers and the Transfer of Supply Points from one Licensed Provider to another Licensed Provider. The services in scope that we are seeking expressions of interest are split into 2 Lots: Lot 1 - Application Development & Maintenance Services include provision of application development and maintenance services of the Central Systems in-line with Market and Regulatory requirements. This would involve delivery of a minimum of two releases of software each year and production of related documentation. Lot 2 - Central Systems Operations Services required will include day-to-day operation of the Central Systems and provision of service to agreed service levels; maintain overall reliability and security levels. In addition, the supplier awarded Lot 2 would lead and advise on the procurement of Lot 3, which is the contract for the Central Systems physical hosting location and physical security and connectivity between the hosting location and the CMA location in Scotland and the CMA's end customers the Market Participants. Total Lot values (estimated) over the three-year contract period plus the one year discretionary extension period: Lot 1 - PS3,100,000 including VAT Lot 2 - PS1,300,000 including VAT Suppliers who express an interest in engaging with the CMA will be required to complete a short summary of their organisation background and experience. A Supplier can express an interest in both Lots but cannot be awarded both Lots. The CMA is not a contracting authority for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023 (as amended) and its procurement activities are not subject to the Procurement Act 2023. Advertisement of any contract in the 'Find a Tender' is at the sole discretion of the CMA and is undertaken on a voluntary basis with no obligation to comply with the Procurement Act 2023 (as amended).

Planning Information

We are seeking initial Expressions of Interest under each Lot. We intend to publish our detailed requirements and contract terms around 2nd July 2025. The qualification criteria for shortlisting potential suppliers will include, but are not limited to, the following: • Supplier Annual Turnover of no less than £5million and a headcount of greater than 30 employees • Supplier to have delivery staff that are predominantly based in the United Kingdom • Supplier ability to demonstrate relevant experience and technical skills in a relevant industry and in projects of similar scope / sizes to Lots 1 and/ or 2 • Supplier holds current ISO27001 accreditation, Cyber Essentials Plus or equivalent. Suppliers who fail to meet any of the above criteria should not submit an Expression of Interest. Please contact procurement@cmascotland.co.uk to ask clarification questions by 23rd of May and to formally register your interest by 4th of June, advising which of the two Lot(s) are of interest, along with the following details: • Your organisation name • Your name and job title • Your email address • Your telephone number • A short summary of your organisation and how it meets the selection criteria We are aiming to award the contracts on 25th November 2025.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0509b9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017818-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Apr 20259 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
4 Jun 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CENTRAL MARKET AGENCY LIMITED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@cmascotland.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
STIRLING
Postcode
FK7 7UF
Post Town
Falkirk and Stirling
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM0 Eastern Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM02 Perth and Kinross, and Stirling
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Stirling
Electoral Ward
Stirling East
Westminster Constituency
Stirling and Strathallan

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0509b9-2025-04-30T09:34:38+01:00",
    "date": "2025-04-30T09:34:38+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0509b9",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-SC328635",
            "name": "CENTRAL MARKET AGENCY LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "SC328635"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PZJB-2391-GMTH"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "48 Enterprise House",
                "locality": "Stirling",
                "postalCode": "FK7 7UF",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKM77"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "procurement@cmascotland.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.cmascotland.com",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "privateUtility",
                        "description": "Private utility"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
                        "id": "GB-SCT",
                        "description": "Scottish devolved regulations apply"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-COH-SC328635",
        "name": "CENTRAL MARKET AGENCY LIMITED"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "We are seeking initial Expressions of Interest under each Lot. We intend to publish our detailed requirements and contract terms around 2nd July 2025. The qualification criteria for shortlisting potential suppliers will include, but are not limited to, the following: * Supplier Annual Turnover of no less than PS5million and a headcount of greater than 30 employees * Supplier to have delivery staff that are predominantly based in the United Kingdom * Supplier ability to demonstrate relevant experience and technical skills in a relevant industry and in projects of similar scope / sizes to Lots 1 and/ or 2 * Supplier holds current ISO27001 accreditation, Cyber Essentials Plus or equivalent. Suppliers who fail to meet any of the above criteria should not submit an Expression of Interest. Please contact procurement@cmascotland.co.uk to ask clarification questions by 23rd of May and to formally register your interest by 4th of June, advising which of the two Lot(s) are of interest, along with the following details: * Your organisation name * Your name and job title * Your email address * Your telephone number * A short summary of your organisation and how it meets the selection criteria We are aiming to award the contracts on 25th November 2025.",
                "dueDate": "2025-06-04T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "017818-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017818-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-04-30T09:34:38+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "CMA2025_01",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Procurement of Market Administration Support Services",
        "description": "The Central Market Agency Limited (\"the CMA\") is seeking expressions of interest from potential suppliers with respect to the provision of services in connection with the ongoing application development and maintenance and management of day-to-day operations of its principal Central Systems, along with other supporting systems. The CMA's systems are used to manage the Wholesale Water Market in Scotland, as regulated by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS). Its operational and development activities are derived from its Market Code, as amended and developed by the Market's Participants, which include Scottish Water, as the sole Wholesaler, and its Licensed Providers. WICS can introduce changes or veto changes proposed by the Market. The two key functional components of Central Systems are: Central Settlement System - the systems and business processes operated and maintained by the CMA to support the calculation of Wholesale Charges. Supply Point Register - the database (and any related business processes) which facilitates the Registration of Supply Points to Licensed Providers and the Transfer of Supply Points from one Licensed Provider to another Licensed Provider. The services in scope that we are seeking expressions of interest are split into 2 Lots: Lot 1 - Application Development & Maintenance Services include provision of application development and maintenance services of the Central Systems in-line with Market and Regulatory requirements. This would involve delivery of a minimum of two releases of software each year and production of related documentation. Lot 2 - Central Systems Operations Services required will include day-to-day operation of the Central Systems and provision of service to agreed service levels; maintain overall reliability and security levels. In addition, the supplier awarded Lot 2 would lead and advise on the procurement of Lot 3, which is the contract for the Central Systems physical hosting location and physical security and connectivity between the hosting location and the CMA location in Scotland and the CMA's end customers the Market Participants. Total Lot values (estimated) over the three-year contract period plus the one year discretionary extension period: Lot 1 - PS3,100,000 including VAT Lot 2 - PS1,300,000 including VAT Suppliers who express an interest in engaging with the CMA will be required to complete a short summary of their organisation background and experience. A Supplier can express an interest in both Lots but cannot be awarded both Lots. The CMA is not a contracting authority for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023 (as amended) and its procurement activities are not subject to the Procurement Act 2023. Advertisement of any contract in the 'Find a Tender' is at the sole discretion of the CMA and is undertaken on a voluntary basis with no obligation to comply with the Procurement Act 2023 (as amended).",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "48000000",
                        "description": "Software package and information systems"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "72000000",
                        "description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKM",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": false,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2029-03-31T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2030-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}