Planning

Soft Market Testing Exercise. Deep Geothermal Drilling Contractors - Skills, Availability and Further Information

NORTH EAST COMBINED AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

02 Jun 2025 at 09:24

Summary of the contracting process

The North East Combined Authority, a mayoral combined authority representing seven local authorities in the North East of England, is in the planning stage of a public procurement process. They are conducting a soft market testing exercise focused on deep geothermal drilling contractors. This undertaking falls under the 'Drilling and exploration work' industry category, with the aim of assessing the potential for deep geothermal heat and power generation in the region. Businesses are invited to provide their input by 14th July 2025, assisting in the creation of a procurement process that is focused and efficient. The location for this procurement activity is within the North East, United Kingdom, and it is not currently above the set financial threshold.

This market testing exercise offers significant opportunities for businesses with expertise in geothermal drilling and exploration. Companies with available skills, specialised equipment, and the capacity to provide competitive estimates and timelines will find this to be a promising opportunity for growth. The exercise allows businesses to voice their concerns and help shape the future specifications, ensuring they align with market realities. Both established contractors and emerging specialists in the renewable energy sector may find this an entry point to influence and gain potential future work in deep geothermal projects across the North East of England.

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Notice Title

Soft Market Testing Exercise. Deep Geothermal Drilling Contractors - Skills, Availability and Further Information

Notice Description

The North East Combined Authority (North East CA), a mayoral combined authority representing 7 local authorities in the North East of England, is currently undertaking various feasibility studies to understand the potential for deep geothermal heat and power generation in the North East of England and are keen to undertake a complementary soft market test to understand the appetite for such work by specialist contractors. To support this, we would like to gain information from the broader market regarding several issues related to the potential procurement exercise. You are therefore invited to complete the attached questionnaire. This notice is not an invitation for formal expressions of interest. North East CA is issuing this request for information only, to assess the reaction of the broader market and thus make any potential procurement process more focused and efficient. This process is being undertaken to gather knowledge in the following areas: - Appetite for such work - Skills availability - Minimum requirements to attract organisations to the area - Equipment availability - Estimation of cost & draft timelines The information gathered will be used to: - Inform decision making around the techno-economic feasibility study The benefits to your organisation in participating in this process include: - the chance to assess whether the opportunity will be suitable and of interest to you ensuring that specifications are realistic and market-focused - the chance to raise any risks, concerns or issues regarding the potential opportunity Your responses are highly valued and will assist us in creating a procurement process which is well-framed, focused, feasible and likely to be of interest to the market.

Planning Information

The North East Combined Authority (North East CA), a mayoral combined authority representing 7 local authorities in the North East of England, is currently undertaking various feasibility studies to understand the potential for deep geothermal heat and power generation in the North East of England and are keen to undertake a complementary soft market test to understand the appetite for such work by specialist contractors. To support this, we would like to gain information from the broader market regarding several issues related to the potential procurement exercise. You are therefore invited to complete the attached questionnaire. This notice is not an invitation for formal expressions of interest. North East CA is issuing this request for information only, to assess the reaction of the broader market and thus make any potential procurement process more focused and efficient. This process is being undertaken to gather knowledge in the following areas: - Appetite for such work - Skills availability - Minimum requirements to attract organisations to the area - Equipment availability - Estimation of cost & draft timelines The information gathered will be used to: - Inform decision making around the techno-economic feasibility study The benefits to your organisation in participating in this process include: - the chance to assess whether the opportunity will be suitable and of interest to you ensuring that specifications are realistic and market-focused - the chance to raise any risks, concerns or issues regarding the potential opportunity Your responses are highly valued and will assist us in creating a procurement process which is well-framed, focused, feasible and likely to be of interest to the market. There is no commercial advantage or disadvantage to your organisation as a result of being involved in this market testing exercise. This process focuses on the market as a whole, rather than on the merits of individual suppliers. It involves no element of supplier selection or bid evaluation. Finally, please be assured that any commercially-sensitive information provided to us as part of this process will be treated in confidence, used only for the purposes of this market testing exercise, and will not be disclosed to any other organisation, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The Combined Authority may disclose with other Public Sector Contracting Authorities any of the information/documentation (including any that is considered to be confidential and/or commercially sensitive). The information will not be disclosed outside of the public sector. Subject to the Combined Authority's requirement to comply with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act / Environmental Information Regulations, any commercially-sensitive information provided to us as part of this process will be treated in confidence, used only for the purposes of this market testing exercise, and will not be disclosed to any other organisation. The Soft Market Testing Exercise Documentation is available by emailing Procurement@northeast-ca.gov.uk

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-052a52
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029028-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work


CPV Codes

45255500 - Drilling and exploration work

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Jun 20258 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Jul 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
2 Jun 2025 - 14 Jul 2025 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTH EAST COMBINED AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
roger.guy@northeast-ca.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Postcode
NE4 5BZ
Post Town
Newcastle upon Tyne
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC43 Tyneside
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England)

Local Authority
Newcastle upon Tyne
Electoral Ward
Arthur's Hill
Westminster Constituency
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

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.

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