Planning

Preliminary Market Engagement "PME" for the Provision of Metered District Heating Billing Solution and/or service

LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

30 Sep 2025 at 13:48

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicester City Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the Provision of Metered District Heating Billing Solution and/or service." This process is focused on the industry category of district heating and software package and information systems, specifically in the region UKF21, Leicester, United Kingdom. The purpose of this PME is to assess market interest and gather information on available solutions for billing services related to district heating in residential properties. This preliminary process is open for engagement until the 29th of October 2025, with a formal tender expected in 2026. Interested suppliers are encouraged to complete a questionnaire by the specified deadline to express their interest.

This PME presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in metering and billing solutions, particularly those offering district heating solutions or involved in software and information systems. Companies that provide innovative billing technologies or have experience in managing extensive metering systems may find this opportunity particularly advantageous for business growth. Suppliers who can offer either in-house solutions or externally managed services will be well-suited to meet the needs of this procurement. The anticipated contract, with a potential value of up to £220,000, is set to start on the 1st of September 2026 and could extend as late as the 30th of August 2031. Engaging in this process can provide a platform for future collaboration and expansion within the public sector for successful bidders.

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.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

Preliminary Market Engagement "PME" for the Provision of Metered District Heating Billing Solution and/or service

Notice Description

Procurement description Leicester City Council (the Council) is commencing a formal Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in advance of initiating a potential procurement process in relation to District Heating and associated services for billing from the meters installed in our residential properties. The Council is open to delivery through: * a meter reading service from data loggers for in-house billing. * a metering/billing solution to enable in-house billing. * an externally delivered metering and billing service. The purpose of this engagement is to: * Understand the level of market interest. * Gather market intelligence on available solutions * Explore potential delivery models, including in-house and outsourced provision. * Identify risks, opportunities, and innovative practices. * Inform the Outline Business Case and the procurement strategy.

Planning Information

The council have published a PME document that includes a questionnaire we need completing by any prospective supplier in advance or no later than the deadline.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a506
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/060931-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

09 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

09323000 - District heating

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Sep 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 May 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 30 Aug 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Rebecca Cowan
Contact Email
rebecca.cowan@leicester.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE1 1FZ
Post Town
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF21 Leicester
Delivery Location
TLF21 Leicester
Local Authority
Leicester
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Leicester South

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-05a506-2025-09-30T14:48:39+01:00",
    "date": "2025-09-30T14:48:39+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a506",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PXRT-5737-VBQD",
            "name": "Leicester City Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PXRT-5737-VBQD"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "City Hall",
                "locality": "Leicester",
                "postalCode": "LE1 1FZ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKF21"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Rebecca Cowan",
                "email": "Rebecca.cowan@leicester.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://www.leicester.gov.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PXRT-5737-VBQD",
        "name": "Leicester City Council"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "The council have published a PME document that includes a questionnaire we need completing by any prospective supplier in advance or no later than the deadline.",
                "dueDate": "2025-10-29T23:59:59+00:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "060931-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/060931-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-09-30T14:48:39+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a506",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Preliminary Market Engagement \"PME\" for the Provision of Metered District Heating Billing Solution and/or service",
        "description": "Procurement description Leicester City Council (the Council) is commencing a formal Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in advance of initiating a potential procurement process in relation to District Heating and associated services for billing from the meters installed in our residential properties. The Council is open to delivery through: * a meter reading service from data loggers for in-house billing. * a metering/billing solution to enable in-house billing. * an externally delivered metering and billing service. The purpose of this engagement is to: * Understand the level of market interest. * Gather market intelligence on available solutions * Explore potential delivery models, including in-house and outsourced provision. * Identify risks, opportunities, and innovative practices. * Inform the Outline Business Case and the procurement strategy.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "09323000",
                        "description": "District heating"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "48000000",
                        "description": "Software package and information systems"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKF21",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 220000,
            "amount": 200000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-09-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2029-08-30T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2031-08-30T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-05-01T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}