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Phase 1 - Silicon Sands Campus

Blackpool Borough Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

22 Jul 2026 at 16:22

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

21 Nov 2025 at 16:28

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Blackpool Borough Council procured a concessionaire for Phase 1 of the Silicon Sands Campus at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. The requirement combines investment, development and operation of an exemplar data centre with ancillary office accommodation, plus connection of the data centre’s waste heat to a proposed local heat network. The associated work covers commercial building construction, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning installation, information systems and servers, computer-related management and network services, and energy services. The project is intended to create digital infrastructure, skilled employment and education opportunities, support inward investment and enable growth in high-tech businesses, including artificial intelligence start-ups. Delivery is in Blackpool, through one integrated contract because the requirements are closely linked.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to HOCHTIEF DATA CENTRE PARTNER UK LTD on 21 July 2026, subject to a standstill period ending on 4 August 2026. The awarded concession has a value of £250 million excluding VAT, or £300 million including VAT. Its contract period is 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2099. This was an above-threshold selective procurement using a competitive flexible procedure under the concession regime, with participation, initial tender, negotiation and final tender stages. Three valid final bids were received. The single lot was evaluated on quality (25%), technical innovation (10%), sustainability (10%), job creation (5%), social value (20%) and commercial terms (30%).

This award indicates demand for suppliers able to deliver major, integrated digital infrastructure rather than a standalone construction or IT package. A credible competitor would need the financial capacity, legal capacity and technical ability to invest in, develop and operate a data centre, provide ancillary office accommodation, and manage its information systems, servers and networks. It would also need capability in commercial building works, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, energy services, and connection of waste heat to a local heat network. The evaluation shows that technical innovation, sustainability, job creation and social value matter materially alongside commercial terms. The requirement is marked as suitable for SMEs, but delivery requires substantial multidisciplinary capacity and a coordinated long-term concession model.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Phase 1 - Silicon Sands Campus

Notice Description

Blackpool Council is procuring a third-party concessionaire to: (i) invest, develop and operate an exemplar data centre (together with ancillary office accommodation); and (ii) to connect the heat generated from the data centre to a proposed local heat network within the Silicon Sands site at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. Blackpool Council believes that by enabling the development of new digital infrastructure, major economic and social benefits can accrue, bringing significant skilled employment and educational opportunities for the local population and encouraging inward investment and growth in high-tech companies, including start-ups operating in AI systems, making Blackpool competitive in the digital economy. Blackpool Council is procuring a concession contract for the purposes of section 3(4) and section 8 of the Procurement Act 2023. The land will be made available on a 250 yearlong lease. Note: Find a Tender only allows recording of contract end dates up to 2099

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e6a6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069338-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

45 - Construction work

48 - Software package and information systems

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

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

CPV Codes

09323000 - District heating

45213100 - Construction work for commercial buildings

45232141 - Heating works

45331000 - Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning installation work

48800000 - Information systems and servers

71314000 - Energy and related services

72510000 - Computer-related management services

72700000 - Computer network services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£250,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£250,000,000 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
£250,000,000 £100M-£1B
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
11 Dec 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
21 Jul 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 1 Oct 2099 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Blackpool Borough Council
Additional Buyers

BLACKPOOL COUNCIL

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BLACKPOOL
Postcode
FY1 1NB
Postcode Area
Blackpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD42 Blackpool
Delivery Location
TLD42 Blackpool
Local Authority
Blackpool
Electoral Ward
Talbot
Westminster Constituency
Blackpool South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HOCHTIEF DATA CENTRE PARTNER UK LTD

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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