Award

District Heating

ASTON UNIVERSITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

15 Dec 2025 at 14:21

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Aston University, located in Birmingham, United Kingdom, has awarded a contract for the operation and management of its new Energy Centre, which forms part of the University's decarbonisation efforts. The Energy Centre will supply heat to the campus via the District Heating Network, replacing the existing agreement with Birmingham District Energy Company Limited (BDEC). This contract, valued at £37.5 million, is targeted to support Aston University's objective of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2028. The procurement process was completed under a direct award method on grounds of intellectual property and technical compatibility, with the contract period set to commence on 1st January 2026 and conclude on 31st December 2051.

This procurement presents significant business opportunities for BDEC due to the long-term nature of the contract and the specialised nature of the energy supply required. Businesses engaged in sectors such as renewable energy, utilities, and green technologies will find this contract particularly relevant as it aligns with the growing emphasis on sustainability and carbon-neutral initiatives. The direct award was necessitated by the exclusivity in service provision and the comprehensive technical requirements, suggesting that businesses with technical expertise in district heating and energy management systems will be well-suited to compete in similar future opportunities.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

District Heating

Notice Description

Aston University intends to award a contract for the operation and management of its new Energy Centre, which will supply heat to the campus via the existing District Heating Network. The new Energy Centre is part of the University's decarbonisation strategy and is funded through Salix PSDS. The contract will replace the existing Energy Supply Agreement with Birmingham District Energy Company (BDEC), ensuring continuity of service and technical compatibility across the network. The new agreement will support Aston's goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2028, two years ahead of its strategic target.

Procurement Information

Grounds for direct award under the Procurement Act 2023 are: -Schedule 5: The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract- (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. This is demonstrated by the current contract with BRING and the technical incompatibility of multiple suppliers operating on the same Heat Network at differing specifications. -Schedule 7: The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where- (a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance This is demonstrated by technical incompatibility of operating two independent Energy Centre's operating at incompatible specifications on the same Heat Network.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f5d6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082946-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

09323000 - District heating

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£37,500,000 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2051 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
ASTON UNIVERSITY
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@aston.ac.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B4 7ET
Post Town
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Nechells
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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