NQEH - UKPN Contestable and Non-Contestable Works

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    "date": "2026-05-01T12:40:18+01:00",
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        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PQCT-9574-RQTZ",
            "name": "The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust",
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            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Gayton Road",
                "locality": "Kings Lynn",
                "postalCode": "PE30 4ET",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKH16"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Nathan Griffen",
                "email": "nhpprocurement@jpaget.nhs.uk"
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        {
            "id": "GB-COH-02965182",
            "name": "UK Power Networks Services (Commercial) Limited",
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                "id": "02965182"
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            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Newington House, 237 Southwark Bridge Road,",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SE1 6NP",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI44"
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                "email": "servicesbids@ukpowernetworks.co.uk"
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        "name": "The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust"
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    "tender": {
        "id": "C437171",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
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        "title": "NQEH - UKPN Contestable and Non-Contestable Works",
        "description": "The Works will enable the provision of an import capacity of 25,000 kVA via two Grid Supply Points. Installation of 33kV cables for approximately 8.5km route length and installation of a 33/11kV metering substation comprises of 2 x 11kV incomer circuit breakers, 1 x 11kV bus section circuit breakers and 4 x 11kV metering circuit breakers. UK Power Networks will install 1 x Grid transformer at King's Lynn Grid an associated circuit breaker to connect the transformer. UK Power Networks will manage 132kV and 33kV outage and substation lease. UK Power Networks will carry out 33kV final closing joints UK Power Networks carries out all the Contestable and Non-Contestable Works. CONTESTABLE WORK - Estimated Cost PS9.7M EHV Plant and Switchgear * Primary Substation installation * 11kV 6 x panel board installation including material and plant. * 2 x 33/11kV transformer installation including material and plant. EHV Underground Main * 33kV duct installation * 33kV cable installation * Traffic management * Network Rail charges Miscellaneous * Site establishment * Project prelims NON-CONTESTABLE WORK - Estimated Costs PS6.8M EHV Plant and Switchgear * Transformer installation * Transformer circuit breaker installation Miscellaneous * Site establishment * Project prelims * 33kV circuit outage Transactional Charges * Assessment & Design Charges Other charges * Operation & Maintenance Charges",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust is progressing enabling electrical infrastructure works to facilitate delivery of a new, fully electric acute hospital serving the King's Lynn and West Norfolk community. These works are essential to ensure continuity of healthcare services and the safe replacement of an existing hospital estate significantly affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The scope comprises the delivery of a new 25MVA electrical connection derived from two diverse 33kV supplies, including reinforcement of the local electricity distribution network, installation of new high-voltage equipment within live grid substations, and approximately 10km of 33kV cabling routed through constrained urban corridors, including interfaces with Network Rail infrastructure and traffic-sensitive highways. UK Power Networks (UKPN) is the licensed Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for the region and the statutory undertaker responsible for the ownership, operation, and adoption of the electricity distribution network. While certain elements of electricity connection works are theoretically contestable, the Trust has concluded that, for this specific scope, a direct award is justified. The Trust is relying on Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, on the basis that, due to the technical characteristics, scale, safety requirements and asset adoption obligations associated with the 33kV works, effective competition is absent for technical reasons and no reasonable alternative delivery approach exists. In reaching this position, the Trust sought independent technical advice from Mott MacDonald (December 2025) to assess the scale, complexity, delivery risks and feasibility of alternative delivery models for the 33kV works. The Trust position is supported by Mott MacDonald's advice, which assessed both a split-delivery model involving an Independent Connection Provider (ICP) and a single-provider model delivered entirely by the DNO. That advice identified that the scale, voltage level, integration requirements and interface complexity of a 33kV installation of this nature make it challenging to identify alternative providers capable of delivering the full scope safely, compliantly, and within programme constraints. Key considerations which have been taken into account by the Trust include: 1) The works require live interventions within existing operational UKPN grid substations and must comply with UKPN's statutory design, installation, testing and commissioning standards prior to adoption. 2) Any split delivery between an ICP and the DNO would introduce additional design approvals, witnessing, interface risk, and potential disputes at asset handover, with UKPN retaining ultimate responsibility for network safety and future operation. 3) The cable routes traverse constrained environments, including Network Rail interfaces, listed-building adjacencies, and traffic-sensitive highways subject to Section 58 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (restrictions on works following substantial road works), where UKPN's statutory undertaker rights and local network knowledge materially reduce delivery and permitting risk. 4) The enabling works sit on the critical path to energisation of the new hospital. Independent advice confirms the presence of long-lead items with lead times of up to 12-24 months, meaning delayed commitment or undertaking a procurement exercise would pose a real risk to timely delivery of key infrastructure for a much needed healthcare facility. The electrical infrastructure is required not only to serve the completed hospital but also to enable a transitional period in which the existing hospital remains operational until decant, at a time when its current electrical capacity is already close to exhaustion and no further local reinforcement is available without significant network works. In making its decision, the Trust has had regard to the objectives set out in S.12 of the Procurement Act 2023. A competitive procurement of part or all of the works would not be expected to deliver effective competition or value for money once duplication of design, approvals, supervision, testing and programme risk is taken into account, and would expose the Trust to a materially increased risk of delay to a nationally important healthcare project with direct patient and public safety implications. The Trust has taken these known risks and associated management arrangements into account when determining the appropriate procurement approach. Direct award to the licensed Distribution Network Operator enables these risks to be managed within a single, integrated delivery model, with clear asset adoption accountability and statutory network responsibilities. The Trust recognises that, should one or more of the known risks identified in the Contract Details section materialise, changes to scope, sequencing or value may be required, and this notice is intended to provide transparency in respect of those foreseeable circumstances. The Trust has therefore concluded that direct award of the enabling works to UKPN represents a proportionate, justified and lawful approach under the Procurement Act 2023, consistent with the public interest, the need to maintain continuity of NHS services, and the imperative to replace a RAAC-affected hospital estate within a fixed and non-extendable timeframe.",
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        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
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                "description": "Not published"
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        "riskDetails": "The Trust has identified a number of known risks associated with material elements of the delivery of the 33kV enabling works. These risks, while actively managed, may give rise to changes in scope, programme or cost should they materialise. These risks arise primarily from the scale, location and technical complexity of the works, and from the requirement to integrate new high-voltage infrastructure into a live operational electricity network. These known risks are set out below and, in the Trust's view, meet the requirements of paragraph 5(1)(a) of Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023. Known risks, for the purposes of paragraph 5(1)(a) of Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, are: - Wayleaves, land access and third-party consents: The proposed 33kV cable routes traverse third-party land and traffic-sensitive highways. Delays or conditions arising from wayleaves, highways permits or third-party approvals (including Network Rail interfaces) may necessitate route amendments, revised construction methodologies, additional stakeholder engagement, or extended occupation of working areas. - Traffic management and permitting constraints: Portions of the works are subject to seasonal highway restrictions, Section 58 constraints and limited traffic management windows. Reduced productivity or changes to agreed working hours may require additional traffic management measures, extended durations or sectionalised construction approaches. - Outage availability and network constraints: The works require access to planned outage windows on the live distribution network. Changes in outage availability, emergent network conditions or operational constraints may require resequencing of works, temporary backfeeding arrangements, additional preparatory works or revised commissioning strategies. - Planning, environmental and consent conditions: Local authority conditions, environmental constraints (including ecology, archaeology and flood risk), or requirements for additional surveys may impact the timing or method of installation. Compliance with such conditions may require additional surveys, protective measures, or modified designs. - Ground conditions and unknown site constraints: Incomplete ground investigation data introduces the potential for unknown conditions such as existing services, UXO risk, flood mitigation requirements or earthing constraints. Identification of such conditions may necessitate changes to trench design, protection measures or construction techniques. - Interface and integration with hospital HV systems: The 33kV works must be carefully coordinated with the hospital's internal HV/LV design, protection philosophy and commissioning sequence. Misalignment or changes in design development may require design revisions, additional testing or modified commissioning arrangements to maintain system safety and compliance. - Supply chain, long-lead equipment and programme certainty: Certain items of plant and equipment have extended lead times and are subject to market volatility. Changes in supplier availability, manufacturing schedules or global supply conditions may affect delivery sequencing or require adjustments to scope to maintain readiness for energisation. - Failure to achieve required energisation dates: The electrical infrastructure is on the critical path to hospital commissioning. Should programme risks materialise, mitigations such as revised phasing, temporary supplies or additional enabling works may be required to protect continuity of healthcare services. The Trust has established formal risk and assurance arrangements for the New Queen Elizabeth Hospital programme. A dedicated risk and assurance manager maintains the programme and project Risk, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies (RAID) schedule, which captures identified risks, assigns ownership and records agreed mitigation actions. The project management team holds regular risk review meetings with UK Power Networks and other stakeholders to monitor risk exposure, assess the effectiveness of mitigations and update the RAID accordingly.",
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            "title": "NQEH - UKPN Contestable and Non-Contestable Works",
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            "value": {
                "amountGross": 19769459.22,
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                    "id": "GB-COH-02965182",
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                            "id": "45231400",
                            "description": "Construction work for electricity power lines"
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