This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

28 Aug 2026 at 17:21

Planning

12 May 2026 at 14:30

Summary of the contracting process

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is procuring a deep geothermal solution for its hospital site in Chester. The requirement is for a development partner to design a Salix-compliant process for investigating and developing a geothermal heat supply. The work covers the technical development needed to establish whether geothermal energy can heat the hospital, including geological and geophysical investigation, drilling, well testing, well completion, downhole equipment, geotechnical engineering and engineering design. The solution must interface with energy-generation and usage infrastructure being delivered separately through the Carbon and Energy Fund framework. If development succeeds, the arrangement is intended to support a long-term Energy Services Agreement under which the energy services provider owns and maintains the geothermal installation and supplies heat to the hospital.

The procurement has reached tender: the Trust invited offers through an open competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. It comprises conditions of participation, technical presentations, shortlisting to no more than four suppliers for written tenders, and a tender submission followed by an interview; further stages, including a best and final offer, may be added. This is one lot, with an estimated value of £30,000,000 excluding VAT and £36,000,000 including VAT. The contract period is 2 March 2027 to 1 March 2030, and the tender deadline is 9 December 2026 at 17:00 GMT. The planned award decision date is 16 February 2027. Evaluation covers quality, social value and commercial considerations. Economic and technical selection criteria apply. A signed NDA was required by 17:00 on 25 September 2026 to access the template Energy Services Agreement.

This opportunity suits an SME-capable development partner with expertise in geothermal energy, subsurface investigation and the design and delivery of drilling-based heat infrastructure. Relevant capability includes geological, geophysical, geotechnical and scientific prospecting; drilling-rig and drilling-mud operations; downhole equipment; well casing, tubing, management, support, testing and completion; and engineering design. Suppliers should be able to develop a staged or gateway-based approach that meets Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant requirements and manages technical and commercial development risk. Experience of integrating new energy infrastructure with an existing hospital or other complex site would be relevant, as would the ability to work with an established Carbon and Energy Fund partner. The prospective energy services provider must be capable of owning and maintaining the installation and supplying heat under a long-term service agreement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Provision of a deep geothermal solution

Notice Description

The Countess of Chester Hospital is working to meet its statutory net zero requirements in a number of ways. A partner has already been secured to address energy generation and usage on the site using the Carbon and Energy Fund framework. That partner is addressing energy infrastructure on the site, and included in that requirement is to provide an interface with the successful tenderer from this procurement (Deep Geothermal Solution Reference G1065). The Trust has also won a Public Sector Decarbonisation grant to assist with the geothermal installation. Under this geothermal procurement the Trust is seeking a development partner (The awarded supplier from this procurement) who will design a Salix compliant process to investigate and develop a geothermal supply for the hospital. It is envisaged that the successful Tenderer will propose a series of development stages or gateways. At the end of every gateway that meets Salix PSDS grant requirements the Trust intends to allow the development partner to draw down available PSDS funding. This way the Trust looks to minimise the development cost risks for the development partner, and to minimise the eventual unit cost of heat. Should the gateways all complete successfully, suggesting that there is a commercial opportunity to heat the hospital from geothermal energy, it is proposed that the parties will enter into a long-term Energy Services Agreement (ESA), that will become active as soon as the geothermal energy installation is complete and ready to supply heat to the hospital. The ESA will be subject to periodic reviews through the term. The estimated review period is 7 yearly. Under the potential Energy Services Agreement (Document 5, supplied under NDA as part of the tender pack) it is intended that any Energy Services Provider will own and maintain the installation for the contract term, and they may choose to enter into offtake agreements with other users so as to minimise the energy service cost to the hospital.

Planning Information

The purpose of this engagement notice is to invite suppliers to participate in preliminary market engagement with a view to understanding the market, developing the authority's requirements and preparing tender documents. Suppliers participating in this market consultation are not guaranteed to receive either an Invitation to Tender (if Invitations to Tender are issued). Please email coch.cps@nhs.net to express interest in taking part in this market engagement process. We will then be in contact to arrange the next steps.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0696c9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082373-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

24 - Chemical products

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

43 - Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment

45 - Construction work

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

76 - Services related to the oil and gas industry


CPV Codes

24951110 - Drilling mud

34514300 - Platforms drilling rigs

43132200 - Drilling rig

43132300 - Drills

43136000 - Downhole equipment

43611000 - Parts for well-drilling machinery

45000000 - Construction work

71314300 - Energy-efficiency consultancy services

71320000 - Engineering design services

71331000 - Drilling-mud engineering services

71332000 - Geotechnical engineering services

71351000 - Geological, geophysical and other scientific prospecting services

73100000 - Research and experimental development services

76211200 - Mudlogging services

76300000 - Drilling services

76410000 - Well-casing and tubing services

76450000 - Well-management services

76460000 - Well-support services

76470000 - Well-testing services

76480000 - Tubing services

76490000 - Well-completion services

76500000 - Onshore and offshore services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£30,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£30,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Aug 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
9 Dec 20264 months to go
Future Notice Date
26 May 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
2 Mar 2027 - 1 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHESTER
Postcode
CH2 1UL
Postcode Area
Chester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester
Delivery Location
TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester

Local Authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Electoral Ward
Upton
Westminster Constituency
Chester North and Neston

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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