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DfE Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) Pilot

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

06 Aug 2026 at 15:03

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education (DfE) is in the planning stage of a procurement process inviting organisations to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise. The project, titled "DfE Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) Pilot," is aimed at establishing a standardised model for rooftop solar installations across schools and colleges in England. This initiative, scheduled to host a market engagement webinar on 18 August 2026, is classified under energy and related services, specifically focusing on solar energy solutions. The pilot is expected to cover up to 150 educational institutions across Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands, and the South East. The DfE is encouraging participation from a range of stakeholders including solar developers, investors, and energy organisations, with registration necessary by 2 September 2026.

This tender provides meaningful opportunities for business growth by offering involvement in the development of a scalable and financeable model that could be applied across England's education estate. Businesses well-suited to compete in this tender include those with expertise in solar development, community energy initiatives, and infrastructure investment. The pilot aims to eliminate upfront capital costs for schools through a PPA model, making it highly attractive to firms able to offer energy management, technical advice, or financial solutions. Notably, the DfE is keen to include Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) and welcomes consortia or collaborative bids, fostering an inclusive approach to this significant decarbonisation effort.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

DfE Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) Pilot

Notice Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is inviting organisations to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to help shape a standardised private investment model for rooftop solar installations across schools and colleges in England. As part of the Department's wider ambition to improve, renew and decarbonise the education estate, DfE is piloting a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model that will enable schools and colleges to benefit from solar energy infrastructure without upfront capital investment. This engagement seeks feedback from solar developers, investors, lenders, community energy organisations and other relevant stakeholders on the Power Purchase Agreement model, which includes a PPA and associated lease arrangements. We are looking to understand whether the proposed approach is commercially viable, financeable, scalable and capable of delivering value for money across a diverse education estate. The feedback gathered through this exercise will help refine the model before its wider implementation and support DfE's ambition to make solar deployment more accessible for schools and colleges across England. ________________________________________ Background Through the Great British Energy Solar Partnership and related programmes, solar panels have already been installed across a number of educational settings, demonstrating significant benefits including: * Reduced energy costs for schools and colleges. * Lower carbon emissions and progress towards sustainability objectives. * Improved resilience through on-site electricity generation. * Strong financial returns, with early evidence suggesting average payback periods of approximately 3 to 6 years. The Education Estates Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy) identified solar installation through private investment as a key opportunity to accelerate decarbonisation across the education estate. This PME will help inform the design and delivery of a proposed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) pilot, which is intended to test the viability of this approach. The PPA pilot forms part of this ambition and supports the UK's legally binding commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050. The pilot will be delivered as part of Phase 1 of the Renewal and Retrofit Programme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy), initially delivering condition, resilience and decarbonisation works in three regions of England ________________________________________ The Proposal DfE is developing a standardised set of commercial arrangements comprising: * A Power Purchase Agreement governing the sale and purchase of electricity generated by on-site solar installations. * A Lease of Roof Space providing long-term rights for installation and operation of solar assets. The pilot is expected to involve up to 150 schools and colleges across: * Yorkshire and Humber * East Midlands * South East The PPA model aims to deliver: * No upfront capital cost to schools and colleges. * Payment only for electricity consumed. * No minimum electricity purchase commitment. * Long-term contractual arrangements. * Clear allocation of risks and responsibilities. * A consistent approach that can be scaled across the education sector. Ultimately, DfE's ambition is to pilot PPA approach and assess its potential to support the widespread adoption of solar technologies throughout the education estate. ________________________________________ Areas for Feedback We are particularly interested in receiving views on: * Commercial attractiveness and competitiveness of the proposed model. * Bankability and suitability for project financing. * Contract term length and pricing mechanisms. * Allocation of export and grid connection risks. * Estate-wide applicability across different school and college types. * Assignment provisions and lender step-in rights. * Termination arrangements. * Opportunities and challenges associated with larger solar arrays and export revenues. We welcome both strategic observations and detailed technical feedback. ________________________________________ Market Engagement Event DfE will host a market engagement webinar to present the proposed model and outline the draft documentation. The session will cover: * Programme background and policy objectives. * Overview of the proposed PPA model and the pilot. * Key commercial features. * Roles and responsibilities of participating parties. * Feedback areas and consultation questions. * Next steps and opportunities for further engagement. * Live Q&A session. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions during the event and provide more detailed feedback afterwards through a structured questionnaire and, where appropriate, one-to-one engagement sessions. ________________________________________ How to Participate Interested organisations are invited to register their interest in the market engagement exercise and webinar. Participation is encouraged from: * Solar developers and energy generators. * Community energy organisations. * Infrastructure and renewable energy investors. * Lenders and finance providers. * Technical and legal advisers. * Other organisations with relevant expertise in solar, energy infrastructure or public sector delivery. * We will be holding a separate engagement event for Schools and Responsible Bodies We will be holding an engagement webinar on 18/08/2026 from 13:00-14:00. Please register your interest by emailing Solar.Data@education.gov.uk with attendee names, contact emails, and company names. Access to supporting documentation is via ssq_829 on the Jaggaer eProcurement platform. ________________________________________ Important Notice This Preliminary Market Engagement exercise is intended solely to inform the Department's thinking and does not constitute a procurement, commitment to procure, or commitment to award any contract. Any future procurement activity will be subject to separate notices and procurement documentation. The Department reserves the right to amend, pause or discontinue the initiative at any stage. We encourage organisations to take part and help shape a commercially robust, scalable and innovative approach to accelerating solar deployment across England's schools and colleges. Together, we can support a more resilient, sustainable and energy-efficient education estate for the future. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.

Planning Information

Market Engagement Event DfE will host a market engagement webinar to present the proposed model and outline the draft documentation. The session will cover: • Programme background and policy objectives. • Overview of the proposed PPA model and the pilot. • Key commercial features. • Roles and responsibilities of participating parties. • Feedback areas and consultation questions. • Next steps and opportunities for further engagement. • Live Q&A session. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions during the event and provide more detailed feedback afterwards through a structured questionnaire and, where appropriate, one-to-one engagement sessions. ________________________________________ How to Participate Interested organisations are invited to register their interest in the market engagement exercise and webinar. Participation is encouraged from: • Solar developers and energy generators. • Community energy organisations. • Infrastructure and renewable energy investors. • Lenders and finance providers. • Technical and legal advisers. • Other organisations with relevant expertise in solar, energy infrastructure or public sector delivery. • We will be holding a separate engagement event for Schools and Responsible Bodies We will be holding an engagement webinar on 18/08/2026 from 13:00-14:00. Please register your interest by emailing Solar.Data@education.gov.uk with attendee names, contact emails, and company names.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06de44
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074928-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

09300000 - Electricity, heating, solar and nuclear energy

09330000 - Solar energy

71314000 - Energy and related services

71314200 - Energy-management services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Aug 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Sep 20264 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Sep 2026 - 5 Sep 2026 30 days
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
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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