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Oxfordshire County Council - Retrofit as a Service

Oxfordshire County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

18 Sep 2026 at 16:08

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Oxfordshire County Council is exploring a long-term Retrofit as a Service programme for owner-occupied homes across Oxfordshire. The service would improve domestic energy performance through low-carbon technologies, including solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage, together with the associated energy and retrofit services. The intended scope covers resident engagement, home assessments, system design, installation and commissioning, followed by monitoring, maintenance, optimisation, customer support and end-of-term arrangements. It is expected to be a provider-led managed service, potentially incorporating the capital investment needed for delivery without significant upfront payment by residents. The procurement is for services, with construction-related, energy supply and distribution, and building installation elements. The Council is considering commercial and funding models that provide a clear resident proposition and long-term support throughout the life of installed assets.

This procurement is at planning and the Council is conducting preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. Requirements, scope, procurement route, contract structure and evaluation approach may change after feedback and approvals. The Council expects, if it proceeds, to use a multi-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Market engagement questionnaire responses are expected by 25 September 2026, with virtual 30-minute one-to-one sessions planned for 28 and 29 September. A subsequent notice is anticipated on 14 October 2026. The planned service is above threshold and has an estimated value of £25 million, or £30 million including VAT. One planned lot covers a contract from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2052, with a possible extension to 31 January 2057. Around 5,000 homes are indicated initially, subject to demand, eligibility, funding and procurement outcomes.

The engagement will suit organisations able to combine domestic retrofit or renewable-energy deployment with a resident-facing, long-term managed service. Relevant suppliers are likely to include energy-service companies, solar PV and battery-storage providers, retrofit contractors, installers, asset managers, financiers and organisations able to form integrated partnerships. The Council is looking for demonstrable capacity to deliver at scale across Oxfordshire, with potential for volumes to grow beyond the initial programme. Strong responses will explain how the service can be affordable and transparent without requiring residents to enter regulated consumer-credit, hire-purchase or similar arrangements. Suppliers should be ready to address funding, ownership, leasing, security and property-rights structures; asset performance, repair, replacement and continuity; data protection; vulnerable-resident support; complaints handling; consumer protection; legal and regulatory compliance; value for money; risk management; and social value. Evaluation is expected to consider resident outcomes, service quality and deliverability.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Oxfordshire County Council - Retrofit as a Service

Notice Description

The programme seeks to improve the energy performance of owner-occupied homes through the deployment of domestic low-carbon energy technologies and associated services. The Council intends to procure a long-term service capable of supporting residents throughout the lifecycle of the installation, from initial assessment and installation through to operation, maintenance, optimisation, customer support and end-of-term arrangements. The Council's requirements, procurement detail and scope remain subject to change following market engagement and internal approvals. This notice is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commencing a procurement, awarding a contract or adopting any particular procurement route. The Council is not currently intending to procure a model that requires residents to enter into regulated consumer credit, hire purchase, conditional sale or similar consumer finance arrangements. The questionnaire issued as part of the Market Engagement will request you to confirm whether your proposed approach can be structured without requiring residents to receive credit, defer payment for ownership, or enter into any regulated consumer finance arrangement. If the Council chooses to proceed it is likely to follow a Competitive Flexible Procedure Route under the PA2023 regulations and this by definition will have multiple stages. Further information will be provided following feedback from Market Engagement This expression of interest pertains to the Market Engagement activity that the Council is seeking to undertake. Interested suppliers should download and complete the questionnaire that is attached to this event and return it via the messaging portal NO LATER THAN 1900hrs on 250926 PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILST THE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR SUPPLIERS UNTIL THE PUBLICATION OF THE OF THE ITT TENDER DOCUMENTAION THEY WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO PARTICPATE IN THE MARKET ENGAGEMENT UP TO 19:00 ON 250926 . THE COUNCIL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO IGNORE ANY MARKET ENGAGEMENT RESPONSES RECEIVED AFTER 250926

Planning Information

Oxfordshire County Council is conducting preliminary market engagement in advance of a planned procurement for a domestic Retrofit as a Service (RaaS) programme. The programme seeks to improve the energy performance of owner-occupied homes through the deployment of domestic low-carbon energy technologies and associated services. The Council intends to procure a long-term service capable of supporting residents throughout the lifecycle of the installation, from initial assessment and installation through to operation, maintenance, optimisation, customer support and end-of-term arrangements. The Council has previously undertaken a Request for Information and related market engagement to understand the range of market options available to increase residential take-up of solar PV and battery storage in Oxfordshire. That exercise identified a range of possible approaches, including collective purchasing, loans, power purchase arrangements and subscription or managed service models. The Council is now using this further engagement to test a more focused set of requirements for a scalable, resident-facing managed service that addresses the barriers identified through that earlier work. The proposed procurement is expected to focus on a provider-led, long-term managed energy service that addresses these barriers by combining customer engagement, installation, monitoring, maintenance, optimisation, resident support and the capital investment required for the service, without requiring upfront payment from residents. The Council is open to alternative commercial and funding structures, provided suppliers can demonstrate how their solution meets these outcomes: delivery and commissioning of domestic renewable energy and related technologies at scale, with the ability to support significant deployment across Oxfordshire, indicatively expected around 5,000 homes, subject to demand, eligibility, funding and procurement outcomes. The Council believes take-up could grow materially beyond this and volumes are not capped; a resident proposition that is affordable, transparent and does not require significant upfront payment from residents; an integrated long-term managed service covering resident engagement, home assessment, design, installation, commissioning, monitoring, maintenance, optimisation, customer support and end-of-term arrangements; clear explanation of any proposed funding, ownership, asset management, finance, lease, security or property-rights arrangements; transparent presentation of expected resident benefits, including the assumptions, tariff dependencies, behavioural factors and limitations that may affect those benefits; appropriate consumer protections, including clear communications, complaints handling, support for vulnerable residents and compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements; credible arrangements for long-term asset performance, lifecycle management, repair, replacement, data protection, service continuity and exit/transition; and a commercial and delivery model that is scalable, deliverable, value for money and capable of being evaluated transparently through a competitive procurement process. The Council is seeking market feedback from organisations capable of providing integrated retrofit and energy services that meet these outcomes, including providers offering innovative commercial, operational or funding approaches. The forthcoming procurement will evaluate proposals against requirements relating to resident outcomes, scale, service quality, deliverability, value for money, risk management and social value. Interested organisations should provide written responses to the questions shown in the accompanying document. Suppliers wishing to participate in this Market Engagement must register on the Councils e-tendering portal hosted on the South East Business Portal at the following url https://sebp.due-north.com, Once you have located this opportunity, see reference DN830137, please complete the questionnaire and submit your response via the portal. Responses must be provided by close of business on 25th Sept. Suppliers that have completed the questionnaire will be able to ask additional questions by participating in 1:1 sessions provided virtually on 28th and 29th September 2026. Suppliers wishing to have a 1:1 session should indicate this as part of their response and provide contact details to enable a Microsoft Teams event to be scheduled. Such 1:1 sessions will be of 30mins duration. Suppliers who do not complete the questionnaire will not be offered the opportunity for a 1:1 meeting. The Council may consider additional 1:1 sessions for supplier's responses to the questionnaire, received after the deadline but these sessions cannot be guaranteed, Please also note that the Council may use responses to inform the specification, procurement route, contract structure and evaluation approach. Participation, or non-participation, in this engagement will not advantage or disadvantage any organisation in any subsequent procurement process. The Council’s requirements, procurement route and scope remain subject to change following market engagement and internal approvals. This notice is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commencing a procurement, awarding a contract or adopting any particular procurement route. The Council is not currently intending to procure a model that requires residents to enter into regulated consumer credit, hire purchase, conditional sale or similar consumer finance arrangements. The questionnaire issued as part of the Market Engagement will request you to confirm whether your proposed approach can be structured without requiring residents to receive credit, defer payment for ownership, or enter into any regulated consumer finance arrangement. Where this is not possible, please explain the legal characterisation of the arrangement, any FCA permissions, exemptions or authorised third-party arrangements relied on, and how residents would be protected from unclear, unsuitable or unaffordable financial obligations. These principles will be further tested at the Stage 1 -Participation and the Pass/Fail questions that are intended to be included at that time.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0775ce
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088860-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

65 - Public utilities

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

45300000 - Building installation work

65400000 - Other sources of energy supplies and distribution

71500000 - Construction-related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£25,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Sep 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Oct 20264 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2052 Over 5 years
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
Oxfordshire County 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
OXFORD
Postcode
OX1 1ND
Postcode Area
Oxford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Local Authority
Oxford
Electoral Ward
Osney & St Thomas
Westminster Constituency
Oxford West and Abingdon

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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