--- title: "Soft Market Test for Heat Network Consultancy" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "PLUS DANE HOUSING GROUP LIMITED" published: "2025-12-17" --- # Soft Market Test for Heat Network Consultancy Buyer: PLUS DANE HOUSING GROUP LIMITED Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24.json) ## Summary Plus Dane Housing Group Limited is conducting a soft market test for heat network consultancy services, specifically seeking feedback from relevant organisations to better understand how to scope and package a potential future procurement opportunity. This process is currently in the planning stage, with a focus on heating-system design services in the North West region of the United Kingdom. Interested parties are invited to provide their details by the engagement end date of 5th January 2026. As a social-purpose-driven housing association with over 13,500 homes and nearly 600 employees across Merseyside and Cheshire, Plus Dane is committed to providing excellent service while ensuring compliance with future Ofgem regulations, impacting their heat network infrastructure. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in heating-system design services, particularly those that can offer impartial consultancy aligned with regulatory readiness and procurement specifications for metering and billing contracts. SMEs and VCSEs are encouraged to participate, as Plus Dane is seeking diverse engagement from the market to inform their options before proceeding with formal procurement. By actively participating in this engagement, businesses can position themselves to provide creative solutions that facilitate the compliance readiness and service optimisation of Plus Dane’s 29 heat networks, including district and communal systems, without being tied to any specific manufacturers or service providers. ## Notice Please note that this is not a call for competition. Soft Market Test (SMT) Plus Dane is seeking early feedback from the market on how best to package and scope a potential future procurement opportunity. This is an exploratory stage, prior to any formal procurement process. The SMT aims to: * Understand how providers might deliver the proposed service. * Gauge market interest. * Inform Plus Dane's options appraisal and recommendations. Participation is voluntary and will not affect future opportunities. Responding does not guarantee an invitation to tender or that Plus Dane will proceed with procurement. Any future procurement will comply with the Procurement Act 2023. Confidentiality Each Party shall: a) treat the other Party's confidential Information as confidential and safeguard it; accordingly, and b) not disclose the other Party's Confidential Information to any other person without the owner's prior written consent. Introduction & Background We are a housing association with a strong social purpose. We employ almost 600 people and have more than 13,500 homes across Merseyside and Cheshire. We are an ambitious organisation striving to provide the very best possible services to over 30,000 customers who live in our homes. We are passionate about our social purpose, and the positive impact that we can have on the communities our customers live in. Our Requirements Our heat network portfolio consists of 29 heat networks, with 2 district heat networks and 27 communal heat networks. Plus Dane operate both unmetered and metered heat networks. The heat network industry will soon be fully regulated by Ofgem, having a significant impact on housing providers across the UK. To support with our journey to compliance for both existing and incoming Ofgem regulations, we require: 1. Regulation Readiness Review which will analyse the current situation at Plus Dane regarding compliance with both existing and incoming heat network regulations, and provide an action plan to becoming compliant. 2. A full suite of procurement services, including specifications, for a metering & billing contract. This must be provided by an impartial and independent organisation who are not tied to any manufacturer or service provider. If you are able to provide this, please provide your organisation's details to the email address provided by 05/01/26. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e6615e4-457e-43a9-8b44-eb964d232801 | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 17 Dec 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 5 Jan 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | PLUS DANE HOUSING GROUP LIMITED | | Locality | LIVERPOOL | | Post town | Liverpool | | Postcode | L3 4AE | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD7 Merseyside | | ITL 3 | TLD72 Liverpool | | Local authority | Liverpool | | Electoral ward | Waterfront South | | Westminster constituency | Liverpool Riverside | | Delivery location | TLD North West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services ### Codes - 71321200 - Heating-system design services ## Release History - 17 Dec 2025 at 17:33 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e6615e4-457e-43a9-8b44-eb964d232801 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e6615e4-457e-43a9-8b44-eb964d232801 17th December 2025 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - http://www.plusdane.co.uk ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-61767f4d-928d-4629-a55d-e8189f593c24.json.