---
title: "Testing Facilities Upgrades"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-036700"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-036700"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036700.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036700.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY CATAPULT"
published: "2022-09-08"
---

# Testing Facilities Upgrades

Buyer: OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY CATAPULT  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-036700

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## Summary

The offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is planning a tender for Testing Facilities Upgrades in Blyth, Northumberland. These upgrades aim to support testing of Wind Turbine Rotor Blades and Drive train testing facility, with a total estimated value of £85.6m. An early market engagement event is scheduled on September 21, 2022, to discuss requirements and capabilities with potential suppliers.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses in industries like research and testing facilities construction. Businesses involved in instrumentation and control equipment, hydraulic installations, building construction, quay wall construction, and installation services of electrical and mechanical equipment would be well-suited to compete in this procurement process. Suppliers should note that the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation will likely be followed for the main construction tenders, with pre-qualification questionnaires expected to be published by the end of September 2022.

## Notice

Offshore Renewable Energy ("ORE") Catapult continually invests in the development of its world-leading test and validation facilities in Blyth to meet industry requirements to derisk and accelerate future technology investment, advance research and innovation in offshore renewable energy technologies, and facilitate the UK's drive towards Net Zero. As the next generation of offshore wind turbines grow ever larger, so we must continue to keep pace with technology, and we are working closely with industry and Government to ensure that we are well positioned to meet future demands. Whilst we continue to seek further investment, our expansion of capabilities requires extensive planning, and we are therefore in the early stages of engaging with a potential supply chain to consider costs, requirements, and capabilities ahead of any decisions. ORE Catapult is therefore hosting an early market engagement event on Wednesday 21 September 2022, at its site in Blyth, Northumberland, which will provide the opportunity for suppliers to visit the facility and to hear first-hand our vision, the pipeline, the complexities, and potential risks of the future requirement. We recognise that some suppliers may be interested in one or both requirements to upgrade our testing facilities, we have therefore split the event into the following sessions: * Event 1 - 1100 - 1300 hrs - Facility to support testing of Wind Turbine Rotor Blades up to 180m in length- this will include design and build of necessary new structural building(s), active tilting test hub, cranes, hydraulic, control and data acquisitions systems. This has a total estimated contract value of PS30m and completion is expected in 2024. * Event 2 - 1400 - 1600 hrs - Drive train testing facility which will include design and build to upgrade or replace the site power supply, the test bench motor (torque) capacity, force application system (FAS), grid emulation capacity, cooling systems and ancillaries necessary to raise the current test capabilities from 14MW to 25MW turbines as a minimum. This entire project has a total estimated contract value of PS55.6m and completion in 2025. If you wish to participate in both sessions, lunch will be provided by ORE Catapult and the time could be used as a networking event, allowing you to connect with the supply chain and bolster your sub-contractor opportunities. Please note that the two (2) projects mentioned above are most likely to consist of at least two (2) separate construction tenders, but there may be further smaller tenders, depending on the outcome of the early market engagement event. Due to the complexity of the upgrades, the two (2) main construction tenders are anticipated to follow the "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation" procurement process. Suppliers are to note that the pre-qualification questionnaires ("PQQ") for the two (2) main construction projects are likely to be published by end of September 2022. NB: suppliers are to note that this PIN will not be used to reduce procurement timescales. To find out more and to register your interest to attend the event please complete the attached Event Attendance Form and email to procurement@ore.catapult.org.uk. Alternatively, email procurement@ore.catapult.org.uk and we will send you further event attendance information.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

See more details above. 1. Facility to support testing of Wind Turbine Rotor Blades up to 180m in length- this will include design and build of necessary new structural building(s), active tilting test hub, cranes, hydraulic, control and data acquisitions systems. This has a total estimated contract value of PS30m and completion is expected in 2024. 2. Drive train testing facility which will include design and build to upgrade or replace the site power supply, the test bench motor (torque) capacity, force application system (FAS), grid emulation capacity, cooling systems and ancillaries necessary to raise the current test capabilities from 14MW to 25MW turbines as a minimum. This entire project has a total estimated contract value of PS55.6m and completion in 2025.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025259-2022 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Works |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Sep 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 1 Dec 2022 |
| 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 | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY CATAPULT |
| Locality | BLYTH |
| Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE24 1LZ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC42 Northumberland |
| Local authority | Northumberland |
| Electoral ward | Croft |
| Westminster constituency | Blyth and Ashington |
| Delivery location | TLC21 Northumberland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting
- 43 - Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment
- 45 - Construction work
- 51 - Installation services (except software)

### Codes

- 31682210 - Instrumentation and control equipment
- 43328000 - Hydraulic installations
- 45210000 - Building construction work
- 45214620 - Research and testing facilities construction work
- 45243600 - Quay wall construction work
- 45248000 - Construction work for hydro-mechanical structures
- 51100000 - Installation services of electrical and mechanical equipment

## Release History

- 8 Sep 2022 at 14:19 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025259-2022

## Notice URLs

- https://www.ore.catapult.org.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-h6vhtk-036700. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036700.json.