--- title: "Strategic Innovation Funding - Round 3" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03def8" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03def8" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03def8.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03def8.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "WALES AND WEST UTILITIES" published: "2023-07-05" --- # Strategic Innovation Funding - Round 3 Buyer: WALES AND WEST UTILITIES Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03def8 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03def8) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03def8.json) ## Summary The buying organisation for this public procurement contract is Wales And West Utilities, which is seeking services related to the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) programme. The title of the tender is "Strategic Innovation Funding - Round 3" in the industry category of research and development consultancy services. The procurement is at the active tender stage, with a deadline for submissions on 15th August 2023. The SIF programme aims to invest up to £450 million in network innovation over the next five years, fostering innovation through a four-stage process: Challenge Setting, Ideation, Incubation, and Acceleration. This tender opportunity presents potential for businesses to participate in projects addressing key industry challenges such as network planning, net zero power systems, electrification of heat, and power-to-gas applications. Businesses well-suited to compete are those offering services in research and development consultancy relevant to energy networks and innovation. Interested parties can contact Nicola Griffiths at Wales And West Utilities for submission details to be considered for work associated with the SIF challenges and potential funding opportunities. ## Notice The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) programme is investing up to PS450 million in network innovation over the next 5 years. SIF is positioned to respond to industry obstacles and represents a major investment in the pace of innovation in the sector. SIF is funded by energy consumers through the price cap mechanism. The vision of the SIF is to * support Ofgem in facilitating the UK's transition to net zero, at lowest cost to the consumer *position the UK as the 'Silicon Valley' of energy Ofgem undertakes a four stage process to foster innovation and tackle issues facing the sector: * Challenge Setting. * Ideation. * Incubation. * Acceleration. The ideation phase focuses on enabling the most ambitious and targeted ideas to reach the networks and be pitched as potential solutions for meeting the innovation challenges. These ideas should align with the innovation challenges which have been developed with industry and key stakeholders through the challenge setting process. The Challenges for this round are: Challenge 1: Whole system network planning and utilisation to facilitate faster and cheaper network transformation and asset rollout Challenge 2: Novel technical and market approaches to deliver an equitable and secure net zero power system Challenge 3: Unlocking energy system flexibility to accelerate electrification of heat Challenge 4: Enabling power-to-gas (P2G) to provide system flexibility and energy network optimisation The SIF programme funding opportunities are delivered over different phases: * Discovery Phase: projects must last up to three months and have a total requested funding of no more than PS150,000, exclusive of VAT. * Alpha Phase: projects must last up to six months and have a total requested funding of no more than PS500,000, exclusive of VAT. * Beta Phase: projects must last up to five years and have a total requested funding of no more than PS10 million, exclusive of VAT. Total costs and funding requests of more than this may be considered on a case by case basis. If you wish to be considered to be included for this work please contact nicola.griffiths@wwutilities for the submission template. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/strategic-innovation-fund-round-three-innovation-challenges ### Lot Information Lot 1 WWU have requirement to procure services that will support the delivery of any projects associated with the SIF challenges that WWU obtain funding via Ofgem. Please note the funding is not guaranteed and needs to be applied for on each individual project. WWU's chosen partners will need to support these applications. If you wish to be considered to be included for this work please contact nicola.griffiths@wwutilities for the submission template. Lot 2 WWU have requirement to procure services that will support the delivery of any projects associated with the SIF challenges that WWU obtain funding via Ofgem. Please note the funding is not guaranteed and needs to be applied for on each individual project. WWU's chosen partners will need to support these applications. If you wish to be considered to be included for this work please contact nicola.griffiths@wwutilities for the submission template. Lot 3 WWU have requirement to procure services that will support the delivery of any projects associated with the SIF challenges that WWU obtain funding via Ofgem. Please note the funding is not guaranteed and needs to be applied for on each individual project. WWU's chosen partners will need to support these applications. If you wish to be considered to be included for this work please contact nicola.griffiths@wwutilities for the submission template. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019125-2023 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Negotiated procedure with prior call for competition | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 5 Jul 2023 | | Submission deadline | 15 Aug 2023 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | 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 | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | WALES AND WEST UTILITIES | | Locality | NEWPORT | | Post town | Newport | | Postcode | NP10 8FZ | | Country | Wales | | ITL 1 | TLL Wales | | ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales | | ITL 3 | TLL54 Monmouthshire and Newport | | Local authority | Newport | | Electoral ward | Tredegar Park and Marshfield | | Westminster constituency | Newport West and Islwyn | | Delivery location | TLK South West (England), TLL Wales | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services ## Release History - 5 Jul 2023 at 10:28 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019125-2023 ## Notice URLs - http://www.wwutilities.co.uk - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/strategic-innovation-fund-round-three-innovation-challenges ## 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-03def8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03def8.json.