---
title: "Arc Aid Trial Expansion"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-058405"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-058405"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058405.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058405.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC"
published: "2025-08-08"
---

# Arc Aid Trial Expansion

Buyer: NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058405

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## Summary

The procurement process for the "Arc Aid Trial Expansion" was led by NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. This project involves the purchase of MetrySense 5000 sensors along with related analysis software licenses, aimed at enhancing grid management and fault detection within their South West licence area. The procurement method utilised was a direct award, justified by the lack of competitive alternatives due to the technical specificity of the required solution. The tender has reached the award stage as of 8th August 2025, with an award to MEGGER LIMITED. The initial contract period is set from 8th September 2025 to 7th September 2028, with the opportunity to extend the acquisition depending upon successful implementation and budget approval.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in advanced utility solutions, particularly those with expertise in grid sensor technologies and software development for utilities. Companies already operating within the UK’s utility sector, particularly those classified as SMEs, could find this an advantageous partnership for extending their market reach and showcasing their technological capabilities. Participation in such innovative projects provides an avenue for enhancing business profiles, gaining experience in large-scale implementations, and fostering long-term relationships with entities like the NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC in the sector of fault detectors and grid management systems. The collaboration also highlights the strategic importance of forming alliances that cater to bespoke utility needs where technical expertise is paramount.

## Notice

Purchase of MetrySense 5000 sensors and the associated analysis software licenses to expand the trial developed during a joint NIA Arc Aid project. There will be an initial purchase of 130 sets of MetrySense sensors to test the scalability of the solution with an option to purchase an additional 106 sets of sensors, subject to successful implementation and budgetary sign off.

### Procurement Information

Competition is absent for technical reasons and there are no reasonable alternatives (Procurement Act 2023, Schedule 5, paragraph 6): Arc Suppression Coil (ASC) earthed systems are prevalent on the 33kV and 11kV distribution networks in National Grid Electricity Distribution's (NGED) South West licence area. They were developed early in the 20th century due to the difficulty in achieving low enough earth resistance to operate the incumbent protection systems for high-impedance earth faults. A drawback of ASC systems is that they cannot identify the earth fault location or the specific faulty feeder. Consequently, network control engineers typically must carry out strategic network switching to isolate the faulted feeder, often disconnecting customers on healthy feeders in the process. A joint Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) project 'Arc Aid' was created between UK Power Networks (UKPN) and NGED and successfully developed and trialled a novel advanced grid sensor, the MetrySense 5000, developed by Megger to solve this issue and integrate the results into the NGED Network Management System. Building on the success of the NIA project, this contract seeks to deploy and test this solution at scale.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047203-2025 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Aug 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Aug 2025 |
| Contract period | 7 Sep 2025 - 7 Sep 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,200,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS2 0TB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK51 Bristol, City of |
| Local authority | Bristol, City of |
| Electoral ward | Lawrence Hill |
| Westminster constituency | Bristol East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MEGGER |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38431300 - Fault detectors

## Release History

- 8 Aug 2025 at 10:40 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047203-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047203-2025
  8th August 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-058405. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058405.json.