Tenders/UPN-00417 - Residential Solar Collective Buying Scheme

UPN-00417 - Residential Solar Collective Buying Scheme

The West of England Combined Authority

Published: Sep 18, 2026

Updated: Sep 19, 2026

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the energy and power and general supplies sectors, with a focus on Renewable Energy, Energy Storage and Vehicles. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the energy and power sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

In order to support our Growth Strategy priorities of increasing clean, renewable energy and decarbonising homes across the region by 2035, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is exploring facilitation of a Collective Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Purchasing Scheme for local authorities within our region. The aim of this early market engagement exercise is to determine whether there is a market to help residents, SME buildings, community venues and places of worship purchase "Supply and Fit" PV arrays, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) chargers at an affordable price from accredited installers. The contractor will handle customer service, vet installers and provide regional capacity for rollout of solar PV, plus provide relevant project data to WECA. The contractor will deliver a collective purchasing Scheme for the supply and installation of photovoltaic panel (PV) systems for householders to enable them to take advantage of discounted panels via collective purchasing, with options for battery storage and electric vehicle charging. The Contractor will set up an online platform to facilitate the collective purchasing scheme by allowing 3rd party suppliers to bid for work for which householders have registered interest. Supply and installation contracts shall be between the Contractor and the Household/establishment. The Contractor will pay the Authorities a commission for every successful installation completed. The supplier will deliver and install at least 500 domestic solar systems across the West of England by 31 September 2027. The supplier will be expected to work with the Combined Authority to maximise customer access to the scheme and delivers Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) outputs. The planned contract start date is 15th January 2027. This contract is categorised as a below threshold concessions contract as the Authorities are not able to commit or guarantee any orders. This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is not a call for competition. Responses will inform our procurement strategy, which may or may not include a future competitive tender process. Suppliers may be invited to participate in further engagement activities, including demonstrations or clarification sessions. Please complete the questionnaire: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mvcm7QZkkw?origin=lprLink

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on September 18, 2026. Last refreshed 1 day ago. Reference: 088738-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About The West of England Combined Authority

The West of England Combined Authority has issued 38 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 7 currently open and 17 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Governance & Public Administration, Information & Communication Technology, and Transport & Logistics. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: September 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 088738-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by The West of England Combined Authority in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Energy & Power sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.