Overview

The procurement and award process is underpinned by the decisions made in the Detailed Business Case stage and these are further refined during the Implementation Business Case phase [JF1] supported by the market sounding of supplier capability, technology options, and delivery risks.

The market sounding insights can then be used to shape the procurement strategy, including selecting the most appropriate contracting arrangement.

Where technology performance or network compatibility is uncertain, a trial or pilot phase can be built into the contract to prove capability before full-scale rollout. Similarly, a phased implementation may be chosen to reduce operational risk, spread capital expenditure, and allow learnings from early stages to refine later deployments.

The technical specifications can be finalised based on the business case, ensuring they reflect the preferred metering technology, data capture method (AMR/AMI), integration requirements, and resilience features.

The tender process selection is likely to consider the scale and complexity of the project and its significance should be aligned with procurement policy, using clear evaluation criteria covering price, technical compliance, supplier track record, and delivery capability.

Strong project governance, as set out in the business case, ensures decisions stay aligned with strategic objectives and that contractual terms address warranty, maintenance, data ownership, and performance guarantees.

Finally, contract award and mobilisation bring together the delivery team, supplier, and key stakeholders to agree milestones, reporting, and quality assurance, ensuring the procurement outcome is fully aligned with the strategy and benefits case established earlier.