UK Research & Innovation: UKRI-2128 - Evaluation of UK Battery Infrastructure to Support Rapid Scale up of Battery Material and Cell Technologies

UK-Swindon: Evaluation consultancy services.
Section I: Contracting Authority
      I.1) Name and addresses
             UK Research and Innovation
             Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom
             Tel. +44 1793867000, Email: corporateprocurement@ukri.org
             Main Address: www.ukri.org
             NUTS Code: UKK14
      I.2) Joint procurement
      The contract involves joint procurement: No.
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not provided       
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No.
      I.3) Communication
      The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Evaluation-consultancy-services./5TRBR2H646
      Additional information can be obtained from: the abovementioned address
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically via https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Evaluation-consultancy-services./5TRBR2H646 to the abovementioned address       
      Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: Not provided
      I.4) Type of the contracting authority
            Body governed by public law
      I.5) Main activity
            Other activity:

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
      II.1.1) Title: UKRI-2128 - Evaluation of UK Battery Infrastructure to Support Rapid Scale up of Battery Material and Cell Technologies       
      Reference Number: UKRI-2128
      II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
      79419000 - Evaluation consultancy services.

      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
      II.1.4) Short description: The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC) is a Government initiative that is enabling the decarbonisation of the UK’s transport sector whilst ensuring that the UK prospers from this transition. Established in 2017, the FBC has been designed to create an effective research, innovation and scale-up ecosystem that can deploy advancements in battery technology and secure a battery manufacturing base in the UK. This is being delivered through its three pillars: the Faraday Institution (FI), Innovate UK and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The budget for this requirement is up to between £150,000 and £200,000 ex VAT, The duration of the contract is four months and the final study is required by December.       
      II.1.5) Estimated total value:
      Value excluding VAT: 200,000       
      Currency: GBP
      II.1.6) Information about lots:
      This contract is divided into lots: No       
   
II.2) Description
      
      II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
      Not Provided       
      II.2.3) Place of performance:
      UKK14 Swindon
      
      II.2.4) Description of procurement: The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC) is a Government initiative that is enabling the decarbonisation of the UK’s transport sector whilst ensuring that the UK prospers from this transition. Established in 2017, the FBC has been designed to create an effective research, innovation and scale-up ecosystem that can deploy advancements in battery technology and secure a battery manufacturing base in the UK. This is being delivered through its three pillars: the Faraday Institution (FI), Innovate UK and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

This evaluation will assess the existing UK battery infrastructure available to UK PLC in the development of battery materials and cells, including academic institutions, private organisations offering contract services and open-access facilities. The existing available infrastructure will be assessed against current and likely future candidates for research/commercialisation in both battery materials and cell technologies to assess where there are gaps in support for companies progressing from lab  pre-pilot  pilot  gigascale. The technologies to be assed have already been defined by an earlier study.

Different scenarios will be developed for a government funded open-access facility which addresses materials scale up, cell-level scale up, and/or both to meet the gaps identified, and maximise cost benefit to the UK.

The different scenarios will be evaluated to understand likely workflows for different technologies over a 5-15 year time horizon to understand how such facilities could be used and to further evaluate the cost-benefit of building infrastructure to support certain technologies at certain scales. As a secondary point, use by organisations outside of the UK and the global importance of such a facility in attracting foreign direct investment into the UK should be considered.

The outputs of this report may be used as guidance for the formation of the scope and evaluation of bids on infrastructure to be built as part of the next phase of the Faraday Battery Challenge.

The main aims of the tender exercise are to produce a report to:

•Identify if there is a gap in UK scale up support that could be serviced by a battery, materials and/or cell scale up facility
•Clearly define any gap in terms of technology, scale, equipment and facility requirements, in addition to type and quantity of work predicted over a 5-15 year timescale
•Determine whether single or multiple facilities would be best placed to fill this gap through a series of scenarios


•Understand the cost-risk profile of supporting scale up of specific technologies
•Understand the limitations and challenges of building such a facility
•Understand if a facility that meets the needs of the UK could be of international importance, potentially attract foreign direct investment into the UK, and de-risk investments into supporting specific technologies
      II.2.5) Award criteria:
            Criteria below
            Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 90
                        
            Cost criterion - Name: Price / Weighting: 10
                              
      II.2.6) Estimated value:
      Value excluding VAT: 200,000       
      Currency: GBP       
      II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
      Duration in months: 4       
      This contract is subject to renewal: No       
      Description of renewals: Not provided
      
      II.2.10) Information about variants:
      Variants will be accepted: No
      II.2.11) Information about options:
      Options:       No             
      Description of options: Not provided
      II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
      Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: No
      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds:
      The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No       
      Identification of the project: Not provided             
      II.2.14) Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/5TRBR2H646       


Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
   III.1) Conditions for participation
      III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
      List and brief description of conditions:          
      Not Provided       
      III.1.2) Economic and financial standing          
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents       
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided    
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :       
      Not Provided    
      III.1.3) Technical and professional ability    
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided      
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :          
      Not Provided   
      III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)   
      The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No       
      The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No    
      
   III.2) Conditions related to the contract
      III.2.1) Information about a particular profession    
      Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:          
      Not Provided    
      III.2.2) Contract performance conditions          
      Not Provided          
      III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
      Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: No

Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1) Description OPEN
      IV.1.1) Type of procedure: Open   
   
   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system    
         The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO    
         In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided    
   
   
   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
      An electronic auction will be used: No
      Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes       
   IV.2) Administrative information
      IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure:
         Notice number in the OJ S: Not provided       
      IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
       Date: 20/07/2022 Time: 14:00
            
      IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,       
      IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: Not Provided      
      IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders:
         Date: 20/07/2022
         Time: 14:00
      

Section VI: Complementary Information
   VI.1) Information about recurrence
   This is a recurrent procurement: No    
   Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Not provided
   VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
   Electronic ordering will be used No       
   Electronic invoicing will be accepted No       
   Electronic payment will be used No       
   VI.3) Additional Information: For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Evaluation-consultancy-services./5TRBR2H646

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/5TRBR2H646
   VI.4) Procedures for review
   VI.4.1) Review body:
             UK Research and Innovation
       Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FL, United Kingdom
   VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Not provided
   VI.4.3) Review procedure
   Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:    
    Not Provided    
   VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Not provided
   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 14/06/2022

Annex A