Purpose

Procurement of a technical advisor for
Paddington Village Heat & Energy Network (HEN)

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Director has decided to:
1)   
Approve the commencement of a procurement process to identify and appoint a
technical consultant via a compliant procurement process for
Paddington Village Heat and Energy Network on an initial 16 month
appointment (from February 2026 to May 2027) with the option to
extend by a further 12 months. The estimated value for the total
potential duration is £120,400 excluding VAT.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing - The option to not appoint a
technical advisor has been ruled out. With no technical advisor in
place, the Council do not have the expertise in house to provide
the role. The specialist technical knowledge required to review
performance, advise on future decarbonation options and ensure
compliance with regulation is not represented in the Council
currently.
 
Direct award - A new appointment for the
previously appointed technical advisor, WSP, is a potential option
if a compliant direct award route can be found. Although this would
guarantee the knowledge gained by WSP in their years involved in
the design and build of the network, as well as the initial few
years of operation, the team believe the opportunity to test the
market and ensure value for money should be taken.  Therefore this option has been discounted for the
time being.