Financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and clearing-house services

Tender description

The Energy Accelerator will provide expert technical, financial, commercial and specialist legal advice directly to Project Sponsors from the public and private sector who require project development support to develop projects through to financial close in the following low carbon sectors: — District heating networks; — Commercial and domestic energy efficiency retrofits including integration of renewable energy sources into the built environment (e.g. solar PV); — Low carbon transport and street infrastructure. An initial pipeline of approximately 50 projects has been identified across the Leeds City Region, ranging in support requirement value from c. 5 000 GBP to c. 500 000 GBP. However, while it is expected that the actual number of projects supported may change during the 3 year course of the programme, the overall total value of support provided will not change. The procured suppliers will be expected to play an integral role in identifying and developing new projects. WYCA expects that the Energy Accelerator will be required to meet contractual obligations relating to the leverage of project development support to capital investment reaching financial close. The procured suppliers will be expected to take a lead role in developing projects from initial appraisal for support through to financial close, and will be required to meet key performance indicators relating to leverage and other factors. While the final decision to support projects rests with WYCA, WYCA will make these decisions relying on recommendations made by the suppliers. It is expected that project development support will be broad in scope including, for example, technical surveys and advice to identify appropriate technologies and support implementation design, financial and commercial advice on viability and commercialisation of projects, procurement support, and specialist legal advice to support projects to contract stage (note that legal contracting itself is outside of the scope of the Energy Accelerator). It is expected that the financial advice required will vary from project to project but may include financial modelling and appraisal and identification and introduction of commercial funding opportunities. The estimated value (excluding VAT) of the services over 3 years is in excess of 5 000 000 GBP, and is currently expected to be delivered in the following lots: — Lots 1-3 — Commercial Sector Leads: 3 Lots at 380 000 GBP to 430 000 GBP each; — Lot 4 — Technical Cross-Sector Lead: 1 Lot at 310 000 GBP to 360 000 GBP; — Lot 5 — Technical, Financial and Specialist Legal Support — 1 lot valued at up to 3 400 000 GBP. This is expected to constitute a pool of specialist expertise supplementing the Commercial and Technical Leads, to be drawn on using a series of Task Orders over the duration of the contract. It is expected that these Lots will be contracted on an incentivised structure based on key performance indicators to be developed through the Invitation to Tender. WYCA expects that the Commercial and Technical Lead roles will be full-time and will be co-located with a WYCA Programme Management Team for the duration of the contract. WYCA currently anticipates that Lot 5 (detailed delivery of advice and support) will most likely be procured as a consortium of advisors. Lots 1-3 will provide commercial account managers to individual project sponsors managed by WYCA employed Programme Lead and will be responsible for identifying, commissioning and managing specialist support required from Lots 5 in conjunction with the Technical Cross Sector Lead. Lots 1 to 4 may be procured as individual suppliers, or as part of the consortium for Lot 5. WYCA will make the decision on the final model of delivery based on value for money and the quality of nominated candidates. It is intended that consortiums will therefore be able to enter 2 tender variants: 1 for Lot 5 only, and 1 for Lot 5 and Lots 1 to 4 together. Where a consortium tenders for Lots 1-5 inclusive, it will be required to provide responses for each Lot individually.