Mid Term Evaluation of the Sustainable Energy Storage Solutions (SESS) Project

Tender description

The SESS programme invites tenders for its mid-term evaluation. As part of the evaluation of the 2014-2020 round of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding, the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) requires beneficiaries to undertake a robust programme of monitoring and evaluation. Whilst the 2007-13 programmes focused on implementation, the emphasis for operations funded in the 2014-2020 programme is on identifying and providing evidence to support outcomes / results and impacts to understand why and how the intervention works. Underpinned by the concept of theory-based evaluation, a mid-term evaluation is being commissioned during the early stages of the operation. It is anticipated that data other than that collected to support the formal WEFO output indicators will need to be gathered, in order to demonstrate outcomes and impacts in the short, medium and longer term. This evaluation will focus on the work undertaken by SESS up to the mid-point of the programme and will inform a final evaluation to be undertaken nearer to the operation’s end date (currently 31st October 2021). As part of the bid for this contract, potential contractors should primarily outline the rationale and methodological approach to the mid-term evaluation in sufficient detail, including aims and objectives, timescales and costs allocated to this element of the contract. SESS is a collaborative innovation and R&D operation, giving large, medium and small enterprises within the WWV region access to leading academic knowledge and research facilities. It is demand led by the companies, researching and piloting new innovative technologies, products and processes, specifically in electrical energy storage, with strong post operation commercial potential for the enterprises. SESS aims to address the need to drive research activity and innovation within industry in Wales, to maximise the contribution of Welsh businesses to future economic growth. SESS demonstrates SMART specialisation and capitalise on existing University strengths (via the Centre for Automotive & Power Systems Engineering - CAPSE), developing high quality research and innovation capability leading to increased/improved productivity and economic growth. It provides companies with access to state of the art research facilities combined with academic expertise to facilitate the development of new products and processes and increased market share. A new CAPSE building and research facility has been established at Calahans Development ltd, Llywdcoed and it is this prior investment that forms the basis for operation activity. CAPSE also has an existing excellent reputation for expertise in the field of battery / energy storage research upon which the SESS operation is based.