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Cardiff Heat Network Expansion Project

Cardiff Council · Local authority

In brief

Cardiff Council has announced plans to buy construction work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.

It is a framework worth up to £10,000,000 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 4 years, up to 8 years with extensions, starting 1 December 2026.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Competition

Typical: a median of 3 bids per contract for this buyer (from 15 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £10,000,000 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

What the notice says

UKDEA Member Cardiff Heat Network Ltd (CHN) is inviting early market interest for upcoming expansion projects to support the ongoing growth of the city’s low-carbon district heating system. Future works will be delivered on a call-off basis under a framework contract with the selected contractor. The works will encompass both small and large network connections to the existing networks, with anticipated annual contract values for individual packages ranging from £300,000 to £10 million. The scope is expected to include full design, civils, pipe and substation installation, commissioning and where an existing building, integration into secondary-side systems. The scope of the framework will…Read the full description
UKDEA Member Cardiff Heat Network Ltd (CHN) is inviting early market interest for upcoming expansion projects to support the ongoing growth of the city’s low-carbon district heating system. Future works will be delivered on a call-off basis under a framework contract with the selected contractor. The works will encompass both small and large network connections to the existing networks, with anticipated annual contract values for individual packages ranging from £300,000 to £10 million. The scope is expected to include full design, civils, pipe and substation installation, commissioning and where an existing building, integration into secondary-side systems. The scope of the framework will include but not be limited: 1. Highways and Civil Works: GPR surveys, utility mapping, trial holes, trenching, reinstatement, and coordination within the public highway, TTRO’s, phase road closure coordination, etc. 2. Easements and Access: Support with wayleaves and optimal routing. 3. Pipe Installation and Commissioning: Pre-insulated pipework installation, welding, NDT testing, ice pigging, water filling, chemical conditioning, balancing, system commissioning and certification. 4. Building Connections: (where required - internal pipework modifications to connect to existing secondary circuits), installation and commissioning of customer substations, BMS integration and controls. 5. Design, Management & Safety: Multi-disciplinary design, project management, Principal Contractor role under CDM, community engagement and full compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards. CHN is seeking capability statements and expressions of interest from suitable contractors or consortiums ahead of launching a formal procurement process which will take place via a procurement portal selected by CHN. If any member would like to respond to this request, please submit your expression of interest and capability statement via Proactis Any questions regarding this process please submit them via the question tab on Proactis

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 003683-2026

About the buyer

Cardiff CouncilLast 12 months

Procurements

66

Awards

18

Suppliers it has used most for construction

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From notice 003683-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 16 January 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.