Residential Solar Collective Buying Scheme

In order to support our Growth Strategy priorities of increasing clean, renewable energy and decarbonising homes across the region by 2035, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is exploring facilitation of a Collective Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Purchasing Scheme for local authorities within our region. The aim of this early market engagement exercise is to determine whether there is a market to help residents, SME buildings, community venues and places of worship purchase "Supply and Fit" PV arrays, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) chargers at an affordable price from accredited installers. The contractor will handle customer service, vet installers and provide regional capacity for rollout of solar PV, plus provide relevant project data to WECA. The contractor will deliver a collective purchasing Scheme for the supply and installation of photovoltaic panel (PV) systems for householders to enable them to take advantage of discounted panels via collective purchasing, with options for battery storage and electric vehicle charging. The Contractor will set up an online platform to facilitate the collective purchasing scheme by allowing 3rd party suppliers to bid for work for which householders have registered interest. Supply and installation contracts shall be between the Contractor and the Household/establishment. The Contractor will pay the Authorities a commission for every successful installation completed. The supplier will deliver and install at least 500 domestic solar systems across the West of England by 31 September 2027. The supplier will be expected to work with the Combined Authority to maximise customer access to the scheme and delivers Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) outputs. The planned contract start date is 15th January 2027. This contract is categorised as a below threshold concessions contract as the Authorities are not able to commit or guarantee any orders. This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is not a call for competition. Responses will inform our procurement strategy, which may or may not include a future competitive tender process. Suppliers may be invited to participate in further engagement activities, including demonstrations or clarification sessions.

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