Electricity system operator launches framework for sustainability consultancy services
A new framework for sustainability consultancy will support the transformation of a national electricity system towards climate goals and a low-carbon future.
A new framework for sustainability consultancy will support the transformation of a national electricity system towards climate goals and a low-carbon future.
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Ireland’s electricity system is the focus of a new framework for sustainability consultancy services, as EirGrid plc seeks expert support to help steer the transition towards climate action goals and a low-carbon future. The move confirms that climate and ESG advice is becoming a core part of how public infrastructure is planned and procured.
On 5th February 2026, EirGrid plc published a contract notice for Sustainability Consultancy Services. The notice states that it wants to establish a Framework Agreement for sustainability consultancy services to support its strategy in transforming Ireland's electricity system towards climate action goals and a low-carbon future.
That short statement packs in two big ideas: first, that the company sees transformation of the electricity system as a strategic programme rather than a set of isolated projects; second, that it expects external advisers to play an ongoing role in delivering climate action.
The scope of work is not broken down further in the notice. By linking consultancy support directly to climate action goals and a low-carbon future, the buyer signals a need for advice that spans both strategy and implementation. For an organisation in this position, that may involve issues such as integrating higher levels of renewable generation, planning for new connections, assessing the sustainability of investments, or ensuring that corporate reporting keeps pace with emerging standards.
Using a framework arrangement rather than stand-alone contracts suggests a desire for flexible access to expertise over a number of years. That model has become common where organisations face fast-moving policy and technology change and cannot precisely define all future requirements at the outset.
The EirGrid framework mirrors a wider pattern of public bodies putting structured sustainability advice in place through framework agreements.
In December 2025, The Crown Estate issued a contract notice for a Sustainability Advisory Framework. That multi-supplier arrangement is intended to provide strategic sustainability advisory and specialist services across various sectors in support of net zero, nature recovery and social impact initiatives. It shows how a major public organisation is embedding climate and nature considerations across its portfolio via external expertise.
Similar thinking is visible in the waterways sector. In September 2025, Waterways Ireland went to market for Consultancy for Sustainability Roadmap, seeking proposals from qualified economic operators to develop a Sustainability Roadmap aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Rather than commissioning discrete studies, the authority is asking consultants to help map a long-term path.
Electricity system organisations are also turning to ESG specialists. In December 2025, the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan issued a prior information notice for Consultancy for ESG Integration, seeking firms to provide ESG diagnostics, sustainable development reporting, greenhouse gas emissions assessment and staff training. The aim is not just technical analysis, but organisational change and capability-building.
Municipal enterprises are following suit. A contract notice from Odvoz a likvidácia odpadu a.s. in September 2025 launched ESG Strategy Consulting Services to develop customised ESG strategies and sustainability reports for selected municipal enterprises. The tender stresses compliance with sustainability regulations and effective communication of environmental impact, indicating that disclosure rules are a key driver of consultancy demand.
Taken together, these procurements suggest that climate action, ESG compliance and sustainability reporting are now recurring, long-term workloads for public organisations. Frameworks provide a practical structure for managing that workload.
The EirGrid framework also sits alongside a cluster of energy-focused advisory and supply frameworks that blur the line between commodity purchasing and decarbonisation strategy.
In December 2025, Ofgem signalled its intent to establish a new Energy Services Framework Agreement. The prior information notice describes a commercial framework for services and advice on gas, electricity, renewables, heat networks and economics, replacing the current agreement when it expires. For Ofgem, ready access to multidisciplinary expertise is central to responding to fast-changing energy markets.
On 4th February 2026, Crown Commercial Service published a prior information notice for an Energy Supply and Decarbonisation Framework. It plans a framework for the supply and administration of electricity and gas, with an explicit focus on energy management, alignment with decarbonisation policy and supplementary services. The notice also highlights engagement with suppliers and customers to refine the framework’s structure, signalling that the market is still evolving.
Energy-sector organisations are using similar tools to secure specialist capacity. In November 2025, Energinet issued a contract notice for a Framework Agreement for Consultancy Services, aiming to procure project specialists for various construction and operational projects, particularly in the energy sector. Rather than defining a single project, the framework is designed to flex around different tasks as they arise.
Organisations developing renewable energy plants are doing the same. In January 2026, BeGreen A/S published a contract notice for Electrotechnical Consultancy Services to support the development, installation, operation and maintenance of renewable energy plants and battery energy storage systems. The focus on grid connection compliance and documentation underlines how technical, regulatory and commercial risks intersect when bringing new low-carbon assets onto the system.
At the same time, local authorities are seeking help with their own energy use. In October 2025, KRISTIANSAND KOMMUNE advertised Consultancy Services for Energy Management covering energy management and energy conservation. The procurement includes restrictions on the selected consultant’s participation in certain measures, reflecting the need to manage potential conflicts of interest where advisers might also be delivery partners.
And in January 2026, Miljöförvaltningen launched a Framework Agreement for Technical Consultants. The agreement involves project and process management support together with technical assistance in energy, climate and environmental tasks, embedding specialist advice into day-to-day public administration.
Against this backdrop, EirGrid’s Sustainability Consultancy Services framework looks less like a one-off exercise and more like part of a broader shift. Public authorities, energy companies and municipalities are all building long-term relationships with advisers who can help them navigate the technical and organisational aspects of decarbonisation.
For consultants, these frameworks offer a route into work that is central to the public sector’s response to climate change: redesigning energy systems, embedding ESG standards and aligning infrastructure investments with climate goals. They also demand an ability to work across disciplines, from engineering and economics to stakeholder engagement and reporting.
For buyers, the challenge will be to translate high-level ambitions into clear call-off work that delivers measurable progress, while keeping frameworks responsive to shifting policy and technology. How EirGrid structures and uses its sustainability consultancy framework, and how it sits alongside similar arrangements in other parts of the energy system, will be one indicator of how effectively procurement can drive the transition to a low-carbon future.
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