Defence body opens market engagement on EV charging network
A major estate operator seeks views from suppliers on delivering construction, operation and maintenance of a wide‑ranging EV charging network.
A major estate operator seeks views from suppliers on delivering construction, operation and maintenance of a wide‑ranging EV charging network.
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The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has begun market engagement on plans for electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Ministry of Defence sites, covering construction, operation and maintenance. The work could shape how a major defence estate supports the shift to electric vehicles and will test supplier appetite for long-term, multi-site charging contracts.
On 23rd March 2026, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation published a Prior Information Notice for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. The notice flags an upcoming procurement for the construction, operation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across MOD sites in the UK, indicating a single programme rather than a series of isolated projects.
As a Prior Information Notice, the document gives the market early sight of the requirement but stops short of full specification. It does not yet set out locations, charger numbers, power levels or contract length, and it leaves open the choice of commercial model. What it does make clear is that the buyer expects suppliers to take responsibility for both building and running the network over time.
Bundling construction, day‑to‑day operation and maintenance points towards a long‑term relationship with whichever supplier or group of suppliers is eventually appointed. Covering multiple MOD sites is likely to mean varied local grid conditions, different site layouts and a mix of existing electrical infrastructure, all of which will need to be managed under a consistent technical and commercial approach. Those details will emerge only when a full procurement is launched.
The defence move comes amid a wave of public‑sector investment in charging networks. Local authorities have been leading many of the schemes, particularly where residents lack driveways and rely on street parking.
In October 2025, Central Bedfordshire Council issued a contract notice titled Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, seeking service providers for two contracts to supply and manage residential charging points, with an emphasis on on‑street low‑powered options. The following month, the London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich went to market for Electric Vehicle Charging Services, covering installation, operation and maintenance of charge points for residents without off‑street parking.
Operational bodies with dispersed estates are now following suit. In November 2025, the Scottish Police Authority published a Prior Information Notice for its EV Delivery Programme Phase 2, seeking market input on the design, supply and installation of chargers at 50 locations in mainland Scotland. Around the same time, Network Rail Infrastructure Limited advertised a contract for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure across 45 sites in its Wales and Western Region, covering site assessments, design, procurement, installation, testing and training.
Health and housing organisations are also moving from isolated chargers to structured programmes. Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s December 2025 notice for EV Charging Infrastructure covers distribution boards, charging units, civil works and related electrical infrastructure at hospital sites. In March 2026, Yorkshire Housing signalled its intention to appoint a partner to develop and manage its Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, including existing systems, as part of its decarbonisation efforts.
Against that backdrop, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s notice looks like the next step in a pattern: large public‑sector landowners deciding they need estate‑wide charging provision and turning to the market for design, delivery and long‑term support.
One open question for the defence estate is which commercial model it will adopt. Recent notices show buyers choosing between concession agreements, long‑term operator contracts and more traditional works and maintenance arrangements.
Several authorities have opted for concessions, where a third party delivers, operates and maintains the network. In February 2026, Cornwall Council released a Prior Information Notice for an Electric Vehicle Charging Concession covering delivery, operation and maintenance of infrastructure. The Tees Valley Combined Authority took a similar approach in January 2026, seeking a concessionaire for the provision of on‑street electric vehicle charging infrastructure, from supply and installation through to maintenance and operation.
Housing providers and other landlords are tending to look for long‑term operators. A February 2026 Prior Information Notice from London & Quadrant Housing Trust for EV Charging Infrastructure Services makes the operator responsible for design, installation and maintenance of chargers, managing approvals and providing ongoing support and asset management. Here, the emphasis is on a single supplier overseeing the lifecycle of a growing portfolio of charge points.
Some councils still plan to retain ownership of the hardware while outsourcing delivery and upkeep. South Derbyshire District Council’s January 2026 contract notice for Electric Vehicle Charging Points covers 19 charge points at two locations, which will be owned by the council but maintained by the supplier, alongside installation of a new meter.
Central government has also moved to make procurement routes easier. On 29th January 2026, the Minister for the Cabinet Office acting through Crown Commercial Service launched a dynamic purchasing system for Vehicle Charging Solutions, giving public‑sector buyers access to a wide range of charging products, services and consultancy on funding options. Utilities are upgrading too: in December 2025, Thames Water Utilities Limited went to market for an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Upgrade, including a centralised e‑mobility platform to manage and maintain chargers at selected sites.
These examples suggest that when the Defence Infrastructure Organisation brings its own procurement forward, suppliers will be assessed not only on their ability to install chargers, but also on how they manage networks, interfaces with estate power systems and long‑term performance.
The defence notice gives no detail on charger types or energy systems, but other recent procurements offer clues to the range of options it will need to consider. Lincolnshire County Council’s November 2025 contract for the supply of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and Chargepoints covers standard, fast and rapid charging options for local authorities in the Midlands, underlining the need to match power levels to user needs.
Some buyers are integrating charging into wider energy systems. Coventry City Council’s November 2025 Street Charging Hubs Project combines charging infrastructure with battery storage, solar canopies and wireless charging at multiple locations. For more flexible use cases, NHS Blood and Transplant signalled interest in March 2026 in a mobile electrical vehicle charging unit, described as a portable modular system able to host multiple charging points and accommodate future upgrades.
For the defence estate, similar questions will arise about the balance between slow, fast and rapid charging, the role of storage and on‑site generation, and the extent to which modular or mobile solutions have a place alongside fixed infrastructure. Those choices will shape both the technical risk profile and which parts of the supply chain can realistically bid.
The Prior Information Notice is an early marker rather than a full specification, but it confirms that electric vehicle charging is now a mainstream infrastructure issue for the defence estate. The next substantive step will be a detailed procurement document setting out site coverage, phasing, service levels and how responsibilities for construction, operation and maintenance will be divided.
Suppliers will also watch how far the programme aligns with other national initiatives. Peterborough City Council’s February 2026 Prior Information Notice on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, supported by Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding, shows how central government programmes are shaping local schemes. Whether the defence rollout connects to these wider funding and procurement routes remains to be seen, but the publication of the notice on 23rd March 2026 signals that planning is now under way.
For the charging industry, the message is that a significant new customer group is preparing to enter the market with a requirement that spans construction, network operation and long‑term maintenance across multiple sites. How the Defence Infrastructure Organisation structures the opportunity will offer a clear test of the market’s capacity to deliver complex, multi‑site charging networks for demanding public‑sector users.
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