South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust seeks an established and experienced service partner who can design, build, operate and maintain an energy centre to produce electricity, steam, hot water and possibly chilled water (the utilities) to service the annual energy consumptions of approximately gas 20,000 MWh and electricity 6,500 MWh (2010/11) for the South Tyneside District Hospital.

The structure of the contract will be performance based whereby the partner will provide the utilities at guaranteed levels of performance efficiencies and availability. The Energy Centre must have the capability to service both existing and new developments at the hospital site and to be operational by the summer of 2013.

Using the competitive dialogue procedure the Trust will work with suppliers to identify and agree the optimum solution for cost effectiveness, carbon and energy reduction and sustainability, maximising these benefits in line with NHS targets.

The proposed solution must address the following:

— Identification of design solution and site location,

— Mechanism to provide guaranteed level of performance and savings for the system over the contract life and commitment to maintaining the technology over this period,

— Evaluation of proposal (capital cost, energy cost and carbon reduction savings, pay back, other benefits and risks),

— Backup and emergency arrangements for ensuring continuity of utility supply to the hospital,

— Arrangements to comply relevant HTM and industry good practice standards,

— Installation plan (designed to minimise impact on the Trust's activities),

— Mechanism to provide clear measurement, recording and demonstration of the energy cost and carbon savings achieved,

— Proposed heads of terms including performance and operational availability arrangements,

— Arrangements to transfer operational knowledge and competency of the development to the Trust's estates teams over the life of the contract.

The Trust will consider all funding options proposed and will be especially interested in schemes which have guaranteed maximum savings. A detailed savings plan and the provision of a guaranteed energy saving will be required.

The partnership contract is expected to be in the region of 15 years duration and the partner will be expected to deliver continuous savings to the Trust over the lifetime of the contract. Performance of the services will be monitored and results linked to a payment mechanism.

The partner is required to have:

— The ability to demonstrate a track record of experience of similar NHS schemes using gas fired reciprocating CHP for on-site production of electricity,

— Considerable experience and in depth knowledge of operating and maintaining steam boiler plant on clients premises over a considerable number of years,

— The in-house resources to project manage the entire design, procurement, installation and operation together with any future developments,

— The in-house resources to provide complete operational support on a continuous basis,

— A resource infrastructure within close proximity to the Trust to ensure continuity of service in the most extreme conditions,

— The ability to deliver a total transfer of risk associated with the maintenance, repair and upgrades for the life of the contract,

— A demonstrable track record in financing such energy centres specifically within the NHS.

The new facility is envisaged to include a dedicated Energy Centre building including as a minimum a combined heat and power system, steam boilers, mechanical and electrical services, oil storage facility and chimney. The new facility shall be connected to all existing hospital mechanical and electrical services.

The Trust also wish to consider including within the scheme the re-provision of workshop and associated accommodation including LV standby generation, LV transformers and associated switch room.

Potential Suppliers interested in this opportunity should e-mail their expression of interest to gavin.thompson@stft.nhs.uk by no later than 12:00 (noon) on Monday 2nd April.

Pre-qualification questionnaires will be issued to suppliers who express an interest and the completed PQQ must be submitted in hard copy to the Trust no later than the deadline stated within the PQQ document.