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Published 5 Mar 2025, 10:05 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

LirIC EPCI HVDC/AC Cables Supply and Install

Official notice

Authority: TI LirIC Limited (Public body)

3 lotsWorksCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdMax 1 lot to bidMax 1 lot per supplier
Published estimate£304,000,000total for 3 lots · £365,000,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submissions closed 20 Jun 2025
Lots 3max 1 won per supplier · max 1 to bid
Contract term 6 yrs 7 moends 1 Oct 2032 · starts 1 Mar 2026

What is being bought3 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

This Tender Notice coincides with the launch of the procurement process for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCI) for the High Voltage Cable Works in relation to the LirIC HVDC Interconnector located between Scotland and Northern Ireland (NI).

This Tender Notice is linked to a Request to Participate event in the Delta eSourcing platform where potential bidders are asked to provide certain information followed by an indication of the Lot they wish to bid for.

Previous publications

This Tender Notices follows the UK3 Planned Procurement Notice published on 5 March 2025. Reference: 2025/S 000-007973

TI LirIC Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transmission Investment (TI), a leading UK-based energy and utility investment platform. TI is part of TAQA Transmission, a subsidiary of the TAQA Group.

The LirIC Project

TI LirIC Limited is engaged in the development of an up to 700MW High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity interconnector project that will connect the Great Britain (GB) and Irish (I-SEM) transmission networks. This project is called the "LirIC" Project (tinv.com/intercon-projects/li… ↗).

The project will link grid connection points in the GB and Northern Irish transmission grids.

The LirIC interconnector shall utilise Voltage Source Converter (VSC) technology and the configuration shall be a Symmetrical Monopole. The rated DC voltage shall be +/-320 kV.

The link shall be bi-directional and shall have a rated power (receiving end) of 700 MW

The LirlC Project components

The main components of the LirIC Project will comprise:

•LOT B Group (to which this Tender Notice relates):

  • Two (2) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity cables buried in or placed (and protected) upon the seabed between Northern Ireland (Kilroot) and Scotland (Hunterston) to a route length of approx.140km.

•HVDC onshore and offshore cable 'transition bays' near the shorelines at the landfall points in both Scotland and Northern Ireland; It is expected that at both landfalls horizontal directional drilling (HDD) will be required to facilitate the export cables transition from onshore to offshore.

•HVDC onshore cables from the transition bays to each of the converter stations assumed to be no more than 2km at each site;

•High Voltage AC onshore cables from the Scottish converter station to the Scottish grid connection. The AC connection voltage on the GB side of the link is 400 kV and 275 kV at the NI side. (The High Voltage AC onshore cables from the NI converter station to the NI grid connection will be delivered by others.)

•LOT A Group (under a separate Tender Notice in respect of the LirIC Project)

•HVDC to HVAC VSC Converter Stations in both Scotland and Northern Ireland with associated civil and building works

NOTE: The works and services for Lot A listed below are not being procured by means of this Tender Notice and bidders should refer to the separate publication)

The Project has been awarded an 'in principle' cap and floor arrangement in Great Britain by Ofgem and a transmission licence in Northern Ireland. The Project is targeting a Financial Close in Q3 2027.

Preliminary Market Engagement

TI LirIC Limited has conducted Preliminary Market Engagement prior to publication of this Tender Notice and encourages further collaboration between OEM's and Construction Contractors to establish bidding arrangements in time for the next step of the Procurement Process (notably the Qualification Questionnaire).

Any prospective bidder wishing to receive the final Pre-Tender bulletin should contact the contracting authority by email.

Request to Participate (RTP)

Respondents wishing to participate are requested to register in Delta eSourcing (via the link www.delta-esourcing.com ↗).

The Link to the Request to Participate event for all Lotting options in Lot Group B can be found in this Tender Notice.

Information relating to each Lot covered under this notice can be found below in this Tender Notice.

Bidders will only be allowed to choose one Lot.

Any questions relating to the RTP must be sent through the Delta message center.

For the avoidance of doubt, TI LirIC Limited does not consider itself to be bound by the Procurement Act 2023 or any associated procurement legislation (together, "UK procurement legislation"). Accordingly, the procurement for the award of Converter Stations and Civil & Building Works as further described in this notice and any associated documents (the "Procurement") is not, nor does it purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, interested suppliers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that TI LirIC Limited publishes in relation to this Procurement should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:

www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London… ↗

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:

www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/W6C227A75S ↗

  • How the procedure runs: It is intended to procure the Lots via a multi-stage process. For all Lots in Lot B Group the first stage will involve a Request to Participate event followed by an ITT. For Lots B1 & Lot B, the ITT will involve the release of all documentation to potential bidders for both Qualification and Request for Proposal (RFP). The Qualification event will complete before the RFP to allow Qualified bidders the additional time to complete the RFP. For Lot B2 the ITT will involve two stages: a Qualification stage followed by an RFP. For the avoidance of doubt, TI LirIC does not consider itself to be bound by the Procurement Act 2023 or any associated procurement legislation (together, "UK procurement legislation"). Accordingly, the procurement for the award of HVDC & HVAC Cables (Supply & Install) as further described in this notice and any associated documents (the "Procurement") is not, nor does it purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, interested suppliers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that TI LirIC publishes in relation to this Procurement should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation.

CPV: Construction work · High-voltage cable · Installation of cable laying · Submarine cable

Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure

3 lots · all with a published value (£304,000,000 together) · a supplier may bid for at most 1 and win at most 1 of them · same conditions of participation on every lot · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1[LOT B]: LirIC Cables (All HVDC and HVAC Cables) Supply and Installation 6 yrs 7 moPublished value£0

This is a combined solution of Lot B1 (HVDC Cables) plus Lot B2 (HVAC Cables)

It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of a Preferred Supplier Agreement (Capacity Reservation, FEED/ECI studies and EPCI Heads of Terms).

Following the completion of the FEED/ECI the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design / engineering, construction and commissioning, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice

Additional credit in the evaluation criteria will be given to those bidders who bid for the Lot B combined solution (additional information on the evaluation criteria will be released with the ITT Instructions during the ITT stage).

The estimated value of Lot B is the combined values of Lot B1 and Lot B2.

Contract period: 1 Mar 2026 – 1 Oct 2032 (6 yrs 7 mo)
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Specified in the pre-selection stage (RTP) and for those bidders selected for the Qualification Questionnaire (QQ) Stage.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Specified in the Qualification Instructions available for downloading for bidders participating at the Qualification Questions (QQ) Stage.

Lot #2[LOT B1]: LirIC HVDC Cables Offshore and Onshore (two sites) 6 yrs 7 moPublished value£296,000,000

HVDC Cables between the two HVDC Converter Stations (at Hunterston and at Kilroot). This will include the Subsea cable, landing and underground cables to the converter stations. See the specifications highlighted in the scope. Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning will form part of this Lot.

It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of a Preferred Supplier Agreement (Capacity Reservation, FEED studies and EPCI Heads of Terms).

Following the completion of the FEED the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design / engineering, construction and commissioning, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice

Contract period: 1 Mar 2026 – 1 Oct 2032 (6 yrs 7 mo)Value: £296,000,000 exc. VAT · £355,000,000 inc. VAT
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Specified in the pre-selection stage (RTP) and for those bidders selected for the Qualification Questionnaire (QQ) Stage.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Specified in the Qualification Instructions available for downloading for bidders participating at the Qualification Questions (QQ) Stage.

Lot #3[LOT B2]: LirIC HVAC Cables (Scotland Only) 6 yrs 7 moPublished value£8,000,000

The HVAC Cables and associated Civil Works that will run from the Hunterston Converter Station to the Scottish AC Grid. See the specifications highlighted in the scope. Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning will form part of this Lot.

It is envisaged that the contract will be made in stages with consideration of an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) arrangement and EPCI Heads of Terms).

Following the completion of the ECI the decision shall be taken on whether to proceed with the award of an EPCI contract for detailed design and construction, and also the decision for the O&M scope. The EPCI contract shall not be subject to a separate Tender Notice

Contract period: 1 Mar 2026 – 1 Oct 2032 (6 yrs 7 mo)Value: £8,000,000 exc. VAT · £10,000,000 inc. VAT
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Specified in the pre-selection stage (RTP) and for those bidders selected for the Qualification Questionnaire (QQ) Stage.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Specified in the Qualification Instructions available for downloading for bidders participating at the Qualification Questions (QQ) Stage.

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored · same split on all 3 lots
Quality: 50%Price: 50%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Technical, Scope & Programme (Further information at ITT stage): 50%
  • Cost & Commercials (Further information at ITT stage): 50%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Technical, Scope & Programme (Further information at ITT stage)
  • Cost & Commercials (Further information at ITT stage)
Conditions of participation · identical on every lot2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Specified in the pre-selection stage (RTP) and for those bidders selected for the Qualification Questionnaire (QQ) Stage.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Specified in the Qualification Instructions available for downloading for bidders participating at the Qualification Questions (QQ) Stage.

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Works
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
5 Mar 2025, 10:05 GMT
Last source update
23 May 2025, 10:05 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 15 Feb 2026
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-025794
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Construction workHigh-voltage cableInstallation of cable layingSubmarine cable
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM93)Northern Ireland (UKN06)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04e9a1 Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

30 days based on agreed milestones.

How it runs

It is intended to procure the Lots via a multi-stage process.

For all Lots in Lot B Group the first stage will involve a Request to Participate event followed by an ITT.

For Lots B1 & Lot B, the ITT will involve the release of all documentation to potential bidders for both Qualification and Request for Proposal (RFP). The Qualification event will complete before the RFP to allow Qualified bidders the additional time to complete the RFP.

For Lot B2 the ITT will involve two stages: a Qualification stage followed by an RFP.

For the avoidance of doubt, TI LirIC does not consider itself to be bound by the Procurement Act 2023 or any associated procurement legislation (together, "UK procurement legislation"). Accordingly, the procurement for the award of HVDC & HVAC Cables (Supply & Install) as further described in this notice and any associated documents (the "Procurement") is not, nor does it purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, interested suppliers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that TI LirIC publishes in relation to this Procurement should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation.

Review and risk notes
Risks

The value of any contract exceeding the estimated values in the tender notice(s).

The Commercial Operations Date exceed the Ofgem Window 3 back-stop date (end 2032).

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Delta eSourcing · Who buys & how to bid on Delta
Public notice page · account needed to bidElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free Select account; no DUNS asked at signup
Requests to participate (first stage)
20 Jun 2025, 13:00 BST
Submission deadline
20 Jun 2025, 13:00 BST
Clarification deadline
13 Jun 2025, 13:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

5 Mar 2025 → 1 Mar 2026 · 7 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    5 Mar 2025, 10:05 GMT
  2. Next notice expected
    6 Mar 2025, 23:59 GMT
  3. Tender notice published
    23 May 2025, 10:05 BST
  4. Clarification questions by
    13 Jun 2025, 13:00 BST
  5. Submission deadline
    20 Jun 2025, 13:00 BST
  6. Award decision expected by254 days ago
    15 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
  7. Contract starts241 days ago
    1 Mar 2026

Notice history

4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 5 Mar 2025
  1. Planned procurement notice published
    5 Mar 2025, 10:05 GMT
    UK3
  2. Tender notice published
    23 May 2025, 10:05 BST
    UK4
  3. Published value updated to £304,000,000
    23 May 2025, 10:05 BST
    was £253,000,000
  4. Status changed to active
    23 May 2025, 10:05 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

TI LirIC Limited

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PWJV-7322-MWTR 17th Floor, 88 Wood Street, London, London, EC2V 7DAContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Planned procurement notice planningPlanned procurement noticeUK3Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender