Crown Commercial Services together with the Department for Transport and the Local electric vehicle infrastructure fund (LEVI) have launched a new initiative aimed at making it easier for public bodies to procure and deploy public EV infrastructure.
The Electric vehicle infrastructure procurement support service have developed draft configurable templates to save contracting authorities time, money and resources throughout the procurement process.
Procuring EV infrastructure can be a complex and lengthy affair, with challenges including identifying the area’s specific procurement needs, setting effective contract terms, and negotiating service level agreements with suppliers. The new tools and guidance aim to address these challenges, helping local authorities make better buying decisions.
The templates have been created reflecting current best practice for on-street public chargepoint concession contracts and includes draft terms for the installation, operation and maintenance of EV changepoints and the associated infrastructure.
Customisable tender documents are also provided, along with a draft commercial response template.
Authorities working with these templates will need to modify the terms and clauses to fit their specific local requirements and this will require assistance from legal professionals and technical experts.
The template documents have been reviewed by both buyers and suppliers to ensure they provide a solid foundation for local authorities to develop their procurements. This reduces the need for clarification questions, saving time and resources for both procurement teams and suppliers.
Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Procurement Officer for Technology at CCS said: ‘This initiative exemplifies our dedication to providing local authorities with the tools and commercial solutions they need to efficiently and effectively procure EV charging infrastructure.’
Nick Harvey, Senior Programme Manager at Energy Saving Trust, added: ‘This suite of procurement templates and guidance documents, developed in collaboration with CCS, is another example of our commitment to creating effective and user-friendly support.’
The templates can be accessed here.