Published date: 4 February 2026

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 9 January 2026, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Research and development consultancy services - 73200000

Location of contract

SW1P 4DF

Value of contract

£37,430

Procurement reference

CF-0602800D8d000003VQwdEAG

Published date

4 February 2026

Closing date

9 January 2026

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

12 January 2026

Contract end date

31 March 2026

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

A mini-competition or direct purchase from a pre-established framework agreement.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

This contract is being commissioned by the Environment Agency's Climate Change & Energy (Decarbonisation and Net Zero Team), part of the Environment & Business (E&B) Directorate.

This project will contribute to a broader Regulator's Pioneer Fund 4th Round (RPF) project, led by the Environment Agency in collaboration with Local Authorities in the Advanced Zoning Programme. The RPF project will explore new regulatory opportunities for heat network zones in England, due to be designated from 2026, and development of a proof-of-concept geospatial AI platform to assess environmental risk at zonal scale. This commission is the first step in the project and will provide foundational information to inform the next stages of the RPF project.

The EA is commissioning a regulatory review to undertake an in-depth, detailed review of the current environmental regulatory mechanisms in the UK and internationally, as well as current best practice, for the regulation of low carbon heat networks and assessment of environmental risk at scale. Specifically identifying where and how zonal-based regulation is used and how countries undertake environmental place-based risk assessments for permitting and consenting. It will involve expert stakeholder engagement and will recommend approaches that could be incorporated in England for Heat Network Zones.

The project will present feasible options to inform a modern environmental permitting system that mitigates environmental risk for areas and facilitates the growth of low carbon heat technologies in Heat Network Zones.

Award information

Awarded date

3 February 2026

Contract start date

12 January 2026

Contract end date

31 March 2026

Total value of contract

£37,430

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Ove Arup & Partners Limited

Address

8 Fitzroy Street
London W1T 4BJ

Reference

None

About the buyer

Contact name

Defra Group Commercial

Address

Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
UK

Telephone

03459335577

Email

procurement@defra.gov.uk