Utilities Supplies and Services
Framework Description
Crescent Purchasing Consortium's Utilities Supplies and Services framework (tender reference CPC/MN/01/2024) is a sole-supplier agreement awarded to Sustainable Energy First, which acquired Inenco in August 2024. It started on 21 October 2024 and its initial term ends on 20 October 2026, with an option to extend by 24 months to 20 October 2028. It has two lots, covering energy consultancy and sustainability consultancy.
Context & Use Case
Colleges, universities, schools and other public bodies use it when they want an expert partner to buy gas, electricity and water for them, report on carbon and plan decarbonisation and energy-efficiency work. Members direct award to Sustainable Energy First on the framework terms, with no further competition needed. It is the managed alternative to CPC's Utilities DPS.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Energy consultancy services for gas, electricity and water procurement Lot 2: Sustainability consultancy services for carbon reporting, decarbonisation and energy efficiency
Lots
Lot 1: Energy consultancy services for Gas, Electricity and Water procurement; Lot 2: Sustainability consultancy services for Carbon Reporting, Decarbonisation and Energy-Efficiency
Who Can Apply
This is a single-supplier framework awarded to Sustainable Energy First (Inenco), so other consultancies cannot join. The next chance is the re-tender, which would follow the end of the initial term or the extension to 20 October 2028.
Buyer Benefits
Members value a single expert who buys energy in flexible baskets, catches billing errors and supports net zero plans. A managed service saves estates teams from running energy tenders and bill audits themselves, and the framework terms mean they can appoint the provider quickly.
Next Steps
Energy and sustainability consultancies should check CPC's framework page to see whether the 24-month extension has been taken. If it has not, a re-tender is close. Prepare procurement savings evidence, bill validation recovery figures and decarbonisation case studies for both lots.
How Athena Can Help
For a single-supplier framework, everything rests on the re-tender. Athena's public sector bid strategists help you decide whether to compete, and our framework bid writing service prepares evidence of savings, bill recovery and net zero results.
Our bid management and pricing team builds a fee model that wins and a set of win themes that set you apart from the incumbent. We also compliance-check every document, so the bid is judged on its merits rather than lost on a technicality.
