Document library

Our current flexible services processes and how we develop our tenders is a work in progress. We have considered and incorporated the customer and stakeholder feedback we have received to date, but there are still areas where we need your input.

2023 Consultation

We led this consultation over the summer period to engage with our stakeholders to collaboratively shape our priorities and approach with a key focus on data sharing, engagement, technical requirements and contracting, to ensure we continue demonstrating accessibility and simplicity throughout our flexibility processes ahead of our Autumn tender. This consultation closed for responses on 15th September 2023.

2022 Consultation

As part of our 2022 Distribution Flexibility Procurement Statement we committed to leading a consultation to better understand our stakeholder’s views of our approach to procuring Flexible Services, how we engage with our customers and our future proposals.

In line with the Clean Energy for all Europeans Package introduced by UK Government in December 2020, Ofgem added a new condition to our Electricity Distribution Licence. Condition 31E: Procurement and use of distribution flexibility services sets out Distribution Network Operator's (DNOs) plans for procuring flexible services for the upcoming regulatory year.  This statement outlines our plans for procuring flexible services for the upcoming regulatory year and reflects our approach for supporting the flexibility market in Great Britain as we cooperate with other DNOs to deliver simplicity, accessibility and transparency throughout our processes in this fast-developing sector. The Procurement Report details the outcomes of the services procured and dispatched in the previous regulatory year. 

In December 2018 we committed to the Energy Network Association’s (ENA) Six Steps for Delivering Flexibility Services. This commitment intends to ensure that Electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) become a level playing field for all customers with connected resources by increasing the accessibility and transparency of flexibility services, ensuring they remain open for all to participate in, and by helping customers understand the methodologies and criteria that are used to procure and dispatch Flexibility Services from their Distributed Energy Resource (DER).

If you're new to the flexible services market, these guidance documents might help in understanding the benefits, flexibility products (responses), technical requirements and process of providing flexibility to the network. 

We currently utilise V2.1 of the Energy Networks Association (ENA) Flexibility Services Standard Agreement for our tenders, as utilised by all UK DNOs. Potential providers are encouraged to read and accept the terms and conditions of this agreement before the bidding window opens in each tender round.

To view our latest tender documents including our Invitation to Tender (ITT), appendices and helpful tools please visit our Latest Requirements webpage. These include: