Provision of Professional and Lead Consultancy Services for ESB Neworks Smart Metering Programme

Quantity or scope

ESB Networks owns approx. 2 200 000 electricity meters in the Republic of Ireland and is responsible for the meter management, operations, data collection activities and the central market system which supports the Republic of Ireland electricity retail market.The objectives of the Programme are:— To safely deliver a platform that engages and enables the Irish Electricity Customer and provides Electricity Suppliers with opportunities to improve their offerings to customers;— To deploy 2 200 000 smart meters delivering half-hourly interval data daily to the market; connected over a robust communications infrastructure, consistent with the roles and responsibilities of the Irish Electricity Market;— To provide a robust infrastructure and systems, consistent with the roles and responsibilities of the Irish Electricity Market to support the collection and provision of half-hourly data to the market;— To ensure the infrastructure and systems delivered are robust enough to be able to facilitate the collection of gas data from gas meters and the delivery of agreed services to Gas Networks Ireland (formerly Bord Gáis Networks).The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has statutory authority in relation to the decision around provision of smart meters for the electricity retail market in the Republic of Ireland.Following successful smart metering trials, Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and Policy Decisions (Phase 1), CER has decided to proceed to the next stage of the Programme which will involve further policy definition, completion of the market design for smart metering and the procurement of the key products and services by ESB Networks by end of 2016.It is CER's intention to revisit the CBA for smart metering during 2016 to ensure that the case is still positive for Ireland. Subsequent phases will then involve delivery of the systems and infrastructure to meet CER's target of 80 % of the required smart meters installed in the Republic of Ireland by 2020.ESB Networks' strategy to deliver smart metering necessitates the procurement of ‘Communications as a Service'. This will involve operation and support of the smart metering network infrastructure, development of the smart meter communications module, data collection, provision of support to the meter deployment programme, and management and support of the Home Area Network (HAN). The HAN is a network which will be automatically established in every premise by the communications module in the electricity meter, allowing other devices in the home to interface with the meter. Metering products will be procured separately from the communications service.The Programme will also be likely to require procurement of other components and services including but not limited to Meter Data Management System (MDMS) or equivalent, various Back-end systems and enhancements, and Meter Deployment Services.ESB Networks is about to undertake the next phase (Phase 2) of the Programme between now and the end of 2016, which will build on the work completed to date.Phase 2 will involve:— Ongoing engagement with CER in relation to policy and Programme issues;— Completion of requirements for the Communications Service, Smart Meter and IT system procurements respectively;— Planning and delivery of procurements for the Communications Service, Smart Meters and IT systems;— Design and delivery of timely upgrades to existing back office systems to expedite the next stage of the Programme;— Full rollout phase planning and preparation.The subsequent phase, (Phase 3) will involve:— Delivery of the Communications Service, related IT infrastructure and integration with smart meter;— Deployment of meters;— Delivery of changes to the existing back office and central market systems;— Implementation of the Meter Data Management System (MDMS) or equivalent;— Implementation of security systems;— Transition to smart metering services.A more complete list of the deliverables required by the Framework Agreement will be provided in the Request for Tender (RFT) document; an advance summary list is included here to facilitate understanding of the scope.The scope of the Lead Consultant role for which we intend to invite Expressions of Interest for will include but will not be limited to:— Services Definition Delivery: Responsibility for end-to-end services definition required by the Programme; this will describe the scope, nature and composition of the identified services. Service areas include services to the electricity market such as data collection, registration and meter operation, services for DSO role including new connections, revenue protection, system management, smart metering infrastructure delivery and management services and data collection and meter connectivity services for Gas Networks Ireland. These will operate across the full smart metering landscape including but not limited to Communications, Security, Back-end Systems, Meter and Deployment Services. Responsibility for delivery of services integration across multiple projects at Design, Procurement, Build, Test and Deployment phases. Delivery of service assurance.— Solution Architecture: Provision of assurance and advice in the following areas: integration coordination, integration strategy (hardware), integration strategy (landscape), design assurance, integration assurance, interoperability assurance approach, specification assurance, data model assurance. Deliver an end to end integrated design specification. Manage delivery and quality review of vendor functional and technical specifications.— Programme Delivery Management: Responsibility for the programme delivery strategy, implementation support and programme assurance. Develop and implement a fully integrated programme plan comprised of projects and subprojects that will deliver the solution and encompass transformational change while minimising risk. Deliver a fully integrated test approach and test plan. Deliver a fully integrated implementation plan that includes release management and post go-live support activities.— Technology and Security Advisory Service: Advisory service for components of the solution including communications and metering requirements, communications module design and integration. Provide component security assurance, security end-end assurance. Feasibility study for the Mandated In Home Display (MIHD) device.— Procurement Advisory Service: Provide an external procurement advisory service for the communications, metering and MIHD requirements. Advise on evaluation approach, procurement solution modelling, SLA drafting, service contract (Inc. metrics), due diligence and standards.— Contract Management and Outsourcing Advisory Service: Provision of vendor, supply chain, production and product assurance. Report on progress of vendor deliverables. Conduct design and quality assurance of successful vendors in the delivery of their projects.— Business Transformation: Design and manage the implementation of the requisite organisational change required to deliver smart metering within ESB, during transition (deployment) and beyond to the enduring operational and support models.— Business Architecture and Strategic Advisory Service: Develop the ‘to-be' scenario business processes. Provision of expert and strategic advice on smart meter rollout, including the integration of smart meters and the associated IT systems and infrastructure with ESB Networks' enterprise architecture (SAP).

Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded

Where a grouping of service providers express interest, it shall be a requirement of ESB that 1 member of the group accept full contractual responsibility for delivery of the services. Where appropriate the intended contractual responsibility member of any grouping or consortium must be identified in responding to this notice.