Skip to main content

We've saved some files called cookies on your device. These cookies are:

  • essential for the site to work
  • to help improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it

We would also like to save some cookies to help tailor communications.

BETA
You're viewing an updated version of this service - your feedback will help us to improve it.

UK4

Flexible Benefits Platform Solution (including Brokering Service) and Employee Recognition Platform Solution

  • First published: 07 November 2026
  • Last modified: 07 November 2026
  • Version: N/A
  •  

  • This file may not be fully accessible.

  •  

Information icon

The buyer is not using this website to administer the notice.

To record your interest or obtain additional information or documents please find instructions within the Full Notice Text. (NOTE: Contract Award Notices and Prior Information Notices do not normally require a response)

Contents

Summary

OCID:
ocds-h6vhtk-06023a
Published by:
NATIONAL ENERGY SYSTEM OPERATOR LIMITED
Authority ID:
AA85397
Publication date:
07 November 2026
Deadline date:
02 December 2026
Notice type:
UK4
Has documents:
No
Has SPD:
No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:
N/A

Abstract

National Energy System Operator (NESO) is conducting a procurement to appoint supplier(s) to provide, implement, and manage digital employee experience solutions that support colleague wellbeing, engagement, recognition, and reward. NESO separated from National Grid in October 2024 and inherited as part of the employee contracts flexible benefit and recognition services supported by brokerage and a platform. The procurement is divided into two lots:• Lot 1 - Employee Flexible Benefits Platform Solution and Brokering Services• Lot 2 - Employee Recognition Platform Solution and ServicesNESO reserves the right to award one supplier per lot or a single supplier for both lots.The successful supplier(s) will be expected to deliver secure, user-friendly, mobile-enabled platforms that provide an exceptional colleague experience whilst supporting NESO's strategic objectives, organisational culture, employee value proposition, and future workforce requirements.Workforce ProfileNESO currently employs approximately 2,500 colleagues across the UK, comprising:• Predominantly operational employees.• Office-based support and corporate functions.• Employees located across multiple operational sites and office locations.• One monthly payroll.• Benefits year running from 1st December to 30th NovemberThe solutions must therefore be accessible, inclusive, and engaging for a geographically dispersed and diverse workforce.

Full notice text

Scope

Procurement description

National Energy System Operator (NESO) is conducting a procurement to appoint supplier(s) to provide, implement, and manage digital employee experience solutions that support colleague wellbeing, engagement, recognition, and reward. NESO separated from National Grid in October 2024 and inherited as part of the employee contracts flexible benefit and recognition services supported by brokerage and a platform.

The procurement is divided into two lots:

• Lot 1 - Employee Flexible Benefits Platform Solution and Brokering Services

• Lot 2 - Employee Recognition Platform Solution and Services

NESO reserves the right to award one supplier per lot or a single supplier for both lots.

The successful supplier(s) will be expected to deliver secure, user-friendly, mobile-enabled platforms that provide an exceptional colleague experience whilst supporting NESO's strategic objectives, organisational culture, employee value proposition, and future workforce requirements.

Workforce Profile

NESO currently employs approximately 2,500 colleagues across the UK, comprising:

• Predominantly operational employees.

• Office-based support and corporate functions.

• Employees located across multiple operational sites and office locations.

• One monthly payroll.

• Benefits year running from 1st December to 30th November

The solutions must therefore be accessible, inclusive, and engaging for a geographically dispersed and diverse workforce.

Main category

Services

Delivery regions

  • UK - United Kingdom

Total value (estimated, excluding VAT)

32008465 GBP to 32008465GBP

Contract dates (estimated)

19 February 2027, 00:00AM to 18 February 2031, 23:59PM

Contracting authority

NATIONAL ENERGY SYSTEM OPERATOR LIMITED

Identification register:

  • GB-COH
  • GB-PPON

Address 1: St Catherine's Lodge Bearwood Road

Town/City: Wokingham

Postcode: RG41 5BN

Country: United Kingdom

Companies House: 11014226

NUTS code: UKJ11

Email: nesoprocurement@neso.energy

Organisation type: Public undertaking

Procedure

Procedure type

Competitive flexible procedure

Is this procurement under a special regime?

Utilities

Is the total value above threshold?

Above threshold

Lots

Divided into 2 lots

Flexible Benefits Platform Solution (including Brokering Service

Lot number: 1

Description

NESO seeks to appoint a supplier to provide, implement, manage, and continuously develop an Employee Flexible Benefits Platform and associated brokerage services.

The solution must provide a comprehensive range of flexible and voluntary benefits through a modern, intuitive digital portal that enables employees to easily access, understand, select, and manage benefits throughout the year.

The successful supplier will be responsible for delivering a fully managed end-to-end service including:

• Platform provision and hosting.

• Implementation and onboarding.

• Branding and user experience design.

• Benefit administration.

• Brokerage and market engagement services.

• Employee communications and engagement campaigns.

• Helpdesk and user support.

• Reporting and analytics.

• Account management and continuous improvement.

The platform must provide a consumer-grade experience and be accessible via desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Benefits Enrolment and Administration

The platform must support both annual and rolling enrolment models.

NESO currently operates:

• An annual enrolment window during November of approximately three weeks.

• Benefits selected during annual enrolment becoming effective from 1 December each year.

Lot 1 Contract Value Composition

The estimated value of Lot 1 comprises the components set out below. The valuation reflects the full anticipated value of the arrangements to be managed under the contract, including underlying benefit spend, provider charges, employee contributions and the services to be procured directly from the appointed Supplier.

Approximately 96.4% of the total estimated Lot 1 value relates to benefit spend administered direct through voluntary employee selection,

For the purposes of this procurement, the estimated Lot 1 contract value is comprised the following elements:

• Health, Protection and Wellbeing Benefits - Voluntary Salary Sacrifice Benefits - approximately 88.8%. This element relates to brokered insured employee benefits. The appointed Supplier will be required to provide advisory and broking services to support the identification, assessment and recommendation of appropriate benefit providers through competitive market engagement and procurement activity. NESO anticipates contracting directly with the selected providers; therefore, the estimated Lot 1 value includes the anticipated spend associated with those underlying benefit arrangements.

• Lifestyle and Home Technology Benefits - Voluntary Salary Sacrifice Benefits - approximately 7.6%. This element relates to employee benefits that are currently available to NESO employees but are not presently managed through the existing brokering arrangements. These may include, without limitation, Cycle to Work, Home Technology and Smart Device schemes, Retail Discount schemes and comparable employee benefit offerings. The associated values primarily reflect employee benefit expenditure, participation costs and sums administered through the relevant benefit arrangements.

• Benefits Platform, Administration, Brokerage and Advisory Services -approximately 3.6%. This element relates to the services being procured directly from the appointed Supplier, including platform hosting, enrolment administration, integrations, communications, user support, independent advice, market brokering, negotiation, implementation and ongoing management of benefit arrangements with insurers and third-party benefit providers.

• The estimated values stated above include, as applicable:

- NESO costs and contributions associated with the provision, administration and management of employee benefits; and

- Employee contributions made through payroll deductions in connection with benefit selection and participation.

On this basis, approximately 96.4% of the total estimated Lot 1 value relates to benefit spend, provider charges and employee contributions expected to be administered through, or in connection with, the Lot 1 arrangements. Approximately 3.6% relates directly to the benefits platform, administration, brokerage and advisory services to be delivered by the successful supplier.

The inclusion of all anticipated benefit expenditure within the estimated contract value is intended to reflect the total value of the arrangements managed under Lot 1, in accordance with the valuation requirements and principles under the Procurement Act 2023.

During the term of the contract, NESO may, where appropriate and subject to supplier capability, seek to incorporate currently unbrokered flexible benefits into the overall Lot 1 service arrangement. The estimated value of these benefits has been included within the Lot 1 contract value and represents approximately 7.6% of the total estimated value.

NESO reserves the right to re-issue the contract during the tender process due to NESO's Preferred Position on Agreement for 1) General Terms; 2) Software As A Service (SAAS) Terms; and 3) Configuration Support Services Terms. During the Framework term, NESO also reserves the right to review opportunities to consolidate reward and benefits-related contracts across Lot 1 and Lot 2, where appropriate. Any consolidation would aim to improve transparency, strengthen governance, and enhance visibility and management of NESO's overall reward and benefits portfolio.

CPV classifications

  • 18530000 - Presents and rewards
  • 48400000 - Business transaction and personal business software package
  • 72212450 - Time accounting or human resources software development services
  • 75310000 - Benefit services
  • 79414000 - Human resources management consultancy services
  • 79900000 - Miscellaneous business and business-related services

Delivery regions

  • UK - United Kingdom

Lot value (estimated)

26899601 GBP Excluding VAT

32279521 GBP Including VAT

Criteria used to select suppliers to tender for this lot

true

Contract start date (estimated)

19 February 2027, 00:00AM

Contract end date (estimated)

18 February 2031, 23:59PM

Maximum number of lots a supplier can bid for

1

Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded

1

Description of how multiple lots may be awarded

A single supplier can bid on and be awarded for either Lot 1 or Lot 2 separately.

As single supplier can bid and be awarded for both Lot 1 & Lot 2 combined.

Participation

Conditions of participation

oooo

Award criteria

Type: quality

Name

Technical

Description

As per Tender Instructions.

NESO reserves the right to refine the Technical award criteria pursuant to section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. For example, this may include the weightings attributed to the bidder presentations.

Weighting: 70

Weighting type: percentageExact

Type: price

Name

Cost

Description

As per Tender Instructions.

Weighting: 30

Weighting type: percentageExact

Recognition Platform Solution

Lot number: 2

Description

NESO seeks to appoint a supplier to provide, implement, manage, and continuously improve an Employee Recognition Platform that supports a culture of appreciation, inclusion, engagement, and high performance.

The platform must enable colleagues and managers to recognise achievements and behaviours aligned with NESO's values and organisational objectives.

The solution must provide an engaging, consumer-grade experience that is simple to use and accessible across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

The platform should support recognition at all levels of the organisation and enable widespread participation across a predominantly operational and field-based workforce.

Key Requirements

Recognition Capability

The platform must provide:

• Peer-to-peer recognition.

• Manager-to-employee recognition.

• Team recognition.

• Values-based recognition aligned to NESO behaviours and culture.

• Social recognition functionality.

• Recognition feeds and community engagement features.

• Service anniversary and milestone recognition.

• Employee nomination and award schemes.

• Configurable recognition programmes.

Reward Functionality

The solution should support:

• Monetary awards.

• Non-monetary awards.

• E-vouchers and gift cards.

• Reward catalogue functionality.

• Budget allocation and control.

• Approval workflows.

• Automated award fulfilment.

• Taxable and non-taxable reward management where applicable.

• Payroll reporting and export capability.

• NESO utilise Workday as their primary HR system

CPV classifications

  • 18530000 - Presents and rewards
  • 48400000 - Business transaction and personal business software package
  • 72212450 - Time accounting or human resources software development services
  • 75310000 - Benefit services
  • 79414000 - Human resources management consultancy services
  • 79900000 - Miscellaneous business and business-related services

Delivery regions

  • UK - United Kingdom

Lot value (estimated)

5108864 GBP Excluding VAT

6130637 GBP Including VAT

Criteria used to select suppliers to tender for this lot

true

Contract start date (estimated)

19 February 2027, 00:00AM

Contract end date (estimated)

18 February 2031, 23:59PM

Maximum number of lots a supplier can bid for

1

Maximum number of lots a supplier can be awarded

1

Description of how multiple lots may be awarded

A single supplier can bid on and be awarded for either Lot 1 or Lot 2 separately.

As single supplier can bid and be awarded for both Lot 1 & Lot 2 combined.

Participation

Conditions of participation

000

Award criteria

Type: quality

Name

Technical

Description

As per Tender Instructions.

NESO reserves the right to refine the Technical award criteria pursuant to section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. For example, this may include the weightings attributed to the bidder presentations.

Weighting: 70

Weighting type: percentageExact

Type: price

Name

Cost

Description

As per Tender Instructions.

Weighting: 30

Weighting type: percentageExact

Contract terms and risks

Payment terms

30 days

Submission

Expression of interest deadline

01 December 2026, 14:00PM

Enquiry deadline

18 November 2026, 23:59PM

Date of award of contract

04 February 2027, 23:59PM

Submission address and any special instructions

Tender submissions must be completed on Ivaluahttps://neso-suppliers.ivalua.app/page.aspx/en/usr/login?ReturnUrl=/page.aspx/en/buy/homepage

May tenders be submitted electronically?

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

  • English

Documents

ID

conflictOfInterest

Document type

Conflict of interest

Description

Not published

Coding

Commodity categories

ID Title Parent category
75310000 Benefit services Compulsory social security services
48400000 Business transaction and personal business software package Software package and information systems
79414000 Human resources management consultancy services Business and management consultancy services
79900000 Miscellaneous business and business-related services Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
18530000 Presents and rewards Jewellery, watches and related articles
72212450 Time accounting or human resources software development services Programming services of application software

Delivery locations

ID Description
100 UK - All

Alert region restrictions

The buyer has restricted the alert for this notice to suppliers based in the following regions.

ID Description
There are no alert restrictions for this notice.

About the buyer

Main contact:
N/a
Admin contact:
N/a
Technical contact:
N/a
Other contact:
N/a

Further information

Date Details
No further information has been uploaded.

0800 222 9004

Lines are open 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Rydym yn croesawu galwadau'n Gymraeg.

We welcome calls in Welsh.