Homes for Net Zero Phase 3 (HfNZ P3)

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero invites contractors to deliver the third phase of the Homes for Net Zero research programme, which builds on a cohort of approximately 1,250 owner‑occupied homes and aims to evaluate scalable pathways for decarbonising complex and space‑constrained properties. The procurement covers four interconnected work packages: a programme‑wide trial management and coordination package that will oversee participant engagement, data operations, and the integration of external technology trials; an analytical research package responsible for technical integration and data‑driven evidence generation; a consumer engagement and social research package dedicated to developing best‑practice outreach and social insight; and an installation package tasked with designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining low‑carbon heating solutions, including air‑source and reversible air‑to‑air heat pumps, alternative electric domestic hot water systems, and the associated monitoring equipment. Contractors will be required to collaborate across all lots, interface with linked initiatives such as the Built Environment Adaptation and Resilience programme and the Heat Pump Ready Programme, and produce a suite of publicly accessible research outputs, including annual reports, trial delivery summaries, thematic briefs, open datasets, and a final comprehensive report to inform policy and strategy on clean heat and climate resilience.

The programme will involve longitudinal monitoring of real‑world performance, cost, and user experience of low‑carbon technologies, while also addressing consumer behaviours, heating resilience—including overheating mitigation—and broader climate adaptation. Partners will provide robust data analytics, social research insights, and practical deployment experience across a geographically diverse set of homes, ensuring that the evidence base addresses the full spectrum of technical, behavioural, and policy considerations for widespread clean‑heat adoption.

All works must align with the programme’s quality and risk management standards, demonstrate the capacity for multi‑contractor coordination, and incorporate rigorous research methodology to produce actionable insights for national energy and climate policy.

DESNZ is seeking to procure a contractor/s to deliver Phase 3 of the Homes for Net Zero research programme (HfNZ P3). This is a continuation of our multiyear, largescale research and demonstration trial, building on the existing cohort of approximately 1,250 owner-occupied homes. Among other tasks the appointed contractor(s) will be responsible for trial management and coordination, longitudinal monitoring, data collection and processing, and participant engagement – including physical measurements in homes and social research with occupants.
It will include research on practical, scalable pathways to decarbonising owner-occupied homes, particularly complex-to-decarbonise and space constrained properties, with a focus on low carbon heating. This includes evaluating the real-world performance, costs, and user experience of heat pumps (including reversible air-to-air systems), alternative electric heating and domestic hot water solutions. Consumer engagement approaches, and measures to improve resilience to a future climate, such as overheating mitigation, are also key elements of HfNZ P3.
The programme will require delivery through competitively procured work packages (lots);
• Lot 1: Trial management and co-ordination – including programme management of whole trial, collecting data from monitoring devices and ensuring high data quality, managing trial participants, supporting additional technology trials through an innovation test bed;
• Lot 2: Data analysis and research – including technical analysis of in-home monitoring data to answer the research questions, and collaboration with Lots 3 and 4 to ensure methods are designed to address those questions.
• Lot 3: Consumer engagement and social research – establishing best practice consumer engagement approaches to transition homes to low carbon heating and using these to support the delivery of measures in Lot 4, carrying out social research to support the research objectives in collaboration with Lot 2.
• Lot 4: Design and installation of low carbon heating measures in homes – including, air-source heat pumps, reversible air-air heat pumps, alternative approaches to electric domestic hot water in space constrained homes and the specification and installation of monitoring equipment.
Contractors will need to work collaboratively across the work packages as well as with DESNZ and possibly with linked programmes, notably Built Environment Adaptation and Resilience (BEAR) and Heat Pump Ready Programme (info here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-pump-ready-programme/information-about-the-heat-pump-ready-programme#latest-opportunity-from-2026).
Outputs are likely to include regular, publicly accessible research publications; including two annual reports with research findings, an annual trial delivery summary, and publication of datasets (subject to GDPR). The programme will also deliver thematic research briefs and a final report at project completion, with outputs designed to directly inform DESNZ policy development and analysis on clean heat, energy efficiency, and climate resilience.
DESNZ is holding a supplier event on MS Teams on Wednesday 29th April 2026 from 1400 - 1600, consisting of presentations by DESNZ and interactive feedback sessions.

Contract location: UK
Communication: https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/public/opportunity/current
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
Enquiry deadline: 2026-07-10T17:00:00+01:00
Submission address and any special instructions: https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/public/opportunity/current
Tenders may be submitted electronically: allowed
Award decision date (estimated): 2026-10-12T23:59:59+01:00

Lot number: 1
Description: Provides programme-wide trial management, participant engagement, data operations and coordination across all work packages to ensure effective delivery, reporting and governance. 19. The appointed supplier for Lot 1 will be required to work with the suppliers awarded the other three lots, as well as coordinating input from suppliers delivering two other programmes, whose objectives overlap with, but will be commissioned separately from, HfNZ Phase 3
Lot value (estimated)
3.100.000,00 GBP excluding VAT
3.720.000,00 GBP including VAT
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals: Following a future review of the programme and budgets an additional 1 year extension may be proposed to extend the trial. Beyond this point, future funding and government priorities are uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of climate research
Information about options. Options: Yes

Lot number: 2
Description: Delivers the analytical framework, data integration and technical research needed to turn monitoring, survey and intervention data into robust evidence and publishable findings
Lot value (estimated)
500.000,00 GBP excluding VAT
600.000,00 GBP including VAT
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals: Following a future review of the programme and budgets an additional 1 year extension may be proposed to extend the trial. Beyond this point, future funding and government priorities are uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of climate research
Information about options. Options: Yes

Lot number: 3
Description: Designs consumer engagement, tailored roadmap advice and social research to improve understanding, support decision-making and evaluate barriers to low carbon heating uptake.
Lot value (estimated)
760.000,00 GBP excluding VAT
912.000,00 GBP including VAT
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals: Following a future review of the programme and budgets an additional 1 year extension may be proposed to extend the trial. Beyond this point, future funding and government priorities are uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of climate research
Information about options. Options: Yes

Lot number: 4
Description: Designs, installs, commissions and maintains heat pumps and related electric heating solutions, including monitoring, to test performance and participant experience in trial homes.
Lot value (estimated)
3.300.000,00 GBP excluding VAT
3.960.000,00 GBP including VAT
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals: Following a future review of the programme and budgets an additional 1 year extension may be proposed to extend the trial. Beyond this point, future funding and government priorities are uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of climate research
Information about options. Options: Yes

Award criteria:

Name	Type	Weighting
Meeting the Requirements	quality	40%
Meeting the Requirments	quality	40%
Skills and Capability	quality	20%
Lot Specific - Research Methodology	quality	20%
Lot specific - Research Methodology	quality	20%
Project Management and Risk	quality	15%
Lot Specific - Managing a programme with Mulitplwe contractors	quality	10%
Cost	cost	10%
Social Value	quality	10%
Resource Availability	quality	5%