Pre-Market Engagement for EPC Accreditation Audit Schemes

Description

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (the Department) intends to go out to market to appoint a supplier to provide assurance services in relation to the energy assessor industry’s compliance to the required standards. The Department expects this assurance service to be provided, in part, by regular independent audits of all aspects of Accreditation Scheme (Schemes) operations. The Department is seeking views from the market place to help shape its procurement strategy. Lot 1: This market sounding exercise relates to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (the Department) expected requirement for assurance services in relation to the energy assessor industry’s compliance to the required standards. The Department expects this assurance service to be provided, in part, by regular independent audits of all aspects of Accreditation Scheme (Schemes) operations.<br/><br/>The purpose of Schemes is to ensure that energy assessments carried out by their members and their recommendations are cost-effective and of high-quality, accurate and consistent. Schemes are therefore, regularly audited by independent auditors to ensure that they comply with Scheme Operating Requirements (SORs) and the Secretary of State’s letter of Approval. The SORs sets out the minimum operating standards for Schemes. There are currently six approved Schemes operating different strands of the EPBRs. All Schemes are required to comply with the SORs, which includes minimum operating standards in relation to quality assurance, the audit approach that must be adopted and the profomas used for reporting outcomes to DLUHC, covering Domestic Energy Assessor (DEAs); Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEAs) level 3 and level 4; NDEA level 5; On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor (OCDEAs); Display Energy Certificates (DECs) and Air Conditioning Inspection Report (ACIRs).<br/><br/>The purpose of this pre-market engagement exercise is to:<br/>(a)    inform the market of the upcoming contracting <br/> opportunity.<br/>(b)    assess market interest in this opportunity, and<br/>(c) to obtain views from the market to help shape the <br/> Department’s procurement strategy.<br/><br/>All interested parties are invited to respond by completing the online questionnaire found here: https://forms.office.com/e/mQUtQDdPmH?origin=lprLink