Strategic Charging Infrastructure Scheme

National Highways is working in collaboration with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), a joint unit between the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to strengthen electricity network capacity to some motorway service areas (MSA) in England. The intention is to create affordable electricity network capacity at these MSAs to enable greater provision of ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charge points to support long journeys.

Further details relating to this Strategic Charging Infrastructure Scheme was included in the consultation on the design of the scheme: via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/electric-vehicles-strategic-charging-infrastructure-scheme/strategic-charging-infrastructure-scheme This scheme is in development, and the final shape and design of the scheme are subject to consideration of responses to this consultation.

This pre-market activity is seeking to gather information specifically from National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS) accredited suppliers who are able to deliver contestable works, i.e. the electricity extension assets at a subset of the 116 MSAs in England.

Individual MSAs could require new connection capacity in the range of 5 to 50 MVA and depending on the available network capacity and the point of connection offered by the relevant DNO, the extension assets for each site may be at 132kV, 33kV, or 11kV.

Further details as to the outline scope of requirements is provided within a separate document that can be accessed via this link: https://highways.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/sites/NationalHighwaysProcurement-MaterialforExternalRelease/Shared Documents/Strategic Charging Infrastructure Scheme?d=wab8b6da54ad04c748a679c042210817c&csf=1&web=1&e=nHFcGN In addition, National Highways invites interested suppliers to provide responses to a series of questions that is available via this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=sp9QKa9_i0-3ojL5bsXebETYIVa8xtpCsF24ky8YkKpUOTZCQkpWQ0JVU0NKQlFSTjBEMDFWRUdYUS4u In advance, National Highways thanks you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire.

This pre-market notice will be open for a calendar month, ending on 03 September 2026.