The Crown Estate plans to examine the financial strength and technical competence of bidders in a pre-qualification stage for its Round 4 offshore wind leasing round.
The seabed landlord said its “current thinking” is to include “specific financial thresholds” and expertise requirements such as “project management, grid connection and consenting”.
Compliance with tender requirements and capacity limits as well as “project-specific” financial and technical assessments would be undertaken at an invitation to tender stage.
“The final outcome would then be determined by the option fee proposed by the bidder, for the exclusive rights to the site,” said CE.
“These criteria are designed to help ensure a fair, balanced, and competitive tender process.”
The process details were revealed at Monday’s stakeholder engagement event, which was attended by 130 industry representatives.
CE business development manager Jonny Boston said: “Our ambition is to design a fair, balanced and competitive tender process, which ensures that capable, experienced bidders and the strongest possible projects come forward for new leasing.
“As we work to test and finalise the design of Round 4, tailored to an increasingly mature sector, we continue to welcome engagement with stakeholders and the market, helping us to balance the range of interests on the seabed.”
The proposed Round 4 is expected to get underway next year.