Writing a depot charging tender that protects you

However you buy, the specification is where you keep control of the project — or quietly lose it. A well-written tender protects you for the decade the equipment lives in your yard.

Insist on open standards

Require fully OCPP-compliant hardware so your chargers work with different management software. This one requirement keeps you free to change software or add other brands later, rather than being welded to a single supplier’s proprietary system.

Nail down ownership and data

Be explicit about who owns the chargers, who owns and can export the charging data, and who is responsible for maintenance. Vague answers here become expensive arguments later. Spell out guaranteed uptime and defined fault-response times — reliability is as important as raw charging speed, because a broken charger is a vehicle that can’t run.

Specify the outcome, not just the kit

Good tenders describe what the system must do — the fleet it must serve, the demand profile it must handle, the growth it must accommodate — not just a shopping list of hardware. That lets suppliers propose the best solution and lets you compare like with like.

Build in the exit

Read and write the contract clauses that let you leave: exit terms, data portability, and what happens to the hardware and software if you switch. A tender built around open standards and clean exits is your strongest defence against lock-in.

For a first or complex project, an independent adviser can help you write and run this fairly — especially useful for public bodies that must procure through recognised frameworks.