West Sussex County Council has launched a major £24 million (inc. VAT) procurement to build a comprehensive public electric vehicle (EV) charging network across the county, with a 15-year concession contract running from 3 August 2026 to 2 August 2041.

The Council aims to ensure that residents without access to off-street parking are always within a short walking distance of an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint. The initiative will prioritise areas where residents are unable to transition to EV ownership without reliable access to a public charging network. To deliver this, the Concession Contract will be divided into three distinct lots:

• Lot 1: Standard Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Network

• Lot 2: Fast Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Network

• Lot 3: Rapid and Ultra-Rapid Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Network

The project aims to deliver a minimum of 1,900 dual-socket EV chargepoints under Lot 1, 400 fast chargers under Lot 2, and 100 rapid chargers, including ultra-rapid units where suitable, under Lot 3.

The Council is seeking information on your technology capabilities and lot preferences. Specifically, they would like to know whether you are able to provide all the technologies included across the proposed lots and whether you intend to bid for the opportunity as a single combined lot or as separate lots based on technology type. Additionally, the Council welcomes your input on how the lots could be structured most effectively. The proposed structure currently includes: Lot 1 for residential on-street charging using 7 kWh EV chargepoints, Lot 2 for fast chargers (22 kWh) suitable for both on-street and car park locations, and Lot 3 for rapid and ultra-rapid chargers (50 kWh and above) for similar deployment areas. The site portfolio will cover a range of locations, including on-street sites near social housing and low EV uptake areas, residential streets in both urban and rural settings, shopping parades and town centres, council car parks, and disabled parking bays in on-street and designated areas.

Responses will shape the final tender, which is scheduled for publication on 1 April 2026, with the council openly inviting innovative financial models (concessions, joint ventures, leases) and emphasising SME participation to create a fully accessible, interoperable, and future-ready EV charging infrastructure that supports the county’s net-zero ambitions and the national transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.