Tender: Homes for Net Zero Phase 3 — Research and Trials to Decarbonise Owner-Occupied Homes

About

DESNZ is seeking a contractor to deliver Phase 3 of the Homes for Net Zero research programme, continuing a multiyear research and demonstration trial built on an existing cohort of approximately 1,250 owner-occupied homes. The appointed contractor(s) will manage the trial and coordinate longitudinal monitoring, data collection and processing, and participant engagement, including physical in-home measurements and social research with occupants. The programme focuses on practical, scalable pathways to decarbonising owner-occupied homes—particularly complex-to-decarbonise and space-constrained properties—with emphasis on low carbon heating by evaluating real-world performance, costs and user experience of heat pumps (including reversible air-to-air), alternative electric heating and domestic hot water solutions, consumer engagement approaches, and resilience measures such as overheating mitigation. Delivery will be through competitively procured work packages: Lot 1 (trial management and coordination including programme management, monitoring data quality, participant management and an innovation test bed), Lot 2 (data analysis and research including technical analysis of in-home monitoring and collaboration with Lots 3 and 4), Lot 3 (consumer engagement and social research to support delivery and research objectives) and Lot 4 (design and installation of low carbon heating measures including air-source and reversible air-to-air heat pumps, alternative electric domestic hot water solutions and specification/installation of monitoring equipment). Contractors must work collaboratively across lots and with DESNZ and possibly linked programmes such as Built Environment Adaptation and Resilience (BEAR) and the Heat Pump Ready Programme. Expected outputs include regular publicly accessible research publications, two annual reports of findings, an annual trial delivery summary, publication of datasets (subject to GDPR), thematic research briefs and a final report to inform DESNZ policy on clean heat, energy efficiency and climate resilience. DESNZ is holding a supplier event on MS Teams on Wednesday 29 April 2026 from 14:00–16:00.