Sourcing from China
How to Write an EV Charger Tender Specification (RFP Template)
A section-by-section template for EV charger tenders: site, electrical, protection, metering, OCPP, environment, certification, service and scoring.
- Prepared by
- VULTAE Engineering Team
- Published
- Reading time
- 6 min
- Sources
- 4 references
Key takeaways
- 1A good charger tender describes outcomes that can be measured — power at a stated temperature, uptime, metering class, OCPP version — instead of copying one brand’s datasheet.
- 2Fourteen sections cover almost every project: scope, site conditions, electrical, protection, metering, communication, user interface, environment, certification, reliability and service, documents and training, commercial terms, evaluation criteria and the response format.
- 3Ask bidders to answer in a compliance matrix (comply / partly / do not comply, with a document reference) so offers can be compared line by line.
- 4Write in the rules that apply to your project — AFIR in the EU, the Public Charge Point Regulations in the UK, NEVI minimum standards for US federally funded sites — so bidders cannot quote non-compliant equipment.
Contents
Short answer: an EV charger tender works when every requirement can be checked. Describe the site and the outcome you need — power at your highest temperature, connectors, metering class, OCPP version, uptime, response times — in fourteen sections, write in the regulations that apply to your market, and ask bidders to answer in a compliance matrix with document references. The template below can be copied section by section.
The 14 sections of a charger tender
| # | Section | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope and quantities | Number of chargers by type, sites, delivery phases, options |
| 2 | Site conditions | Supply available, mounting, space, climate, altitude |
| 3 | Electrical requirements | Power, current, phases, output voltage range, connectors, cables |
| 4 | Protection and safety | Residual-current protection, surge protection, earthing, emergency stop |
| 5 | Metering and billing | Meter accuracy, legal metrology (MID / Eichrecht), tariff display |
| 6 | Communication | OCPP version and functions, security, ISO 15118, connectivity |
| 7 | User interface and payment | Display, RFID, app, payment terminal, accessibility |
| 8 | Environment | IP / IK rating, temperature at full output, humidity, corrosion, noise |
| 9 | Certification | Required certificates and test reports, by model |
| 10 | Reliability and service | Uptime, response and repair times, spare parts, warranty, firmware updates |
| 11 | Documents and training | Manuals, drawings, test reports, training for technicians |
| 12 | Commercial terms | Incoterm, delivery, payment, penalties, validity |
| 13 | Evaluation | Pass / fail requirements, scoring criteria and weights |
| 14 | Response format | Compliance matrix and required attachments |
Section-by-section template
2. Site conditions
State what the bidder must design for:
- Supply: phases, voltage and frequency (e.g. 400 V 3-phase 50 Hz; 480 V 3-phase 60 Hz), earthing system, available capacity per site.
- Installation: wall, pedestal or floor-standing; indoor or outdoor; cable entry from below or behind.
- Climate: maximum and minimum ambient temperature, humidity, altitude, coastal or desert exposure.
3. Electrical requirements
| Requirement | Example wording |
|---|---|
| AC output | “Two charging points per unit, each 22 kW (32 A, 3-phase), Type 2 socket with shutter.” |
| DC output | “Minimum 120 kW per cabinet, two connectors, dynamic power sharing; each CCS connector rated at least 200 A.” |
| Output voltage | “150–1,000 V DC, to serve 400 V and 800 V vehicles.” |
| Cable length | “At least 5 m usable length; cable management to keep cables off the ground.” |
4. Protection and safety
- AC: residual-current protection Type A with 6 mA DC fault detection, or Type B; PEN fault protection where required (UK).
- DC: insulation monitoring, emergency stop, protection against over-voltage, over-current, short circuit and over-temperature.
- Surge protection on the supply side; protective earthing to local rules.
5. Metering and billing
- Meter accuracy class (for example class 1 or class 0.5) and, where billing law requires it, MID or national type approval.
- Display of price per kWh at the charger where regulations require it (for example AFIR for public chargers of 50 kW and above).
6. Communication
| Requirement | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Protocol | “OCPP 2.0.1 (or 1.6J with listed feature profiles), security profile 2 or higher.” |
| Functions | “Smart charging profiles, remote start / stop, firmware management, diagnostics upload, local authorisation list.” |
| Vehicle communication | “ISO 15118 support for Plug & Charge on DC units.” |
| Connectivity | “Ethernet and 4G; operation continues offline with stored transactions.” |
| Proof | “Bidder to supply a test log with the purchaser’s CPMS before contract award.” |
7. User interface and payment
Display type and size, RFID standard (e.g. ISO/IEC 14443), app or QR start, contactless card payment where required (EU AFIR for public points of 50 kW and above; UK Public Charge Point Regulations for public points of 8 kW and above), height of operating controls for accessibility.
8. Environment
Ingress and impact protection (e.g. IP54 / IK10 minimum), full output up to a stated ambient temperature, humidity, corrosion class for coastal sites, maximum noise at a stated distance.
9. Certification
List required certificates and reports per market — for example CE with test reports to IEC 61851-1 and IEC 61851-21-2 (IEC markets), or UL 2594 / UL 2202 listing by an NRTL and ENERGY STAR (North America) — and require that each certificate names the model offered.
10. Reliability and service
| Requirement | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Uptime | “Annual uptime of at least 97 % per connector, measured by the CPMS, excluding scheduled maintenance and grid outages.” |
| Response | “Remote diagnosis within 4 hours; on-site attendance within an agreed time per region.” |
| Spare parts | “Recommended spare-parts list with prices; parts available for at least 7 years.” |
| Warranty | “At least 2 years on the complete unit; state options for extension.” |
| Firmware | “Over-the-air updates for the warranty period, with release notes.” |
The figures are examples — set them to your business case and the regulations that apply.
13. Evaluation
Separate pass / fail requirements (certification, connectors, regulatory requirements) from scored criteria with published weights, for example: technical quality 35 %, service and uptime 25 %, total cost of ownership 30 %, delivery and project plan 10 %.
The compliance matrix
Ask every bidder to answer each numbered requirement in the same table:
| Req. no. | Requirement | Comply / Partly / Do not comply | Bidder’s value | Document reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2 | Each CCS connector rated at least 200 A | Comply | 200 A | Datasheet p. 2 |
| 6.1 | OCPP 2.0.1, security profile 2 | Comply | OCPP 2.0.1, SP2 | OCPP feature list |
| 8.2 | Full output at 50 °C ambient | Partly | Full output to 45 °C, derating above | Derating curve, p. 4 |
“Partly” answers with a value and a reference are far more useful than a page of “comply” with no evidence.
Write in the rules that apply
| Market | Rules worth naming in the tender |
|---|---|
| European Union | AFIR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804): ad-hoc payment, price display, data; national metrology rules |
| United Kingdom | Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 (reliability, payment, data); Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021 for private chargers |
| United States (federally funded) | 23 CFR 680 NEVI minimum standards: CCS1 on each DC port, 150 kW per port, OCPP 2.0.1, ISO 15118, 97 % uptime; Buy America |
| Dubai | DEWA EV charging technical regulations: Type 2 / CCS2 only for public chargers, 55 °C, IP54 / IK10 |
Our country and standards guides — North America, Europe and the UK and the UAE — list the details.
Using this template with VULTAE
Send your tender or RFP through the contact form and we will answer it in your compliance matrix, with datasheets, certificates and test reports for each model offered.
Questions buyers ask
- What should an EV charger tender specification include?
- Scope and quantities, site conditions, electrical ratings, protection, metering and billing, communication (OCPP, ISO 15118, connectivity), user interface and payment, environmental ratings, certification, reliability and service levels, documentation and training, commercial terms, evaluation criteria and the required response format.
- Can I name a brand in a charger tender?
- Public tenders usually should not, because it restricts competition. Describe performance instead; if you must reference a product, add “or equivalent” and define what equivalent means in measurable terms.
- Which OCPP version should a tender require?
- OCPP 1.6J is still widely deployed, but new networks increasingly require OCPP 2.0.1, and US NEVI-funded sites must conform to OCPP 2.0.1. Specify the version, the functions you need (for example smart charging and firmware management) and a security profile, and ask for proof of testing with your CPMS.
- How do I evaluate charger tender responses?
- First check pass / fail requirements (certification, connectors, mandatory regulations). Then score the remaining criteria with published weights — for example technical quality, service and uptime, total cost of ownership and delivery — so the evaluation is transparent.
- What uptime should a charger tender require?
- Many programmes set annual uptime targets for public chargers: NEVI requires 97 % per port in the US, and UK rules require rapid networks to average 99 % reliability. State how uptime is measured, what is excluded, and the response and repair times that support it.
References
- [1]Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR). EUR-Lex.
- [2]The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023. legislation.gov.uk.
- [3]23 CFR Part 680 — National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements. eCFR.
- [4]OCPP — Open Charge Point Protocol. Open Charge Alliance.
