Demand response call for tenders

The demand response call for tenders is a scheme to promote the development of electricity load reductions to contribute to the French Multiannual Energy Programme objectives, under Article L271.4 of the French Energy Code. The set of rules for call for tenders are laid down by the Ministry of Energy, after consultation with and proposal of RTE.

This call for tenders brings additional remuneration to the capacity mechanism. The amount of this additional remuneration depends on the price level on the capacity market.

The demand response call for tenders is open to all consumption sites able to achieve load reductions, explicit or inextricably linked with supply, excluding:

sites that perform load reductions achieved through conventional self-generation (diesel and biofuel generators);
sites with interruptible load. Sites may still apply for the interruptible load call for tenders and withdraw from demand response call for tenders commitments if they are selected in the interruptible load call for tenders (see set of rules in the specifications);
sites that have benefited from a regulated sales tariff set by the public authorities with demand response option (Effacement Jour de Pointe or TEMPO) over the last twelve months, for sites committing to demand response inextricably linked with supply.

Candidates selected following each call for tenders are designated by the Minister in charge of Energy. They are awarded a contract with RTE, under the conditions of the specifications for the call for tenders concerned, to receive remuneration for their demand response capacities.

The call for tenders covering the Q4 2023 and 2024 period has four lots:

Lot 1, reserved for explicit demand response capacities coming exclusively from sites with a contract power less than or equal to 1 MVA (low voltage) and 1 MW (HVA),
Lot 2, reserved for explicit demand response capacities coming from sites with a contract power greater than 1 MVA (low voltage) and 1 MW (HVA),
Lot 3, reserved for capacities of demand response inextricably linked with supply, coming exclusively from sites with a contract power less than or equal to 1 MVA (low voltage) and 1 MW (HVA),
Lot 4, reserved for capacities of demand response inextricably linked with supply, coming from sites with a contract power greater than 1 MVA (low voltage) and 1 MW (HVA).

For 2024, the maximum volume that can be contracted for the demand response call for tenders is 3,900 MW, distributed as follows:

Lot 1: 350 MW,
Lot 2: 2 850 MW,
Lot 3: 350 MW,
Lot 4: 350 MW.

Sites with a contract power less than or equal to 1 MW (lots 1 and 3) will be able to submit tenders for periods between one and ten years.

Applying for the demand response call for tenders

The call for tenders is public: you may answer directly as an extraction site or via a demand response operator / balancing service provider / electricity supplier. The application form is available on the e-commerce portal.

To access the application platform, create an account on the BravoSolution platform.

Your application must meet the requirements of the call for tenders specifications, available on the e-commerce platform and below.

The timetable for the calls for tender

RTE launches an annual call for tenders to select the candidates. The 2024 call for tenders took place from May 15^th to July 31^st, 2023.

Commitments under the demand response call for tenders

By contracting via the demand response call for tenders, you undertake to provide or to reduce the load of your demand response capacity for a minimum availability period for the balancing mechanism and/or NEBEF mechanism.

Several options for providing capacity are possible, at the candidate's choice. The provision of capacity must be made on the days indicated, which correspond to days of highest voltage on the electrical system (but respecting a minimum number of days offered, whatever the conditions electrical system):

The laureates who have contracted explicit demand response capacities must offer their contracted demand response capacity on the adjustment mechanism and / or NEBEF (page in french) at least 30 days among the days marked "EE" by RTE;
The laureates who have contracted capacities of demand response inextricably linked with supply must activate their contracted load reduction on the days marked "EIF" by RTE.

Additional offers

RTE publishes the days marked « EE » and « EIF » on the Data Portal via the Demand Response Signal API and on the Services Portal.

Find out more

If you require further information on the call for tenders, you can send questions via the e-commerce portal before July 17^th,2023. Replies to the questions are made public on the platform, at the latest one month after the request.