National Grid has introduced an £8 billion framework to support the construction and upgrade of electricity substations across England and Wales. Known as the Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP), the framework is part of the company’s investment strategy under the upcoming RIIO-T3 regulatory period, running from 2026 to 2031.
The ETP is designed to establish long-term, regional partnerships with suppliers and includes performance-based incentives. According to National Grid, the framework aims to improve supply chain resilience, support workforce development, and deliver approximately 130 substation projects over the course of RIIO-T3.
In July 2025, National Grid named several companies as regional delivery partners under the ETP:
- Balfour Beatty – Northeast
- Morgan Sindall Infrastructure – Northwest
- Murphy – Southwest and London/Southeast
- M Group Energy – Southwest (Region Two)
- OTW – Central West
These partners will have priority access to future projects in their respective regions. Two national delivery partners – Linxon and Burns & McDonnell – were also selected to support projects outside the regional framework.
An initial £1.3 billion in substation work has been allocated to these suppliers, with contracts expected to be finalised later in the year.
The ETP is part of a broader infrastructure investment strategy that also includes the Great Grid Partnership and a new high voltage direct current (HVDC) supply chain framework. National Grid has stated it may extend the ETP model to other types of infrastructure projects in the future.
The full RIIO-T3 plan could involve investments of up to £35 billion in the transmission network by 2030, aimed at supporting the UK’s electricity system and future energy needs.
