National Grid’s Distribution System Operator (DSO) has secured its biggest long term flexibility portfolio to date, awarding 196GWh of flexibility availability in the latest annual tender, a tenfold increase on the previous year. The results highlight rapidly growing market participation and the increasing role of low-carbon technologies in supporting a cleaner, more affordable energy system.

The 2025 tender round, which closed in November, introduced wider availability windows and more service hours, expanding opportunities for providers with more than 4.5 million customers located in flexibility zones. Alongside the long-term procurement, substantial opportunities remain available in our short-term market, which is currently transitioning from a week-ahead to a day-ahead market.

The new demand turn up service, FlexUp, saw strong engagement, with 52GWh awarded across 23 high voltage zones. As the first DSO to trial this type of service, National Grid DSO is pioneering a new flexibility use case that reduces renewable curtailment by shifting demand into periods of high renewable generation. FlexUp helps consumers get maximum value from clean energy already on the system and signals how the role of flexibility is evolving as we move beyond traditional reinforcement deferral.

This procurement round sets a new benchmark in scale, accessibility and innovation and contributes to Britain’s wider flexibility programme which is essential to achieving clean power by 2030.

Cathy McClay, Managing Director of National Grid DSO, said: “This year’s results show real momentum behind flexibility as a smarter, more efficient way to operate the electricity network and ultimately drive down costs for consumers. We’re delighted to have delivered our largest long term tender yet and to see such a positive response to our new Flex Up service. It’s a strong foundation as we continue to expand and evolve our local flexibility markets.”

Full results are available here.