New Entrant LDSO Qualification
On this page you can find more information on the new entrant Licensed Distribution System Operators (LDSO) route through Qualification.
Legacy Qualification as a LDSO
New entrant LDSOs need to Qualify as an LDSO under the Balancing & Settlement Code (BSC) arrangements and a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) under the Retail Energy Code (REC) arrangements.
For more information on the step-by-step process of becoming an LDSO, please visit:
Pre-Qualification Submission (PQS) Form
To help new entrant LDSOs who are not taking part in Systems Integration Testing (SIT) and who intend to place reliance on some, or all of the testing completed by a third party in line with the MHHS Placing Reliance Policy, the Code Bodies have produced a Pre-Qualification Submission (PQS) Form.
New entrant LDSOs who wish to place reliance must complete and submit the PQS Form to the Code Bodies.
Click on the link below to access the PQS Form:
Pre-Qualification Submission (PQS) Form
Following completion of the form, LDSOs are requested to email their proposals to both MHHSQualification@elexon.co.uk and performanceassurance@recmanager.co.uk with the subject: MHHS Qualification/Placing Reliance Proposal.
New entrant LDSOs who are not seeking to place reliance should not complete this form.
Qualification Testing (QT) and Pre-Integration Testing (PIT)
Each participant is required to complete Pre-Integration Testing (PIT) (assured by the MHHS Programme against defined PIT Exit Criteria) and undertake its other MHHS Qualification preparation activities, such as Data Integration Platform (DIP) onboarding. The party must then submit its Initial Qualification Assessment Document (QAD) as per timelines set out in Qualification Approach & Plan (QA&P) Appendix C.
You can find more information on the Qualification Approach & Plan, including the documents that are available, on the Qualification Approach & Plan page of this website. Code Bodies will review the initial QAD submission, seeking clarifications where required.
The Testing Assurance team at CGI manages QT on behalf of the Code Bodies. A more detailed explanation of the QT process is set out in the QA&P Annex 3: Non-SIT LDSO New Entrant (Post-M10) MHHS QT Approach & Plan, also available on the Qualification Approach & Plan page of this website.
New entrant LDSOs should continue to develop the content of their final QAD submissions in parallel with QT.
Where a test cannot be completed in QT, we expect new entrant LDSOs to develop work-off plans, which are reviewed with the Testing Assurance team at CGI and agreed with Code Bodies.
Qualification Assessment Document (QAD)
The QAD sets out the information and evidence that all Suppliers, Supplier Agents (Data Agents and Meter Equipment Managers (MEMs)), and LDSOs are required to provide to the Balancing & Settlement Code (BSC) and Retail Energy Code (REC) Code Bodies so that they can be MHHS Qualified to operate the new arrangements.
The QAD also covers information that participants must provide to the Data Integration Platform (DIP) Manager for its assurance activities.
For more information on the QAD, please visit the Qualification Assessment Document page of this website.
Completing Qualification Testing
Once a new entrant LDSO has completed QT (assured by the Code Bodies against defined QT Exit Criteria), it is required to provide a final QAD submission. Code Bodies will review this document and work with the party to finalise it. Once the content has been agreed as complete for the purposes of MHHS Qualification, it must be signed by a Company Director.
Code Bodies will then approve MHHS Qualification for the new entrant LDSO, in accordance with the QA&P Section 11.3 MHHS Qualification Approval. Once MHHS Qualified, the party must complete Service Activation before it can operate in the new MHHS arrangements.
The high-level preparation schedule for QT is detailed below. More specific dates are included in the Participant Checklist which you can find on the Planning page of this website.
There are also timelines for submitting the QAD to Code Bodies that an LDSO needs to adhere to. These timelines are included in QA&P Appendix C which you can find on the Qualification Approach & Plan page of this website.
LDSO Qualification Testing Test Scenarios and Test Cases
Please find more information on new entrant LDSO Qualification Testing Test Scenarios and Test Cases on the LDSO Qualification Test Scenarios and Test Cases page of this website.
LDSO Qualification Testing Approach & Plan Template
This document provides the Programme with an overview of new entrant LDSO Qualification Testing scope, including Test Scenarios and Test Cases, test data and detailed schedule, and we requested participants to complete it with the following in mind:
- Placing Reliance approach
- Requirements to Test Traceability Matrix (RTTM)
- Opt Out of Data Integration Platform (DIP) Flows
You can view this document below:
Non-SIT LDSO Qualification Testing Approach & Plan Template
Please note that the LDSO_QT@mhhsprogramme.co.uk mailbox is no longer being monitored. If you have any questions, please email MHHSQualification@elexon.co.uk
Non-SIT Supplier & Agent Qualification Testing Test Plan Template
The Non-SIT Supplier & Agent QT Test Plan Template has been updated to version 1.2 to include a new section: 4.2 Qualification Test Execution Plan.
You can view a clean version of the template below:
Non-SIT Supplier & Agent Qualification Testing Participant Readiness Report Template
You can view the Non-SIT S&A Qualification Testing Participant Readiness Report Template below:
Non-SIT S&A Qualification Testing Participant Readiness Report Template
Qualification Testing Test Completion Report Template
You can view the Qualification Testing Test Completion Report Template below:
Non-SIT Supplier, Agent and new entrant LDSO MHHS Qualification Steps
