NEC ECS: Option A - Completion Date with long lead manufacturing

I’m drafting a subcontract for a supply and install. The item is on a long manufacturing lead time but the subcontractor cannot/ won’t confirm a manufacturing slot until the order is placed, the added complication is that they’re outsourcing the manufacture so it could be significantly less than they’ve advised. If I list the Completion Date as the worst case scenario lead time + installation period, that has the potential to be far later than need be.

Is there another way I could approach the Completion date in this instance? I’d appreciate anyone’s thoughts. Thanks

Have you considered the relationship between the subcontract starting date and the access date and work backwards from when you need Completion.

Why don’t you phone the supplier and find out what it would be to work it out for yourself, or you can let the Contractor propose the Completion Date for you to agree (which sometimes an Employer would do as part of a competitive tender where Contractor proposes Completion Date as part of contract data part 2).

Even if the Completion Date is something they can beat - it only means they are protected against delay damages until that point - it will not change anything about subsequent entitlement.