UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

Wales & West Utilities Limited (WWU) is looking to appoint a Supplier to provide an Employee Benefits offering which provides our colleagues with a suite of competitive benefits, and also provides a benefit hub/portal where colleagues can access their benefits and make selections. WWU's current contract for these services is due to expire on 30th June 2023. Financial wellbeing is at the core of our wellbeing strategy for 2022, and therefore our benefits provider is critical to the successful implementation of our vision. Our benefit provider therefore needs to be able to support our wellbeing strategy, our current benefit offering, and equally be accessible and user friendly to maximise usage. The Tenderer is asked to submit a bid to deliver services to host our Employee Benefits offering via a benefit hub/portal. There will be circa 1800 employees that will need individual log ins to access their benefits and make personal selections. We need a supplier that can work closely with our internal Payroll, HR & Communications teams to make sure that all aspects of the hub/portal have the correct information, data validation and branding, and also our external suppliers who you will host from the hub/portal. We will expect to receive monthly MI updates on how many colleagues have signed up to what benefit and the appropriate payroll file to be sent through. This would be required prior to payroll being run, to maintain the correct levels of deductions. It's important that the implementation runs smoothly and to time so that our employees are not impacted. The supplier should be able to provide us with an appropriate project plan of the transition process and timeline, this should include a resource plan. We currently have a provider in place and therefore it is imperative that our current benefit portfolio transitions over to the new provider seamlessly, and consideration should be made to this throughout your bid. It's also important that there is a clear and simple leaver and joiner process. IT / Security Requirements - Due to the type of data you hold, it is important that the solution has appropriate IT and security controls as detailed below - • Data must be hosted in Europe, but ideally in the UK. • Must be capable of Cloud Services integration using REST APIs • Must comply with WWU's Security standards (please see attached 'Security Architecture Principles') • Must allow Single Sign On via SAML2 • Data must be encrypted in transit and at rest • Your portal must work seamlessly on Microsoft Edge. • If there is a mobile app available, it must be available on iOS • Ideally the solution will be compatible or seamless integrate with SAP / Employee Central / Payroll The intention is to contract for an initial term of 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years via 2 x 12-month increments. Participants wanting to participate in this sourcing activity must confirm their expression of interest and ability to provide the service required by e-mailing rebecca.crisp@wwutilities.co.uk before the deadline of 6th July 2022. Please include the following information in your email: 1) Full company name; 2) Main contact details (name, job title, email address, and telephone numbers). Please note the the tender will be run via our procurement portal Bravo which requires suppliers to be registered to participate, failure to register will result in the supplier not being able to participate in the sourcing event. You can register for Bravo here - sourcing4wwu.bravosolution.co.uk. In your expression of interest, please also include - 3) Bravo registered email address and contact name.

Wales & West Utilities Limited is looking to appoint a creative design, communications and employee engagement agency to support the delivery of our communications and engagement strategy - both internal and external. Responding to the challenges we face, externally our communications activity is focussed on our involvement in the future energy system and helping the communities we serve go green - as well as the sustainability of our business. Internally, after a period of disruption and change driven by business change to address our new price control and the pandemic, we are focussed on settling our business and our colleagues, and looking towards the future. This sits alongside our day to day activity to communicate the work we do to keep the gas flowing safely to communities across Wales and south west England. The successful provider of this contract will be involved in supporting this activity, working closely with the Corporate Affairs Manager and the Corporate Affairs team. We recently completed a rebranding process, evolving a brand that has been positively received by customers and colleagues alike. We have new brand guidelines in place. Potential providers should demonstrate their ability to interpret, evolve, grow and broaden this brand across digital, print and other channels. WWU play a critical role in communities, and we are highly regulated. Potential providers should demonstrate their ability to operate within these boundaries, and how they will make sure that creative materials are pitched appropriately. As part of this contract we expect to request the following services: Multi-channel communications campaign development/delivery Multi-channel design support Strategic employee communications/engagement delivery We would expect the successful provider to work successfully alongside existing press, digital and public affairs agencies, to deliver these services. Much of our material is safety critical - letting the most vulnerable in society know what to do to keep themselves safe if they have a gas leak, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide. Therefore, potential providers should demonstrate that they have a clear understanding of the importance of accessibility - and set out the guidelines they would deliver work to. As a company that serves both Wales and south west England, potential providers should demonstrate how they can integrate the Welsh language into designed documents, while keeping the impact on design and production costs to a minimum. We are a small team with a large remit and therefore being able to work effectively and efficiently with our suppliers is paramount. It is crucial that both parties understand and agree on deliverables and deadlines and that high levels of communication are maintained at all times.

WWU require a supplier to design and install a hydrogen blending unit and associated equipment to blend up to a maximum of 20% hydrogen by volume into the customers' existing natural gas supply. The injection will take place downstream of the meter where the end use is combustion to provide heat to the customers existing process. The customer process in non-interruptible and should the blend ratio go above the maximum allowable or if there is any failure of the hydrogen supply the blending infrastructure must be able to revert to 100% natural gas in order to maintain supply to the customer. The blending infrastructure will need to be able to meet the requirements set out in the scope. These requirements are taken from the recently published FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR HYDROGEN BLENDING INFRASTRUCTURE a copy of which can be found in Appendix 1 in the scope. WWU will own and operate the hydrogen blending unit and any associated equipment which will be located at the customers site in line with Model 2 in the functional blending spec.