UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

Procurement using ESPO Framework, Recruitment Services

The service is a call-off arrangement to provide consultancy advice on improving infrastructure delivery performance. The design and timing of these activities will be developed in partnership with Ofwat and agreed prior to commencement.

This contract is for customer research to inform the narrative that can be used by the Delivery Body from the outset - so the WEC can begin its work with a strong understanding of which narratives and messages have resonance with customers, and how that may differ across different customer/ audience groups based on socio-demographics, region, etc.

Consultancy on how to develop the Delivery Directorate

Interim support to help deliver Ofwat's analysis and research that will underpin Ofwat's consultation, as well as help deliver the consultation document itself

Phase 1: 'As-Is' Analysis (5 days) Undertake a detailed diagnostic review of the two major project procurement contract documents provided by Ofwat, including the Thames Tideway model. The analysis will map the existing contractual provisions against key metrics, including: ● Incentivisation of collaborative behaviours and innovation. ● Risk allocation and dispute resolution mechanisms. ● Competence of duty holders. ● Data management, performance monitoring, and data recovery requirements. ● Alignment with social value and wider public benefit objectives. ● Compliance with the new legislative landscape. Phase 2: 'To-Be' Framework Definition (5 days) Drawing on expertise and targeted research, define best-in-class 'to-be' procurement wording. This wording will be synthesised from current UK industry practice and thought leadership, focusing on achieving Ofwat's strategic goals for: ● Accountability & Productivity: Incorporating principles from Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to align commercial interests and drive efficiency. ● Value for Money & Asset Performance: Defining mechanisms for establishing a 'digital data truth' through Common Data Environments (CDEs) and the 'golden thread' concept, enabling robust, whole-life asset performance monitoring. ● Social Value: Embedding the Procurement Act's shift to 'Most Advantageous Tender' to ensure competency and social value are a measurable and managed outcome. ● Legislative Compliance: Ensuring the framework is fully aligned with the specific requirements of the PA2023, ECCTA, and BSA. Phase 3: Gap Analysis & Action Plan Formulation (20 days) In the final phase, bring the findings together to provide Ofwat with a clear path forward. ● Conduct a systematic comparison of the 'as-is' analysis with the 'to-be' framework, producing a detailed gap analysis that highlights areas of misalignment and opportunity. ● From this, develop a pragmatic and prioritised set of recommended actionable terms for use with NEC4. This will provide Ofwat with a set of usable terms to bridge the gap between the current state and the desired future-ready model. ● These terms will be the subject of 2 x 1 day workshops facilitated to reflect Ofwat and industry consultation.

Undertake modelling work and produce quantitative models of the costs and risks of different credit and collateral arrangements in the business retail market, together with supporting documentation. The Supplier shall provide the following Deliverables to the Customer as part of the Services: (1) Review the 2016 model of credit support costs to understand principal inputs, outputs and parameters, taking into account any relevant feedback Ofwat may have received regarding that modelling and updates to the modelling documentation. This shall be a Word document. (2) Develop and produce an understanding of prepayment and post payment timelines regarding Retailer payments to Wholesalers, as specified under the Wholesaler Retailer Code The Supplier shall provide the following Deliverables to the Customer as part of the Services: (1) Review the 2016 model of credit support costs to understand principal inputs, outputs and parameters, taking into account any relevant feedback Ofwat may have received regarding that modelling and updates to the modelling documentation. This shall be a Word document. (2) Develop and produce an understanding of prepayment and post payment timelines regarding Retailer payments to Wholesalers, as specified under the Wholesaler Retailer Code (WRC) business terms (WRC Schedule 1 Part 2 Business terms §9 Billing and terms of payment - Available at: Market Codes - MOSL). (3) Develop and produce a quantitative model of impacts on and costs for a Retailer of providing different levels of collateral, under the payment timetables established in step (2). Principal costs should include the costs working capital and collateral. Modelling work should include sensitivities to four credit options. This shall be an Excel model. (4) Develop and produce a quantitative model of risk exposure and costs for a Wholesaler under different credit options. Sensitivities should include Retailer collateral provided as a proportion of a Wholesaler's total exposure, probability of Retailer default, and four credit options. This shall be an Excel model. (5) Write guidance documentation to explain and accompany both models, with a view to enabling external stakeholders and interested parties to understand and comment on the models and modelling assumptions. This shall be a Word document. Modelling work is to be carried in collaboration with Ofwat and relevant interim support. The quantitative models must be of a sufficient standard and robustness to be published on the Ofwat website.

Leakage review work package 3 Leakage WP3 - Smart Metering and Night Use Allowances

This Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency (VEAT) relates the intention to award of a contract to provide additional capacity to support the delivery of the Price Review (PR24), through the provision of flexible access to high quality resources across a range of technical skillsets within the scope of the following workstreams: Risk and return / cost of capital; Financial modelling; Data governance and modelling coordination; Direct procurement for customers; Costs; Outcomes and Leadership/ Coordination. The contract shall be awarded under Regulation 32 as Ofwat intends to award this public contract following the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice. Justification of this intention together with full details of the intended contract are included within sections II.2.4 and IV.1.1 of this notice.

We are looking for a Delivery Partner to work with us on the 2024 Price Review (PR24). PR24 will set the maximum revenue that companies can collect from customers as well as the outcomes they will deliver for 2025-2030 period. To help us meet the resourcing requirement for PR24, we are looking for support from a "Delivery Partner". By Delivery Partner we mean a flexible, efficient resourcing solution, that is capable of being adapted to respond to changing requirements throughout the period of the contract. Critically, it is an arrangement that brings additional resource into Ofwat that is able to successfully integrate into our internal delivery effort. In practice this means that the "Delivery Partner" will provide resource on a flexible basis. And the majority of work will be collaborative, with Delivery Partner staff working alongside Ofwat staff within multiple policy work-streams.

The main aim to establish what we can do when we consolidate our data in terms of having a dataset that consolidates the WINEP with Costs to illustrate what is getting spent where, and how that dataset maps to improvements in the environment. What we would like to do is explore a proof of concept that presents this data spatially, and tries to use some AI methodology as an art of the possible to present to senior leaders.

Leakage Review Project: Work Package 1 - International Comparison of leakage options from elsewhere in the world

The UK government has set economic growth as one of its key missions. OFWAT wishes to develop a quantitative estimate of the likely economic benefits of the major projects infrastructure investment programme, to help demonstrate our contribution to the economic growth agenda.

The WEC has a leadership role in driving water efficiency over the long term and will act as a 'centre of excellence'. To accelerate this role Supplier is undertaking a research and strategy process.

A full suite of proactive and reactive support, playing an active role in the development of materials - and leading as needed - in order to reduce the pressure on Ofwat and free up resource.