Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)
Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street
Birmingham
B5 4UA
Telephone
+44 1216447534
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA24607
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Economic regulatory of the water industry - England and Wales
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Price Review 2024 Professional services – Prior Information Notice
Reference number
PROC.01.0754
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 65000000 - Public utilities
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Ofwat intends to publish an invitation to tender in September 2022 for professional services relating to economics, engineering and management consultant expertise to help us deliver our Price Review 2024 (PR24). The intention is to have the contract in place for Spring 2023, a core team established by April 2023 and full ramp-up in Autumn 2023 prior to business plan submission on 2 October 2023.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Procurement timeline
Ofwat intends to publish an invitation to tender in September 2022 for professional services relating to economics, engineering and management consultant expertise to help us deliver our Price Review 2024 (PR24). The intention is to have the contract in place for Spring 2023, a core team established by April 2023 and full ramp-up in Autumn 2023 prior to business plan submission on 2 October 2023.
What a Price Review is
Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and wastewater sector in England and Wales. One of the ways we regulate is to set the price, investment, and service package that customers receive. Monopoly water companies, working with their customers, will develop business plans to cover the period of the next price control (2025-2029). Our role is to:
set the framework and methodology
check and challenge the company’s business plans, and
determine the five-year price, service and incentive package for each company
The problem that we intend to solve
During the final determination stage of the price review, from September 2023 to December 2024, our outputs as a regulator will increase significantly. As part of our resourcing solution, we want to procure flexible resourcing options from the private sector to help with the peaks of activity. They will also provide additional skills in regulatory and corporate finance and tax, engineering, economics, financial modelling and regulatory policy advice. By way of an example of the issue we face, over the course of the 18-month contract from our last price review (PR19) our peak resource requirement from consultancy and engineering firms peaked at 31 staff members in one month but in others it was as low as 5 FTE.
The options that we are considering for PR24
There are currently two options we are considering to meet this requirement.
A consortium of companies with one acting as Lead
Two or three separate contracts with companies to cover the main areas of expertise that we require: economics, engineering and management consultancy.
Next steps
We will hold a workshop via MS Teams on 20 July 2022 before proceeding with the procurement process. Please let us know if you are interested in attending the event by emailing pr24.pmo@ofwat.gov.uk. We welcome questions and comments in advance and there will be a full Q&A session during the workshop.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
30 July 2022
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
We will hold a workshop via MS Teams on 20 July 2022 before proceeding with the procurement process. Please let us know if you are interested in attending the event by emailing pr24.pmo@ofwat.gov.uk. We welcome questions and comments in advance and there will be a full Q&A session during the workshop.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the myTenders Web Site at https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=226701.
(MT Ref:226701)