Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Essex County Council
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
Contact
Mr Benedict Itoyah
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Collective Energy Switching Scheme - Market Engagement
Reference number
DN694199
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 65400000 - Other sources of energy supplies and distribution
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
ECC seeks to support residents to access affordable and clean energy. Collective switching helps residents to access competitive and renewable energy tariffs and facilitates the process of switching.
ECC has previously successfully provided a collective energy switching service. The previous service which was promoted as the “Essex Energy Switch” between 2013 and 2021, resulted in over 15,700 households switching energy providers and saving on average £257 pa per household.
Ahead of publishing this opportunity in January 2024, the Council is looking to assess the interest and capability of the market to provide and deliver the requirement as set out in the Description of Procurement Section and would like to invite interested parties to register their interest and respond to the market engagement questionnaire that can be obtained via ProContract.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 38551000 - Energy meters
- 71314000 - Energy and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The aim of the collective energy switching scheme is to enable residents to access competitive energy tariffs. Essex County Council (ECC) is therefore looking to engage a collective energy switching contractor to operate this service and deliver savings to residents in Essex based on their individual circumstances.
The prospective contractor will be required to manage the entire collective energy switching scheme, from negotiating a group deal with utility providers, developing, and maintaining registration systems and promoting the service to encourage participation. Additionally, the contractor will be responsible for the full customer experience and be required to manage all complaints. The switching process needs to be easy to use, accessible to all households in Essex, and all data shall be managed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)2018 legislation. All electricity tariffs negotiated shall be renewable energy.
If you feel that you can meet the Council's objectives and requirement, please submit an Intent to Respond, download the Market Engagement Pack and respond to the questionnaire in it.
Further details and the Market Engagement Pack can be located via the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login. Log in as a Supplier and search the following: DN694199 / Collective Energy Switching Scheme - Market Engagement.
If you do not have an account, supplier registration is free of charge at https://procontract.due-north.com/Register and it provides access to all current and forthcoming procurement opportunities for Essex County Council alongside several other public sector organisations.
The deadline for the questionnaire responses is Wednesday 17th November 2023 at 4:00pm; all responses should be submitted via ProContract.
Please note that this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is not a call for competition and as such you will need to express your interest in any future tender opportunity once the contract notice is published in Find a Tender and on Contracts Finder.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
24 January 2024
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: Yes