Regulatory Economics, Price Review Planning and Strategy Consultancy

This notice is seeking expressions of interest for establishment of a Framework Agreement for Regulatory Economics, Price Review Planning and Strategy Consultancy across Yorkshire Water Services' (referenced 'YWS' herein) different businesses.

Services will include a number of specialist consulting services on several regulatory aspects impacting YWS currently or potentially in the future. Also, the services will cover the impact of regulatory finance on YWS business.

Successful bidders will work alongside YWS to provide a range of Regulation and Financial Pricing and Planning/Regulatory Finance Consultancy. This procurement intends to place a framework agreement for a 3 years initial term with the potential to extend for up to additional 1 year (3 + 1, with a total estimated value (excluding VAT) of 4,100,000.00 GBP over the 3 years. Securing a place in the framework agreement does not guarantee bidders any volumes of work but will enable the bidder to bid for individual pieces of work over the next 3 to 4 years.

Typical individual pieces of work will include:

1. Provide analysis and supporting evidence for regulatory body and government department consultation responses (Ofwat, Environment Agency, Defra, National Infrastructure Commission, HM Treasury, BEIS, etc.).

2. Provide regulatory and economic support in the development and delivery of the business plan and price review submissions.

3. Provide strategic support for regulatory, competition and markets activities.

4. Provide technical support for: regulatory economics, competition economics and law (as relevant for regulated sectors), behavioural and environmental economics.

5. Provide technical support in regulatory concepts, including: cost assessment, incentives, risk assessment, wider value assessment (social and natural capital).

6. Support YWS with any future referrals to the regulator for casework including CMA referrals.

7. Provide project/ programme management support in relation to a price review programme.

8. Preparation of regulatory positioning papers to support the development of economic, social and/or environmental related policy positions for both internal and external audiences.

9. Provide performance and economic comparative benchmarking data and analysis across the water sector and across multiple sectors.

10. Impact assesses regulatory changes in collaboration with YWS.

11. Provide support for YWS on industry working groups through the development of knowledge/position papers and/or the provision of subject expert representation.

12. Develop pricing policy and tariff design related to current and emergent markets in compliance with charging principles, guidance and rules and the Competition Act.

13. Promote improvement of the regulatory financial model.

14. Provide data and financial analysis to optimise revenue recovery.

Bidders are required to cover at least one of the above-mentioned project areas to qualify.

The Process:

1. First stage - Quality criteria: All bidders will be assessed from a capability perspective at the beginning of the process (RFI / PQQ stages). Bidders will need to provide case studies that evidence their depth and breadth of experience related to services part of this procurement, among other qualitative questions. Bidders will be required to provide supporting case studies. YWS might conduct reference checks related to the submitted case studies.

Scoring criteria for each of the PQQ / RFI questions will be shared alongside the questionnaire. Bidders that do not meet the minimum criteria, will be excluded from the process at this stage.

2. Second stage - Commercial criteria: Bidders will be requested to submit commercials for the provision of the service (YWS reserves the right to execute multiple commercial rounds). YWS will evaluate bidders from a qualitative and commercial perspective. Overall scoring criteria will be shared alongside the procurement documentation.