Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services 3

This framework agreement provides retail services for water supply and wastewater (sewerage), along with essential ancillary services.

Description

This framework is a renewal of RM6178 Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services 2 and lasts for 4 years.

This framework helps you get water retail services, including:

  • managed water billing
  • customer service
  • optional services to help you use less water, save money and reduce carbon emissions

Public sector organisations with non-residential premises in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland can use this agreement. This includes:

  • schools
  • NHS trusts
  • local authorities

Organisations served by a water supplier in Wales can only switch water retailers if they use more than 50 million litres (ML) of water a year.

  • if you use more than 50 ML a year: you can choose to switch retailer or stay with your current supplier
  • If you use 50 ML or less a year: you will continue to get services from your regional water company and cannot switch using this framework

Contract options

You can set up a contract with a supplier at any time while the framework agreement is active.

Contracts can last for a maximum of 4 years. This is usually an initial 3-year period with an option to extend for 1 more year from when your supply starts.

To get a a contract you can:

  • run a further competition (sometimes called a mini-tender)
  • join an aggregated procurement run by Crown Commercial Service (CCS)

Benefits

  • access to aggregated competitions (collective buying)
  • accurate management information: consumption and billing data are supplied to your request, including self-service online
  • optional water efficiency programmes can be accessed when you need them
  • financial savings: on average customers achieved a 4% reduction against the average retail margin using the existing agreement RM6178 Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services 2 (with some customers achieving up to a 10% reduction)
  • a dedicated account manager that offers a personalised service
  • a dedicated customer service team for improved support and query management
  • a dedicated CCS commercial team
  • choice of billing format (consolidated billing, electronic billing and paper billing)
  • quality service with suppliers monitored against framework Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), this now includes social value)
  • time and resource savings through simplified procurement process and supplier rationalisation

Carbon Reduction

All suppliers have committed to comply with Procurement Policy Note 006, 'Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts' as required. If a supplier is required to publish a carbon reduction plan, you can find it on their individual supplier details page.

Products and suppliers

There are 9 suppliers on this agreement

Lot 1: Water and Wastewater

Expires:

8 suppliers

Lot 2: Ancillary Services

Expires:

8 suppliers

Lot 3: One Stop Shop

Expires:

7 suppliers

How to buy

Buying from Lot 1 and Lot 2

You must run your own further competition to buy from these lots. CCS no longer runs aggregated competitions for Lot 1.

How to run your own competition

  1. Contact us to start.

Before you do anything else, you must email our team to outline your plans.

  1. Check you can use the agreement
  • confirm your organisation is eligible through your water company or Ofwat
  • get budget approval from within your organisation
  • decide on a sourcing tool, such as your own or the free CCS eSourcing tool
  1. Create your specification.

You must prepare documents that detail what you need. This includes:

  • complete a water switching template
  • your specification (a description of the goods and services required)
  • your evaluation criteria (how you will score bids on quality and price)
  1. Run the competition.
  • prepare your documents, including an Invitation to Tender (ITT)
  • invite all suppliers from the relevant lot to bid, allowing at least 3 weeks (note that some suppliers are not on all lots)
  • evaluate the proposals against the criteria set out in your ITT
  • award and finalise the contract

Once you have chosen a supplier, you must notify all bidders and provide feedback. Email our team to let us know the outcome.

  1. Complete the contract.
  • send a completed order form and call-off agreement to the successful supplier
  • receive the signed agreement back from the supplier
  • sign the agreement to establish the contract
  • publish the contract award

You must publish the award details on Contracts Finder within 90 days of the contract being signed.

For more information, take a look at our buyer guide.

Buying from Lot 3

  1. Contact us to start.

Before you do anything else, you must email our team to outline your plans.

  1. Complete the water switching template
  • this will enter one of the aggregated competitions held each year in April and October
  1. We will then run the competition on your behalf.
  • this involves a full evaluation of price and quality
  • we will contact you with the details of the winning supplier
  1. Complete the contract.
  • send a completed order form and call-off agreement to the successful supplier
  • receive the signed agreement back from the supplier
  • sign the agreement to establish the contract
  • publish the contract award

You must publish the award details on Contracts Finder within 90 days of the contract being signed.

You can also run your own Lot 3 competition at any time following the steps for Lot 1 and Lot 2 above. For more information, take a look at our buyer guide.

Documents