Contract award notice – utilities
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Thames Water Utilities Ltd
Procurement Support Centre — 3rd Floor East, C/O Mail Room, Rose Kiln Court
Reading
RG2 0BY
UK
E-mail: procurement.support.centre@thameswater.co.uk
NUTS: UKJ11
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.thameswater.co.uk
I.6) Main activity
Water
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Reward Portal — Flexible Benefits
Reference number: FA1508
II.1.2) Main CPV code
48000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
II.1.4) Short description
Thames Water is intending to appoint a single supplier to provide and implement a replacement off-the-shelf reward and benefits portal that delivers an improved employee experience and will support the modernisation of the total reward package offered by Thames Water allowing the company to attract and retain talent.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Lowest offer:
/ Highest offer:
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKI
UKJ
Main site or place of performance:
Whole of the Thames Water region.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The reward portal project underpins all reward and recognition activity across the whole of Thames Water. We are seeking a single supplier to provide a technology platform that will administer the following scope for the new total reward package solution:
(a) retailer discounts (i.e. employee discounts and offers);
(b) flexible benefits (e.g. holiday trading, insurances, etc.);
(c) salary sacrifice schemes (e.g. Cycle to Work, electric vehicles, etc.);
(d) reward and recognition (e.g. eCards, long service awards, etc.);
(e) total reward statement;
(f) health and wellbeing (e.g. gym discounts, financial wellbeing, etc.);
(g) communication (e.g. blogs, etc.).
The portal will be a central repository and an interactive system for all pay and benefits information, which must be able to link to third party sites and be accessible on multiple devices. The headcount in scope for this agreement is c.6 800 employees. The principle bidder is likely to be the primary vendor of the proposed technology platform who will administer a large proportion of the reward schemes themselves, working closely with a small number of strategic partners who will deliver the remaining services. The supplier will be responsible for the provision of the platform and providing employee user subscriptions to the platform, the provision of rewards schemes via the platform, cloud services (if applicable), and support and maintenance services in respect of the platform.
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Any agreement awarded would be for an initial duration of 3 years with options to extend annually up to a maximum of 8 years.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated with call for competition
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with a single operator.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2020/S 159-389207
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: 1
Title: Reward Portal — Flexible Benefits
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
24/05/2021
V.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Reward Gateway (UK) Ltd
London
UK
NUTS: UKI
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
All suppliers who wish to respond to this notice must request a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) by using the link in section I.3) of this notice, i.e. https://www.thameswater.co.uk/procurement
Note that your client may be Thames Water Utilities Ltd or another company within the Kemble Water group structure.
This notice is publication of award.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Thames Water Utilities Ltd
Reading
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Thames Water Utilities Ltd will incorporate a standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. The standstill period, which will be for a minimum of 10 calendar days, provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Thames Water Utilities Ltd
Reading
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
21/06/2021