Source: https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a13c43-7b9d-710f-ac94-e511ed1b3de0/protecting-customer-credit-in-the-event-of-a-disorderly-retail-exit closed GB open procedure Suitable for SMEs # Protecting customer credit in the event of a disorderly retail exit [Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)](https://tendernation.io/buyers/water-services-regulation-authority-ofwat) Estimated value £20,000 to £30,000 Published 17 Jul 2019 Deadline Closed 13 Aug 2019 ## Who can bid - Buyer says suitable for SMEs The buyer ticked “suitable for SMEs” on the notice. Anyone can still bid. - Small contract value Valued under £135,018 including VAT, the lowest Procurement Act threshold for goods and services. - Open procedure Anyone can submit a full tender; there is no shortlisting stage. [More contracts for small businesses and VCSEs](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/for-small-businesses) ## About this tender The overall objectives of the project are, in the event a retailer makes a disorderly exit, to: - Gather options for protecting customers' monies; - Assess whether there is, or could be, a mechanism to provide recourse for retailers to recover the (reasonable) costs of honouring credit balances when taking over the supply of affected customers; - Recommend the most effective option(s) for protecting customers' monies and mitigating the exposure of the incoming retailer, including an assessment of any legal or regulatory changes that may need to be made to the existing framework, as appropriate. In order to achieve the overall objectives, the Customer requires that the following key tasks ("the Services") will be carried out by the Supplier: Key Task 1 - By reviewing what other regulators (including, but not limited to, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, Ofgem, the FCA and the CAA) do to protect customers' money or provide recourse for retailers (or similar) to recover the (reasonable) costs of covering credit balances, and by reference to your experience of similar organisations, set out what mechanisms exist that are used to protect customer money. In doing so, highlight pros and cons across the different schemes. Key Task 2 - Set out the costs and risks associated with incoming retailers taking on credit balances of an outgoing retailer (Ofwat will provide background information). Key Task 3 - Evaluation and Options proposal - From your own knowledge, advise on any options to: - Secure customers money, including but not limited to, instances where they have made pre-payments, deposits, etc. - Introduce mechanisms for incoming retailers to be able to claim money back where they have taken on/ honoured credit balances from an outgoing retailer. We require Task 3 to involve stakeholder engagement, which may involve stakeholder workshops, so as to incorporate views from trading parties and customer groups. ### Key Deliverables The Supplier will provide the following as key Deliverables of the project: Deliverable 1 - Draft report will incorporate all key tasks 1, 2, and 3. The draft report will be subject to acceptance and sign off by the Associate Director, Market Outcomes and Enforcement (MOE), before moving on to the next stage. Deliverable 2 - Final report - to include any feedback received from Ofwat on Deliverable 1. The final report will be subject to acceptance and sign off by the Director, Business Retail, MOE. ### Timescales The Supplier will provide the key deliverables in accordance with the following timescales: ### Key Deliverables Date ### Deliverable 1 14 October 2019 ### Deliverable 2 25 November 2019 It is expected that the contract will commence on 29 August 2019 and the signing off of the Final Report by the Director, Business Retail, MOE (16 December 2019) shall be the contract Expiry Date. More details can be found in the Invitation to Tender (ITT). Read full description ## CPV classification Business and management consultancy and related services Source Contracts Finder (UK) [View official notice](https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/a7756c7f-378f-4d45-a320-d614c5128ada) Never miss a tender like this again Get AI summaries, deadline alerts and a bid pipeline for tenders matched to your business. Free to start. [Track tenders free](https://tendernation.io/register) [Buyer profile Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat): past awards and live tenders](https://tendernation.io/buyers/water-services-regulation-authority-ofwat) [Sector More Business services tenders](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services) ## More tenders like this [Supply services of personnel including temporary staff – Flexibele capaciteitsschil ICT-professionals · Provincie Noord-Brabant · 91 days left · 18 Jan 2027](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6eb4-70f6-8d1b-e1d174f83ea1/netherlands-supply-services-of-personnel-including-temporary-staff-flexibele) [Market research services – Suivi des marchés pour le secteur Spatial · Centre National D'etudes Spatiales · 31 days left · 19 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6d52-72ca-8443-0f5874823be1/france-market-research-services-suivi-des-marches-pour-le-secteur-spatial) [Advertising and marketing services – Personalmarketingagentur\_Stellenanzeigen · Berliner Feuerwehr · 32 days left · 20 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6347-72f7-8491-b98e903a3ff7/germany-advertising-and-marketing-services-personalmarketingagentur-stellena) [Printing and distribution services – impression, façonnage, MISE SOUS PLI et routage de supports de communication POUR LES services DU departement de lot-et-garonne - 4 lots · Conseil Départemental du Lot-et-Garonne · 45 days left · 3 Dec 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6342-737e-9c91-e518c28582e6/france-printing-and-distribution-services-impression-faconnage-mise-sous-p) [Customer-care services – Servicio de atención ciudadana 010, centralita y atención presencial para el Ayuntamiento de Valladolid · Concejalía Delegada General del Área de Hacienda, Personal y Modernización Administrativa del Ayuntamiento de Valladolid · 35 days left · 23 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6465-7316-bb64-ce8123cbca0c/spain-customer-care-services-servicio-de-atencion-ciudadana-010-centralita) [Survey conduction services – Accords-cadres à bons de commande de prestations de services relatifs à la réalisation d'une enquête de satisfaction annuelle sur la qualité de service et la réalisation d'appels de courtoisie auprès des nouveaux clients locataires de PARTENORD HABITAT et PARTIMMO - Relance du lot n°2 suite à déclaration sans suite (n°26190) · Partenord Le groupe · 28 days left · 16 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a156a9-6fbe-70d0-b410-7283546d6344/france-survey-conduction-services-accords-cadres-a-bons-de-commande-de-prest)