Commercial and Accountancy Support in relation to procurement of a Strategic Partner to transform Support Services

Our aim is to appoint a single firm or company (the Commercial Accountant) to act as Ofwat's commercial advisor throughout the procurement of the Strategic Partner. Our plan is to publish the contract documents by the end of June and therefore the successful firm will need to hit the ground running. We anticipate the procurement running until Christmas with contract signature taking place in January 2018. The business case includes a procurement plan which summarises the approach we are proposing.

Ofwat expects the Commercial Accountant to provide both technical financial services and commercial advice to assist Ofwat in striking the best possible deal it can. The specific services Ofwat requires includes:

• Undertake/supervise the evaluation of the supplier's financial status at the Selection Questionnaire stage.

• Develop an evaluation matrix for the financial aspects of the contract.

• Develop a payment mechanism and cost model for the contract.

• Participate in the competitive dialogue on the commercial aspects of the deal.

• Undertake tender pricing evaluation.

• Provide support throughout the procurement process.

Ofwat is seeking a Commercial Accountant with experience of supporting complex procurements. Preferably, we are seeking experience in procuring frameworks in Support Services and ideally through an In Source model. Ofwat is looking for a Commercial Accountant with significant experience of acting for the buyer in complex procurements. It is envisaged that the Commercial Accountant will be able to provide a team of consultants with junior and senior experience to ensure that work is undertaken cost effectively at an appropriate level.