Published date: 22 March 2017

Last edited date: 22 March 2017

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 7 November 2016

Contract summary

Industry

  • Business and management consultancy services - 79410000

Location of contract

West Midlands, London

Value of contract

£0 to £138,000

Procurement reference

PROC.01.0533

Published date

22 March 2017

Closing date

7 November 2016

Contract start date

29 November 2016

Contract end date

3 March 2017

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Other:

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No


Description

The overall objectives of this work is to:

• Review the overall incentive framework for aligning company interests (including company management and investors) with customers now and in the long term. This includes the setting of the single notional allowed return on capital, ODIs, cost outperformance, financing outperformance, as well reputational and procedural incentives associated with risk based review of business plans to consider whether this is most likely to allocate risk and align returns with best interests of customers.

• Consider whether menu based differential on allowed return on equity would improve the overall incentive framework and what the implications might be for other elements of incentive package including outcome delivery incentives, totex and financing, if a differential cost of equity was to be introduced. Also consider whether a menu based differential in allowed return on equity would need to be modified to fit with overall incentive framework, in particular the outcome delivery incentives.

• Consider desirability and feasibility of setting differential returns on equity for water and wastewater companes on basis of risk and/or ambition of company business plans. If feasible, recommend an approach as to how a menu based approach cost of equity could be best implemented including how an appropriate differential in return could be set. This should include consideration of the impacts on the cost of equity in a 'lower for longer' interest rate scenario.

• Provide recommendations on the overall balance of financial and other incentives to best align company with customer interest now and in the longer term. This should include an assessment of the overall balance of incentive mechanisms. It should consider and provide recommendations on the development of appropriate incentive mechanisms for PR19, which may include the evolution or replacement of, mechanisms that applied at PR14.

• Consider the implications of a lower for longer interest rate scenario on the cost of equity for PR19. This will consider whether the CAPM approach remains appropriate for setting the cost of equity in an environment of extremely low interest rates for total market returns, risk free rate and equity premium and for estimating the equity beta.

We would welcome further suggestions from Contractors on what else should be considered as part of this work.

As part of this work the Contractor will also need to engage with us on outcomes and cost assessment work. The Contractor may also need to engage with companies individually, and potentially in a workshop in developing final proposals. We are separately appointing consultants to consider the future development of performance commitments and outcome delivery incentives and so the Contractor will also be required to liase with the consultants developing our approach to outcomes in developing its work on the balance of incentives and risk and reward.


More information

Attachments


Award information

Awarded date

23 November 2016

Contract start date

29 November 2016

Contract end date

3 March 2017

Total value of contract

£138,000

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Address

7 More London Riverside
London
SE1 2RT

Reference

None

Supplier is SME?

No

Supplier is VCSE?

No


About the buyer

Address

Centre City Tower
7 Hill Street
Birmingham
B5 4UA
England

Email

mailbox@ofwat.gsi.gov.uk