High Court Enforcement Services

Concepts

• durham
• collection agency
• bailiff services
• high court enforcement services
• high court writs
• high court officer
• county court judgments
• service level agreement
• priority services
• court

Location

DURHAM

Description

Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), operating as Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and Essex and Suffolk Water (ESW), invites established companies to submit proposals for the issuance of High Court Writs. We have an aspirational target to issue 3 to 4,000 writs annually, however this is influenced by the external economic climate and customers circumstances. Volumes over the last two years have been as follows; - 2021/22 issued 4120 - 2022/23 issued 2500 These writs are generated from County Court Judgments through Civil national Business Centre The average writ value is £1,100 - £1,300, targeting domestic/household customers with water service charges debt, and a potential small number of non-household/commercial debts. NWL mandates that all prospective bidders for this Contract must be members of the Enforcement Conduct board.

Total Quantity or Scope

Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), operating as Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and Essex and Suffolk Water (ESW), invites established companies to submit proposals for the issuance of High Court Writs. We have an aspirational target to issue 3 to 4,000 writs annually, however this is influenced by the external economic climate and customers circumstances. Volumes over the last two years have been as follows; - 2021/22 issued 4120 - 2022/23 issued 2500 These writs are generated from County Court Judgments through Civil national Business Centre The average writ value is £1,100 - £1,300, targeting domestic/household customers with water service charges debt, and a potential small number of non-household/commercial debts. Contract Details NWL are looking to Contract with a maximum of three suppliers. We are offering a 3-year contract with the intended commencement in September 2024, subject to an initial trial period. The contract may be extended based on performance. The volume of batches will vary due to cyclical billing, with any batch exceeding 500 agreed upon in advance with successful Processor(s) Pre-Writ Activity and Customer Engagement Interested bidders must demonstrate the ability to carry out pre-writ activity, including residency checks and customer communication, providing an opportunity for engagement and payment without incurring fees. All debt has undergone a rigorous internal lettering process, with checks to exclude known vulnerable and absconded Judgment debtors by NWG prior to being issued for enforcement. Compliance and Data Protection Potential bidders must comply with our standard Service Level Agreement, Data Processing Agreement, and submit their Data Journey to ensure compliance with Data Protection Regulations. Flexibility in fees and interest forbearance, bespoke reporting (template can be provided), and adherence to a vulnerability policy, including the Debt Respite Scheme, are mandatory. … Essential Attributes Interested bidders must possess the following essential attributes: - Efficient bulk transfer process to the High Court - Background in handling utility debt on a bulk basis - Knowledge of the Water Industry and its regulatory obligations - Ability to provide two references with current success rates, one from a water or utility company. - Back-office support for instalment payment facilities and maintenance of payment arrangements Wide-ranging opening hours and suitably trained agents - Client visibility through real-time communication via an online portal - Adherence to vulnerability policies, with emphasis on mental health issues - Flexibility during the compliance period on offers from Judgment debtors. - Variability and flexibility of High Court Officer visits - Clear and timely invoicing strategy, including separation of writ, abortive, incoming payments, and VAT. - Willingness to upskill on Client support schemes and actively promote them. - Actively collate and record appropriate permissions where applicable to support the client's Priority Services Register

Renewal Options

The initial contract term will run from 01/09/2024 for three years to 31/08/2027. The option will be available to extend the Contract from a further two years to 31/08/2029. The total maximum duration of the Contract being five years

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 79940000 - Collection agency services
• 75242110 - Bailiff services

Indicators

• Bids should cover the whole contract.
• Options are available.
• Renewals are not available.
• Professional qualifications are sought.
• Award on basis of price and quality.

Other Information

Applicants are asked to note that this procurement process will be conduced electronically with all documents and communication being managed through the Northumbrian Water e-Sourcing Spend Management portal called 'Ariba'. Expressions of interest from this notice must be sent to the e-mail address laura.mcmain@nwl.co.uk before the deadline date of the 8 Feburary 2024 at 16:00hrs. Once expression of interest has been received that contains the details below, applicants will be given access to the Ariba portal within 48 hours from request. This portal will contain all the tender documents associated with this procurement that are available at the time. An email link will also be provided to the email address you provide to access the portal. The deadline for return of the completed PQQ is the 12th February 2024 at 12noon. When sending expression of interest, applicants must provide the following information: 1) Full company name 2) Main contact details of the person who will be given access to the Ariba portal - Name, job title, E mail address and telephone number There are a number of mandatory requirements set out in this notice (section III Conditions for participation) for inclusion in this tender process, please ensure you can meet these requirements before you express your interest