CCCC17A02 - Provision of Consultancy for the Project on Upfront Payments

Under the current rail franchising model, bidders propose the franchise payments that they are willing to pay (or the subsidy they require) for each year of the franchise term. In return, the Department gives the winning bidder the right (and the obligation) to deliver the services specified in the Franchise Agreement. Advice is being sought on what options are available for requesting upfront payments for rail franchises and the impact such payments structures could have on the incentives of bidders, operators, taxpayers and passengers. Furthermore, the Department wishes to understand whether it should consider requesting upfront payments for different franchise structures it may tender in future. The Department for Transport are looking to secure excellent value for money and timely delivery for this Work Package. It is essential that the designated resources that the financial advisers deploy have the following skills and experience for this project: • Experience working on Rail franchise competitions, particularly considering how the structure of commercial propositions put forward by the Department influences bidder behaviour and franchise robustness; and, • The ability to produce, at short notice, high quality and robust analysis within the timelines set by the Project Team. Further details can be found within the full documentation attached to this notice.

Additional information: How to apply Instructions to Potential Providers:

Potential Providers must first be registered on the Crown Commercial Service e-Sourcing Suite in order to respond to the Procurement. If you have not yet registered on the e-Sourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link 'Register for CCS e-Sourcing'.

Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so at the Invitation to Tender stage. Potential Providers should note that it could take up to 10 working days to obtain a DUNS number. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at: http://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am-supplier/respond-tender

Once you have registered on the e-Sourcing Suite, you will need to express your interest by emailing [email protected].

Your email must clearly state: - name/reference of this procurement - the name of the registered supplier; and - the name and contact details

Crown Commercial Service will then process your registration and assign your organisation to the opportunity. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.

It is advised however that Potential Providers register as soon as practically possible in order to receive the Invitation to Tender and have a sufficient amount of time to respond. Crown Commercial Service is not able to offer any extensions to the advertised procurement timetable.

For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact the Helpdesk: Freephone: 0345 010 3503 Email:Â [email protected]