Provision of Customer Contact Managed Services
Commission for Regulation of Utilities
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy, district heating and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and businesses ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for all customers. The CRU’s mission is to protect the public interest in water, energy and energy safety. The CRU is guided by four strategic priorities that sit alongside the core activities we undertake to deliver on the public interest. These are: • Ensure security of supply • Drive a low carbon future • Empower and protect customers • Enable our people and organisational capacity Under the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity and Gas) (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2011 (SI 463 of 2011, as amended) and the Water Services Act 2014 (as amended), the CRU has a statutory duty to provide: • A single point of contact for all energy and water related customer queries/information requests, particularly to provide information on consumer rights and obligations, and • A free dispute resolution service for any customer with an unresolved complaint against an energy supplier, energy network operator or Uisce Éireann. The CRU’s Customer Care Team (“CCT”), in the Customer Policy and Protection and Legal division, is the team that fulfils this role and assists household and small business customers who have questions or complaints in relation to energy or water utilities in a helpful and accurate manner. In providing information and dispute resolution services to customers, the CCT is currently supported by an external contact centre provider (and has been for the last 13 years). Services currently provided are outlined below. Similar services are sought from a suitably qualified organisation for the next two years, with the option to extend by two further two-year periods, i.e. a possible total of six years. The successful tenderer will be the first point of contact for all customers seeking to avail of the information or dispute resolution services provided by the CCT. By way of context, volumes and complexity of queries and complaints handled by the CRU have increased notably over the last four years. Contact volumes are currently slightly below 2021-22 peaks, while complaint volumes continue to increase year-on-year. In 2023, the CRU’s customer care line received 6,816 inbound calls and 22,526 emails (including online web queries). 617 complex complaints (complaints that are investigated by the CRU) were opened. The CCT’s 2023 annual report (linked in previous section) will provide more information on the nature of queries and complaints received. Future contact volumes are uncertain, however we would note a trend in the subject matter areas covered by contacts becoming more complex, for example in relation to microgeneration support schemes and more complex smart tariff products being offered by energy suppliers. It is important that agents representing the CRU can understand a wide range of complex areas, and question customers effectively such that they can advise customers clearly and accurately on their rights in relation to energy, water and other areas that come into the CRU’s remit (such as district heating). Summary of services required: Provision of information service Provision of dispute resolution service Training agents, including developing new training materials Reporting Quality assurance Reception line
DeadlineThe time limit for receipt of tenders was 2024-09-27. The procurement was published on 2024-08-28.
Who? What?- • IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support › Data services
- • Market and economic research; polling and statistics › Market research services
- • Business and management consultancy services › General management consultancy services
- • Telephone-answering services › Telephone operator services
- • Telephone-answering services › Call centre
- • Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security › Recruitment services
- • Miscellaneous business and business-related services › Miscellaneous business-related services
| Date | Document |
|---|---|
| 2024-08-28 | Contract notice |
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: Provision of Customer Contact Managed Services
Short description:
“The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy, district heating and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and...”
Type of contract: Services
Products/services: Call centre 📦
Estimated value excluding VAT: 1 650 000 EUR 💰
Information about lots
Tenders may be submitted for maximum number of lots: 0
Description
Internal identifier: 0
Description of the procurement:
“The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy, district heating and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and...”
Type of contract: Services
Products/services: Call centre 📦
Additional products/services: Telephone-answering services 📦
Telephone operator services 📦
Recruitment services 📦
Miscellaneous business and business-related services 📦
Miscellaneous business-related services 📦
Business and management consultancy services 📦
General management consultancy services 📦
Data services 📦
Market research services 📦
Main site or place of performance:
“See associated documents - CFT 4215196”
Postal address: The Grain House
Belgard Square North
Tallaght
Postcode: D24 PXW0
Town: Dublin
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Place of performance: Dublin 🏙️
Title
Lot Identification Number: LOT-0001
Scope of the procurement
Additional products/services: Telephone-answering services 📦
Telephone operator services 📦
Recruitment services 📦
Miscellaneous business and business-related services 📦
Miscellaneous business-related services 📦
Business and management consultancy services 📦
General management consultancy services 📦
Data services 📦
Market research services 📦
Procedure
Type of procedure
Open procedure ✅
Legal basis: Directive 2014/24/EU
Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2024-09-27 12:00:00 📅
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2024-09-27 12:30:00 📅
Conditions for opening of tenders (place): https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=4215196
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️
Tendering terms
Tenderers may submit more than one tender
Opening date: 2024-09-27 12:30:00 📅
Place:
“https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=4215196”
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️
Electronic invoicing: Required
Electronic ordering will be used ✅
Electronic payment will be used ✅
Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Conditions for participation
List and brief description of rules and criteria:
“See associated documents - CFT 4215196”
Exclusion ground: nati-ground
Description of exclusion grounds:
“See associated documents - CFT 4215196”
Contracting authority
Name and addresses
Name: Commission for Regulation of Utilities
National registration number: Commission for Regulation of Utilities
Postal address: The Exchange, Belgard Sq North, Tallaght
Postal code: D24 PXW0
Postal town: Dublin
Region: Dublin 🏙️
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Contact point: Katarina Holohan
E-mail: procurement@cru.ie 📧
Phone: +35314000800 📞
URL: www.cru.ie 🌏
Address of the buyer profile: www.cru.ie 🌏
Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
Main activity
General public services
Communication
Documents URL: https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/listContractDocuments.do?resourceId=4215196 🌏
Participation URL: https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/viewTenders.do?resourceId=4215196 🌏
Electronic submission: Required
Complementary information
Review body
Name: The High Court of Ireland
National registration number: The High Court of Ireland
Department: The High Court of Ireland
Postal address: Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Postal code: D07 WDX8
Postal town: Dublin
Region: Dublin 🏙️
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
E-mail: highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie 📧
Phone: +353 1 8886000 📞
Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic payment will be used
Source: OJS 2024/S 168-519172 (2024-08-28)
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