Water Retail Services
Framework Description
NEPO311 Water Retail Services is a framework under which a single supplier, Wave, provides water, wastewater and related retail services to non-household customers, in line with the Water Act 2014 market reforms. It is a single-lot framework, not a DPS, running to 31 March 2028 with an option to extend to 31 March 2029.
Context & Use Case
Since the Water Act 2014 opened the non-household water retail market, public bodies in England can choose their water retailer. NEPO311 lets councils, schools and other public organisations switch their sites to Wave through a compliant route, consolidating billing and account management for water and wastewater services across their estates.
Scope of Services
Water supply services for non-household customers Wastewater services Related retail services such as billing and account management Single supplier: Wave
Lots
Single lot
Who Can Apply
This is a single-supplier framework awarded to Wave, so other water retailers cannot join it. The re-procurement, likely around March 2028 or, if extended, March 2029, is the next opportunity for retailers to compete.
Buyer Benefits
Public bodies with many sites want one water retailer, consolidated billing and a compliant way to switch. A NEPO single-supplier route provides that without each organisation running its own procurement. Consolidated billing also gives estates teams clearer data on water use across sites.
Next Steps
Water retailers should plan for the re-procurement, building evidence of public sector account management, billing accuracy, water efficiency support and switching. Watch NEPO's framework page from 2027 onwards for the replacement procurement. Prepare case studies of multi-site switching and data on customer service.
How Athena Can Help
NEPO311 is a single-supplier framework until at least 2028. Athena's competitive strategy advice helps water retailers decide where to compete in the meantime, and our utility framework research identifies other utility frameworks open now or due to open.
When NEPO re-procures, our bid development writes and checks your bid, from account management answers to a pricing model that wins. We also model how your bid is likely to score against other retailers.
