Internal Communications · UK public procurement notice

Wales & West Utilities Limited is looking to appoint a creative design, strategic communications, and employee engagement agency to support the delivery of our internal communications and engagement strategy.

Wales & West Utilities are tendering this contract now as they wish to get the appropriate level of support in place at a challenging time in the energy sector - with increasing focus on sustainability and the future of energy, security of supply, and cost to customers.

Internally, after a period of disruption and change driven by business change to address our new price control and the pandemic, we are focused on settling our business and our colleagues and looking towards the future. This sits alongside our day-to-day activity to communicate the work we do to keep the gas flowing safely to communities across Wales and southwest England.

Potential providers must make sure that they are able to meet the following specification for the delivery to WWU:

• The intention is to contract for an initial term of 3 years with the option to extend for further two years via two 12-month increments.
• The successful provider of this contract will be working closely with the Internal Communications team which is a small team of two individuals. On a day-to-day basis this would involve emails, telephone calls and virtual meetings with our Internal Communications Manager and Communications & Colleague Engagement Officer.

•We have new brand guidelines in place. Potential providers should demonstrate their ability to interpret, evolve, grow, and broaden this brand across internal digital, print and other channels. To facilitate this, we will share our brand guidelines and specifications.

• As part of this contract, we expect to request the following services:
• Internal communications campaign development/delivery
• Internal communication brand/design support
• Strategic employee communications/engagement delivery
• Delivery and analysis of output of employee engagement surveys.

We are a small team with a large remit and therefore being able to work effectively and efficiently with our suppliers is paramount. It is crucial that both parties understand and agree on deliverables and deadlines and that high levels of communication are always maintained.

Our team at Wales & West Utilities

• We have around 2000 colleagues - broadly split into two distinct groups: approx. 1600 operational staff delivering engineering work, and approx. 400 head office support staff.
• Our Operations team is built around four main processes: responding to gas emergencies, connecting new homes and businesses to the gas network, maintaining our above ground installations, and upgrading the gas network so its fit for the future.
• We have a number of agency and contractor staff which presents challenges from an internal communications perspective.
• Of our colleagues, only 17% are female, while a large number have worked for the company (and our predecessors) for over 30 years
• Following the Coronavirus pandemic, we have introduced a hybrid working policy, which enables our office-based colleagues to work from home for up to 50% of the working week
• We have recently completed two significant business change exercises:

o Voluntary Redundancy

o Insourcing of Operational Contractors: we insourced approx. 600 engineering colleagues in 2021-2 to deliver our gas pipe upgrade programme

• A significant business transformation programme is ongoing.
• There are a number of factors which mean we face some engagement challenges here at WWU; some which are unique to us, others which are a result of external factors.

o Back office/home based working vs operational working across disparate locations across a national border.

o A broad literacy range.

o A wide-ranging spectrum of IT literacy

o A change-fatigued workforce

o A shift in expectations means that colleagues expect more from the workplace - which has changed culturally due to hybrid working.