Non-Household Customer Research into Retail Competition Awareness

Objectives of the work A strong factor for market success, and for the benefits to be delivered, is customer awareness. If customers are sufficiently aware of, and engage with, the opening of the retail market then they can promote effective competition by being actively involved in managing their water retail services.

The research needs to provide the programme with a clear baseline for the current levels of non-household (business, charities and public sector) customers’ awareness. This should include their understanding of the forthcoming ability to switch supplier and perceived or actual barriers to switching. The research findings will then enable the programme to implement appropriately targeted communications and engagement activities to increase awareness. It will also give us a baseline for post market opening monitoring.

Key Outputs and Deliverables The Provider is required to deliver the following key outputs: • An agreed programme for the research (including scope and timelines) • All raw survey data in an agreed format • Draft and final reports on questionnaire results • Draft and final reports on initial findings, analysis and recommendations from the questionnaire • Draft and final detailed report on findings, analysis and recommendations from the focus groups

Timescales To ensure that effective action can be taken before the market opens, the research needs to be completed by 18 November 2016 with a service start date of 19 September 2016 or earlier. We would expect to see emerging results as and when they are available. We appreciate that both phases of the research may need to happen in parallel to meet this deadline.