Free-Flow Charging Package C: Non-UK Enforcement Services

Tender description

Highways England is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major (trunk) roads in England. Highways England's road network totals around 4,300 miles and is commonly known as the strategic road network. The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing is a critical part of the strategic road network in the South East of England. It spans the River Thames between Dartford and Thurrock, approximately 16 miles east of central London, and forms a trunk road link (the A282 Trunk Road) that connects the M25 London Orbital motorway either side of the Thames to create a complete strategic road network around London. A road user charge has been collected at this crossing since 2003 to manage the high demand for its use, and the first generation of free-flow charging was introduced in late 2014. Work is currently underway to transition to the second-generation of free-flow charging. In support of the above, Highways England is preparing for the procurement of the third element of the second-generation Free-Flow Charging solution - Non UK Enforcement Services (Package C). This follows the award of separate contracts in April 2021 for Package A (Road User Charging) and Package B (UK Enforcement Services), and forms a key part of the transition to the second-generation service which will take place in November 2022. Lot 1: The management of enforcement activities for vehicles registered outside of the UK including penalty charge notice payment processing, website provision and merchant acquirer services. The contract will deliver the implementation of a new solution and transition of existing data within 8 months of the contract commencement date, anticipated to be March 2022. Key elements of the service will include provision of revenue protection services covering the enforcement lifecycle, including: - handling penalty charge records for contravention candidates and identifying the persons liable, - issuing and recovering penalty charge notices, and - managing and supporting the full scope of representations and appeals in the enforcement lifecycle. The service will also comprise of payment processing, in addition to financial reconciliation, banking, a payment gateway, and accounting services related to the road user charging scheme. The service will also require the provision of a customer support offering, utilising a suite of contact channels for managing communications (e.g. enquiries, complaints, Freedom of Information requests, subject access requests). In addition, the service provider will be required to output management information to a new Highways England data platform (currently in development). Additional information: Suppliers should note that any procurements that may be launched following this PIN, and any resulting contracts that may be awarded, may be in the name of Highways England on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport or in the name of the Secretary of State for Transport.