Ofwat has awarded a contract for the development of coms materials worth an estimated £96,000 (inc VAT) "to reduce the pressure on Ofwat"
The water sector regulator has awarded the contract without going out to formal tender for what it describes as “the full suite of proactive and reactive support, playing an active role in the development of materials - and leading as needed - in order to reduce the pressure on Ofwat and free up resource.”
The procurement was undertaken before the publication of the Independent Water Commission's final report led by Sir Jon Cunliffe on 21st July without competition because the value was below threshold .
The contract with London-based firm Strand Partners was signed on 15 June 2025 – contract term runs from 16 June 2025 to 16 October 2025 with a further possible extension option to 16 January 2026.
The contract may be extended at the discretion of Ofwat for up to 3 months in single or multiple monthly terms and also extended or amended by contract variation.
Very little information is provided about Strand Partners on the company’s website, other than stating it is a new advisory firm which provides communications, policy and research advice to businesses facing complex challenges posed by the outside world.
According to Director at Strand Partners George Kotschy’sLinkedIn profile, with over a decade of experience protecting the reputations of high-profile organisations, he specialises in providing expert senior counsel on media handling, issues management and crisis response and getting to grips with complex and often sensitive media issues and advising senior figures – including government ministers, chief executives and board members.
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