Effective market entry processes ensure that access to the REC and REC Services is managed effectively and safely for the whole market. Robust exit procedures ensure no detriment when participants leave.
In our first period of operation we saw a significantly higher than anticipated volume of market entry applicants, particularly in the period September – December 2021.
This was largely due to transitional activities from the MRA and SPAA, as well as numerous EES access requests. We have developed robust internal processes to deal with this high volume area and received positive feedback from industry on how we have supported applicants through the market entry process.
With an unprecedented volume of supplier exits, we have liaised with affected parties and other Codes to progress expulsion from the REC.
We've received positive feedback on the waterfall stage gate approach employed for market entry, together with training videos to emphasise the support and transition to the REC from September 2021. We are actively working with Parties at every stage in the process to make sure expectations and proportionality are factored into our decision making and assurance approach. We are also leading on a longer term, market entry process improvement workstream which we are due to report to the PAB in June 2022. This will include looking at the entry process across code bodies and using what we have learnt since go-live to improve and make the process more efficient.
We've faced challenges during the Market Entry transition.
We adopted a process operated by the MRA, and have an action plan to modernise and simplify this process.
We've experienced increasing numbers of Market Entry applications, consiberably higher than estimated prior to REC go-live.
We've encountered some delays in processing EES applications due to teething problems in the process. Moreover, issues with the alignment between the Data Access Matrix and the EES system presented challenges in establishing the correct access for a number of Parties.
A number of complex applications to the REC Services has required us to increase the level of scrutiny applied, to provide comfort to the PAB over the intended purpose and associated safeguards in the provision of access to the services.
We also encountered a lack of clarity and structure for Parties operating under Controlled Market Entry Conditions (CMEC) transitioned from the previous code to the REC, particularly in respect of what stage of exit Parties had reached. However, we have now progressed several Parties through the CMEC exit process.
In support of our continuous improvement approach, we continue to identify and implement service enhancements.
We continue to explore longer term improvements to the entry process, engaging with other code bodies and using what we have learnt since go-live to make the process more efficient.