Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Business and Trade
London
steven.williams3@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-and-trade
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Department for Business and Trade- Business Support Service (tendered as ‘Business Information Service 2024’)
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Department for Business and Trade has procured a service to
provide information, advice, guidance and signposting for any kind of business,
including pre-start-ups, in England. This new service will replace the existing
Business Support Helpline.
The aim of the Business Information Service is to increase and encourage access
to relevant high quality business support, save businesses time and resource,
and ultimately help businesses to start, grow and thrive – in particular Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £7,500,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75100000 - Administration services
- 79342300 - Customer services
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
- 79512000 - Call centre
- 79900000 - Miscellaneous business and business-related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Department for Business and Trade has procured a service to
provide information, advice, guidance and signposting for any kind of business,
including pre-start-ups, in England. This new service will replace the existing
Business Support Helpline.
The aim of the Business Information Service is to increase and encourage access
to relevant high quality business support, save businesses time and resource,
and ultimately help businesses to start, grow and thrive – in particular Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
The Business Information Service will be expected to provide bespoke,
unscripted advice (via telephone, email, webchat, social media, and other
messaging services, but not face-to-face) on a wide range of topics including
starting a business, accessing finance, and business planning.
The service will need to maintain a database of information on business support
in England for use by the service’s advisers. This database will also need to be
accessible to other users, such as advisers based in Growth Hubs. The service
will be demand-led so should be flexible. It must provide capacity to meet at
least 50,000 inbound contacts, with at least 10,000 in-depth appointments per
annum. It must also be capable of rapidly scaling-up (at extra cost) in response
to economic shocks and other pressures.
The service will be expected to operate within standard hours, but should have a
robust process for out-of-hours contacts.
The service is expected to go live on 1 April 2024 – following a minimum three
month mobilisation period. We expect the contract to run for up to three years –
initially for one year with the option to extend the contract on an annual basis
for three more. The initial contract value is anticipated to be up to £2.5 million per annum (including VAT).
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Options to extend the contract for a further 2 years on a 1+1 basis
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2023/S 000-023485
four.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
con_5415
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
1 January 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
UMi Commercial Limited
Burham
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £7,500,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The Department for Business and Trade
London
Country
United Kingdom