Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
STOKE-ON-TRENT CITY COUNCIL
Civic Centre
STOKE-ON-TRENT
ST41HH
Contact
Agnes Ashun
Telephone
+44 1782237651
Fax
+44 1782237651
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Electronic Bill Payment Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 66110000 - Banking services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is seeking to procure a provider for electronic bill payment services that will allow residents to make payments at PayPoint and Post Office locations for council-related charges, including:
- Council Tax
- Housing Rent
- Other Miscellaneous Payments Owed to the Council
The selected provider must facilitate seamless payment processing, ensure timely deposit of funds into the council's bank account, and provide secure transaction reporting.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 30162000 - Smart cards
- 66172000 - Financial transaction processing and clearing-house services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The contract will involve the provision of an electronic bill payment service with the following key features:
1. Payment Processing at PayPoint and Post Office Locations:
- Residents must be able to make payments at any PayPoint or Post Office location nationwide.
- Transactions must be processed efficiently, ensuring minimal delays.
2. Transaction Rerouting:
- The provider must ensure the rerouting of transactions is completed within 4 weeks of contract commencement without any disruption to customers.
3. Custom Reference Generation:
- The council must have the ability to generate and manage unique customer references for each payment transaction.
4. Third-Party Card Printing Integration:
- The provider must enable the council to use a third-party supplier to print bill payment cards as required.
5. Timely Income Management:
- Funds collected at PayPoint and Post Office locations must be deposited into the council's designated bank account within 3 working days.
- Income can be provided net of transaction fees.
6. Secure Reporting and Data Access:
- The provider must supply a secure web-based portal for transaction monitoring.
- Transaction data must be accessible in multiple formats, including:
- Downloadable reports in .csv format.
- Automated data transfers via SFTP.
- Real-time or scheduled data access via API integration to enable seamless data exchange with council systems.
7. Scalability and Flexibility:
- The solution must accommodate fluctuating transaction volumes.
- Estimated annual volume: 215,000 transactions (125,000 PayPoint, 90,000 Post Office).
The council wishes to continue fulfilling its current services to the same high standard, though recognizes the need to engage with the innovative providers within the market to better understand the wider offer which may be available in an ever developing digital service area.
If you are interested in any further discussions regarding this notice please contact Gabriella.brown@stoke.gov.uk with the reference 'Electronic Bill Payments' where additional details can be discussed.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
1 April 2025
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The procurement will be conducted as an open and competitive tender process, ensuring compliance with public sector procurement regulations.
This PIN serves as early notification to potential suppliers regarding this upcoming opportunity. Interested parties are encouraged to express interest and provide feedback on the proposed scope of services.