Tender

NAC/5057 Housing Advice, Advocacy and Education Service

  • North Ayrshire Council

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-005587

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-028f7a

Published 19 March 2021, 9:16am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

North Ayrshire Council

Cunninghame House, Friars Croft

Irvine

KA12 8EE

Email

procurement@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM93 - East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Buyer's address

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00337

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

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

NAC/5057 Housing Advice, Advocacy and Education Service

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

North Ayrshire Council (the Council) provides advice and information to prevent homelessness and to assist homeless households to understand their rights, by providing an accredited in-house advice service within the Housing Services Homeless Advice Team (HAT). This free advice service is available to anyone over the age of 16 and is tailored to meet to individual needs and circumstances.

Delivery of an independent advice, advocacy and information service across North Ayrshire will enhance the existing in-house provision and ensure the Council meets its statutory obligations. There is likely to be an increasing need for advocacy as indicated by an aging population and levels of deprivation.

As part of the latest Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) recommendations, during the current coronavirus pandemic the service should ensure communication is accessible to everyone to obtain advocacy.

The Council requires to contract a Service which can provide independent advice, advocacy and information provision for households at risk of homelessness. The Service Provider must also advocate on behalf of homeless people throughout the homelessness process, assisting them to enforce their statutory rights. As homelessness is not only a housing issue, we are looking for the Service Provider to adopt a pro-active approach to preventing homelessness. The Council therefore requires the Provider of this Service to develop and deliver educational packages for the 9 secondary schools within North Ayrshire in addition to youth groups and colleges, to support the commitment of the Council to prevent youth homelessness and raise the awareness of the reality of homelessness and to address the increase in homeless presentations from young people to prevent future homelessness from this group.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £227,253

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM93 - East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

North Ayrshire Council (the Council) provides advice and information to prevent homelessness and to assist homeless households to understand their rights, by providing an accredited in-house advice service within the Housing Services Homeless Advice Team (HAT). This free advice service is available to anyone over the age of 16 and is tailored to meet to individual needs and circumstances.

Delivery of an independent advice, advocacy and information service across North Ayrshire will enhance the existing in-house provision and ensure the Council meets its statutory obligations. There is likely to be an increasing need for advocacy as indicated by an aging population and levels of deprivation.

As part of the latest Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) recommendations, during the current coronavirus pandemic the service should ensure communication is accessible to everyone to obtain advocacy.

The Council requires to contract a Service which can provide independent advice, advocacy and information provision for households at risk of homelessness. The Service Provider must also advocate on behalf of homeless people throughout the homelessness process, assisting them to enforce their statutory rights. As homelessness is not only a housing issue, we are looking for the Service Provider to adopt a pro-active approach to preventing homelessness. The Council therefore requires the Provider of this Service to develop and deliver educational packages for the 9 secondary schools within North Ayrshire in addition to youth groups and colleges, to support the commitment of the Council to prevent youth homelessness and raise the awareness of the reality of homelessness and to address the increase in homeless presentations from young people to prevent future homelessness from this group.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 40

Price - Weighting: 60

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £227,253

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

12

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

There is the option to extend by up to 24 months. Extensions will be at the sole discretion of NAC and subject to satisfactory performance and funding.

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

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 three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

List and brief description of conditions

If required, bidders are required to be enrolled in the relevant professional or trade registers within the country in which they are established.

Where it is required, within a bidder’s country of establishment they must confirm which authorisation or memberships of the relevant organisation(s) are required in order to perform this service.

Bidders must confirm if they hold the particular authorisation or memberships.

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria

Bidders will be required to have a minimum yearly “specific” turnover of 151,502 GBP for the last 3 years in the business area covered by the contract.

North Ayrshire Council reserve the right to review the bidders financial information including information from credit reference agencies at tender stage and throughout the life of the contract, and seek clarifications if necessary. If clarifications are not satisfactory the bidder may be excluded from the tender process.

Bidders who cannot meet the required level of turnover will be excluded from this tender.

Where turnover information is not available for the time period requested, the bidder will be required to state the date which they were set up or started trading.

It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:

Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = 5MGBP

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf

Public Liability Insurance 5MGBP

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

List and brief description of selection criteria

Bidders will be required to provide a minimum of 2 examples of services carried out in the past 3 years that demonstrates they have the relevant experience to deliver the services as described in part II.2.4 of the Contract Notice. The services must be of a similar value, size and scope.

Unsatisfactory experience will result in exclusion from the tender process.

Bidders will be required to provide 2 satisfactory references for the same 2 services contracts on the reference templates provided. References should be completed and signed by previous customers for contracts of a similar value, size and scope. If any of the referees score the bidder less than 2 the bidder will be excluded from the tender process.

Completed experience and reference templates must be zipped and uploaded at question 4C.1 of the qualification envelope.

Bidders will be required to confirm the supplier's staff have the following relevant educational and professional qualifications:

Scottish National Standards (Information and Advice) Type III

Bidders will be required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract.


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: 2021/S 000-002084

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

23 April 2021

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

23 April 2021

Local time

12:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.3) Additional information

Lots are not being used for this tender for the reason(s) stated below:

Nature of the contract not suitable for lots.

Quality Management Procedures

1. The bidder must hold a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third-party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001 (or equivalent) or a documented policy regarding quality management, see attachment at ESPD question 4D.1.

Health and Safety Procedures

1. The bidder must hold a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third-party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS OHSAS 18001 (or equivalent) or have, within the last 12 months, successfully met the assessment requirements of a construction-related scheme in registered membership of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) forum or the bidder must have a regularly reviewed and documented policy for Health and Safety management, see attachment at ESPD question 4D.1.

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 17967 . For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2361

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

Community benefits will be requested on a voluntary / minimum requirement basis for:

Community and Education Initiatives

(SC Ref:647592)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court

Sheriff Court House, St Marnock Street

Kilmarnock

KA1 1ED

Telephone

+44 1563550024

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/