Awarded contract

TEMPORARY WORKER SUPPORT SERVICES

  • ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

F03: Contract award notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-018886

Published 5 August 2021, 1:10pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

COUNTY HALL

CHELMSFORD

CM1 1QH

Contact

Andrew Beaver

Email

andrew.beaver@essex.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKH3 - Essex

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.essex.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

TEMPORARY WORKER SUPPORT SERVICES

Reference number

CO0095

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79211110 - Payroll management services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

To support delivery of our resourcing strategies we now need to secure a partner to deliver our vision of temporary worker support services, reflecting ECC's ambition to continue to minimise the use of third-party recruitment agency suppliers and to adopt a talent pool first approach. We are looking for a supplier who can enable our vision that ECC will source it's own temporary talent directly or via our own supply chain and that our chosen partner will provide the technology and service to deliver the engagement of this temporary workforce both contractually and for all timesheet and billing purposes.

We are looking to partner with a temporary worker support service provider who can own the contractual engagement of our temporary workforce, weekly payroll, timesheet, and billing of all temporary workers that will be sourced by the ECC inhouse recruitment team both directly and via our own supply chain of third-party agencies. ECC will attract workers across

all worker categories and types either directly or via our own supply chain of third-party agencies. Recruitment and attraction of new temporary staff is out of scope of this procurement and will be managed by ECC. We expect our partner would own the contractual engagement of our directly sourced temporary workforce as well as the other services described, we expect for agency hires that the agency provider (via the ECC DPS) will

manage the contractual engagement with our partner responsible for the timesheet, payment and billing to agency suppliers via their provided technology.

The supplier will need to provide an adaptive, legally compliant service and exemplary technology platform to ECC which enables the service provider to contractually engage our temporary workers, contracting such workers to deliver services in the following ways:

• PAYE hourly rate contract for candidates directly sourced by ECC

• PAYE daily rate contract for candidates directly sourced by ECC

• Ltd Company hourly rate contract for services directly sourced by ECC

• Ltd Company daily rate contract for services directly sourced by ECC

• Statement of work arrangements whereby temporary services are only paid upon deliverable milestones not time worked, both PAYE and Ltd Company directly sourced by ECC.

• Pay per assessment arrangements whereby temporary services are only paid upon deliverable assessments not time worked, both PAYE and Ltd Company directly sourced byECC.

• Umbrella arrangements via compliant umbrella companies.

• Able to adapt and deliver to emerging working arrangement in the talent marketplace

The service must also allow ECC to place temporary workers found via third party agencies on to the timesheet and billing technology platform which must be fully integrated with the

Councils existing P2P solution.

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: £16,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKH - East of England

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Provision of a technology platform which will enable ECC to transfer its existing direct temporary workers to the new arrangements and continue to build its own direct workers

across all staffing categories through the life of the contract. The platform must also allow ECC to transfer its existing third part agency workers to the technology platform, ECC will transfer the agency contractual relationship to our own agency supply chain DPS.

The use of industry standard technology which achieves a fully automated purchase to pay (P2P) process from requisition through to invoicing and payments through establishment of

systems interfaces between the VMS and ECC's systems for both direct temporary workers and those represented by ECC third party agency suppliers.

Over the last year the volume of temporary workers has been around 10% of our workforce. This represents up to 650 temporary workers engaged at anyone time, not taking account of seasonal variations, which can increase the number of workers. On average there are currently around 40 new temporary workers each month.

The average length of engagement for temporary workers is 2.19 years; tenure is highest in the Place & Public Health function (2.78 years), and lowest in the Finance & Technology

function (just under 5 months).

Of the 523 live assignments approximately 40% are casual 'as and when' workers. Currently around 70% of the population are directly sourced.

The future temporary worker supply service will provide efficient, agile and proactive temporary worker support services that are flexible and scalable to accommodate anticipated workforce and organisational changes in demand and supply. This will enable

ECC to identify agile and cost-efficient sourcing solutions; and support delivery of our People Plan (provided separately) and emerging strategic workforce plans.

A service which uses its recruitment expertise to ensure ECC is fully compliant to all relevant temporary worker legislation including IR35 and AWR and pro-actively guides ECC when

needed in respect of legislative changes.

Engagement, payroll and billing of temporary workers both for volume and seasonal recruitment campaigns: this will ensure ECC is able to maintain frontline service delivery e.g. country parks and outdoor centres, as well as adult community learning.

Management of temporary workers that is compliant with legislation and any anticipated changes: the provider will ensure that the temporary workforce is compliant e.g. pension auto enrolment, Working Time Regulations and Agency Worker Regulations etc.; and will also work in partnership with ECC to scope, plan and deliver responses to any legislative changes.

Ensuring all temporary and interim workers are paid within agreed, and consistently applied, pay rates which demonstrate value for money for ECC and that full and transparent reporting

is easily available to ECC showing the detailed breakdown of worker pay rate, individuals statutory costs, agency margins and supplier margins.

In addition to the technology platform outlined in above the preferred bidder will also manage the transfer of existing direct temporary workers including working with the incumbent provider, the direct temporary workers and ECC. The provider will manage the transfer of all existing direct temporary staff ensuring a smooth transfer with no negative impact to the existing direct temporary workforce, 0 days of down time to service and 100%

accuracy on 1st payroll of new arrangements for direct hires and 100% accuracy of payment to our supply chain.

The cost of implementation of services will be met be the successful supplier and should be considered when completing your pricing proposal.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality and Social Value / Weighting: 70

Cost criterion - Name: Price and Price Quality / Weighting: 30

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: 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: 2021/S 000-011348


Section five. Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

21 July 2021

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 5

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Matrix SCM Ltd

Milton Keynes

MK5 8HJ

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ1 - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
The contractor is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: £16,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court, Royal Courts of Justice

London

WC2A 2LL

Country

United Kingdom