Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Lincolnshire County Council
County Offices, Newland
Lincoln
LN1 1YL
Contact
Ms Lucy Reed
LucyJ.Reed@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKF3 - Lincolnshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk
Buyer's address
https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://procontract.due-north.com
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
Customer Service Centre and Digital Transformational Support
Reference number
DN607337
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75100000 - Administration services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Lincolnshire County Council (the Council) is seeking to recommission a Customer Service Centre (CSC) with service commencement date of 1st April 2024.
The Council requires a Customer Service Centre to manage most incoming channels (including phone and email enquiries), as well as the processing of transactions for circa 20 Council functions. Further service areas may be added over the contract duration.
The Contract term over which the Services will be provided is an initial period of 5 years commencing on the 1st April 2024 with the option to extend for a further two periods of 2 years up to a maximum Contract period of 9 years.
Full details of the process and requests to take part can be undertaken at the following link https://procontract.due-north.com/.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 64000000 - Postal and telecommunications services
- 79342300 - Customer services
- 79342310 - Customer survey services
- 79342320 - Customer-care services
- 85100000 - Health services
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKF3 - Lincolnshire
Main site or place of performance
Office based working from Lincolnshire County Council accommodation with a combination of remote working.
Full details provided within tender documentation at the following link: https://procontract.due-north.com/.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This Contract involves ‘high-risk’ activity such as Social Care referrals and assessments, which must be handled with care to protect vulnerable service users. Volume of Contacts is split roughly 65/35 weighted towards non-Social Care but the resource requirement is split roughly 65/35 weighted towards Social Care work. Acquiring a quality provision is of the utmost importance to the Council throughout this procurement process. People handling skills will be of vital importance as the CSC is critical to us to achieve high scores in CQC and Ofsted inspections and manage our high-risk individuals.
Lincolnshire County Council (the Council) is seeking to recommission Customer Service Centre (CSC) services commencing 1st April 2024 alongside services in support of the Council's plans for digital transformation.
The Council requires the provision of a Customer Service Centre to manage most incoming channels (including phone and email enquiries), as well as the processing of transactions for c20 Council functions.
The Contract term over which the Services will be provided is an initial period of 5 years commencing on the 1st April 2024 with the option to extend for a further two periods of 2 years up to a maximum Contract period of 9 years.
The Contract will include change control provisions to enable other CSC services to be added to the contract during the term of the contract.
In addition to the operational CSC services the Council is looking for a Service Provider who can support the Council at the Council’s discretion in its implementation of digital transformation both in the CSC and across the Council’s wider services on a case by case basis.
This may involve (i) the provision of expertise and advice to support the identification of digital solutions and the development of business cases and/or (ii) the implementation where instructed of specific transformation projects including on a risk-reward basis.
This procurement is being structured so as to enable one of the Council's key partner authorities in the Greater Lincolnshire region to have the option to enter into a Contract for CSC services with the Service Provider on the basis of this Contract Notice.
The Contract will be structured in a form to allow North East Lincolnshire Council to exercise the option to contract directly with the Service Provider for some or all of the Services and other services delivered by them in exercise of their functions through a Deed of Accession.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 55
Quality criterion - Name: Commercial / Weighting: 5
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2024
End date
31 March 2029
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Contract term over which the Services will be provided is an initial period of 5 years commencing on the Services Commencement Date with the option to extend for a further two periods of 2 years up to a maximum Contract period of 9 years.
two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Maximum number: 3
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
All complete Selection Questionnaires received will be evaluated by appropriate officers using the selection criteria identified within Section 2 SQ Evaluation Summary and SQ Scored Question Evaluation Criteria found after each scored question, of each individual Selection Questionnaire. The evaluation will be based using two types of criteria: pass/fail criteria and scored criteria.
Those candidates who have not failed any of the Pass/Fail questions and have the highest scores for SQ Scored Questions will be invited to tender. In accordance with PCR 2015 regulation 65 the Council intends to limit the number of candidates that they will invite to tender to a maximum of three.
If the situation arises where, through the evaluation of the Selection Questionnaire, the Council identifies that less than three Applicants are suitable for this requirement the Council reserves the right to proceed with those remaining suitable candidate(s).
If the situation arises where, through the evaluation of the Selection Questionnaire, the Council identifies that no Applicants are suitable for this requirement the Council reserves the right to cancel and restart the tender process.
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
Criteria as stated in the procurement documents
In addition Lincolnshire County Council reserves the right to re-assess bidders on the SQ in the procurement documents based on past performance before key points in the procurement process (e.g. Initial Tenders, Final Tenders, conclusion of contract etc.). Bidders will accordingly be asked to update the evidence they provide in relation to past performance to reflect more recent performance on new or existing contracts (or to confirm that nothing has changed).
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated
four.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
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: 2022/S 000-009859
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
26 September 2022
Local time
3:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
14 October 2022
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until: 30 November 2023
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
Procurement Portal
The procurement will be conducted via the Council's electronic tendering portal ProContract. Organisations not already registered should follow this link (https://procontract.due-north.com/Register) to register free of charge, ensuring unrestricted and full direct access to all the tender documentation.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Legal Lincolnshire
Lincoln
Country
United Kingdom