Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Essex County Council
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
Contact
Ms Rachel Horne
Telephone
+44 3330322307
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
one.1) Name and addresses
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Thurrock Community Hospital, Thameside House, Long Lane
Grays
RM16 2PX
Contact
Mr Martin Johnson
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
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/Login
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
Direct Payment Support Services
Reference number
DN621930
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Essex County Council (“the Council”) is seeking to commission a new Direct Payments Support Service (DPSS) to enable people who are ordinarily resident within the administrative boundaries of Essex (excluding the unitary authority areas of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea) to manage their direct payment.
This procurement will incorporate the following lots:
Lot 1: Independent Information and Advice Service and Personal Assistant (PA) Support Hub
Lot 2: Payment/Payroll/Account Management services
Further details regarding the Council’s requirements for each of these lots can be found within the relevant service specification which will be published on the Council’s e-tendering portal, ProContract and can be accessed via:
https://procontract.due-north.com/
Please register for a user account to gain access to the procurement documentation for this opportunity. The Council envisages that this procurement will be published on the aforementioned e-sourcing portal on Thursday 20th October 2022.
Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will act akin to a central purchasing body in relation to this procurement opportunity in conjunction with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) who will access but not formally be a party to the ensuing contract. In addition, please note that whilst the ensuing DPSS contracts will primarily be used to support people with either social care and/or mental health needs to manage their personal budgets via a Direct Payment; it will also be open for the following classification of users within the administrative area of Essex: NHS Healthcare (including local Integrated Care Systems).
In addition, bidders are advised that this service will be commissioned under an initial three (3) year term with the option to extend for a further two (2) years at the Council’s sole discretion; thereby resulting in a maximum possible contract duration of five (5) years.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £4,650,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Independent Information and Advice Service and Personal Assistant (PA) Support Hub
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 85312310 - Guidance services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This lot is designed to secure suitable provision of an advice and information service relating to direct payments, which will also include Employer Advice and Guidance Services and a Personal Assistant support hub delivered to individuals who may be considering taking a Direct Payment or already have one in place, and who are ordinarily resident in Essex.
Further details of the Council's requirements for this lot can be found within the service specification for this procurement on the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract as detailed in section 1.3 of this notice above.
Please note that the stated contractual value of £1,400,000 for this lot reflects the estimated value of this contract over the course of the maximum 5-year duration of the service based upon the Council's current and forecast demand and expenditure of £280,000 per annum.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Qualitative Questions / Weighting: 50
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £1,400,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
36
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Bidders are advised that this service will be commissioned under an initial three (3) year term with the option to extend for a further two (2) years at the Council’s discretion; thereby resulting in a maximum possible contract duration of five (5) years.
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
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Payment/Payroll/Account Management services
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85321000 - Administrative social services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This lot is designed to secure suitable provision of Payment Services and Account Management to support people with either social care and/or mental health needs (across both adults and children’s services) to manage their personal budgets via a Direct Payment (DP).
Please note that the successful bidder for this lot will be required to deliver all the following specified requirements (noting that not every DP recipient will require support from all of the constituent elements of this provision):
• Payroll - to support DP recipients who employ their own Personal Assistant(s)
• Bought Ledger - to support individuals to pay for social care services using their Direct Payment; and
• Account Management - to ensure that Direct Payment money for each DP recipient is received in an identifiable, named account from which all relevant payments can be made.
Further details of the Council's requirements for this lot can be found within the service specification for this procurement on the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract as detailed in section 1.3 of this notice above.
Please note that the stated contractual value of £3,250,000 for this lot reflects the estimated value of this contract over the course of the maximum 5-year duration of the service based upon the Council's current and forecast demand and expenditure of £650,000 per annum.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Qualitative Questions / Weighting: 50
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £3,250,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
36
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Bidders are advised that this service will be commissioned under an initial three (3) year term with the option to extend for a further two (2) years at the Council’s discretion; thereby resulting in a maximum possible contract duration of five (5) years.
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
As detailed within the tender documents.
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
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: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2022/S 000-023941
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
2 December 2022
Local time
12:00pm
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
Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
1 December 2022
Local time
11:20am
Place
Via ProContract
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
Electronic process — The commercial officer will conduct the opening process via the functionality within the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract. No postal responses or any submissions which are issued outside the electronic portal will be accepted.
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement. Candidates are welcome to bid for either single or multiple lots of this procurement.
Candidates are advised this procurement will be conducted via the Council's e-tendering portal, ProContract, which can be accessed via the following website:
https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
Please register for a user account to gain access to the procurement documentation for this opportunity.
The Council envisages that this procurement will be published on the aforementioned e-sourcing portal on Thursday 20th October 2022. However, the Council reserves the right to postpone the publication in order to ensure suitable assurance that the tender documents are fit for purpose. Once the procurement is published a corresponding advertisement will be available via the Council's e-tendering portal, ProContract to enable prospective bidders to access, view and respond to this opportunity.
In order to submit an effective expression of interest in this opportunity, candidates must utilise the functionality within the Council's e-tendering portal.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court
The Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Telephone
+44 20794760000
Country
United Kingdom