Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
South Lanarkshire Council
Council Headquarters, Almada Street
Hamilton
ML3 0AA
Contact
Irene Peacock
irene.peacock@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM95 - South Lanarkshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00410
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
Housing and community amenities
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Provision of Independent Advice and Development Support to customers in South Lanarkshire
Reference number
SLC/HT/23/291
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79342300 - Customer services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
South Lanarkshire Council wish to procure a service to provide independent impartial advice and guidance to support and help advance customer participation in South Lanarkshire, including in-person and online meetings with tenants and the Council, support via phone calls and email, sharing paperwork, and delivering presentations and training.
The service provider will be expected to develop and implement a workplan agreed between the Council and tenant representatives with clear tasks, timescales, responsibilities, methods, and outcomes.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £243,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM95 - South Lanarkshire
Main site or place of performance
South Lanarkshire Council
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Procurement will be conducted via the Open Tendering procedure and the ITT will be published in Public Contracts Scotland Tender (PCST).
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70
Price - Weighting: 30
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £243,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The contract has an optional 12 month extension subject to satisfactory performance, financial standing and available 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
two.2.14) Additional information
Quality Award Criteria listed below:
Service Delivery
Implementation / Mobilisation Plan
Staff Resources
Performance Monitoring and Reporting
Community Benefits
Fair Work First
Sustainability
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
SPD Question 4A.1 Trade Registers
It is a requirement of this tender that if the bidder is UK based they must hold a valid registration with Companies House. Where the bidder is UK based but not registered at Companies House they must be able to verify to the Councils satisfaction that they are trading from the address provided in the tender and under the company name given.
If the bidder is based out-with the UK they must be enrolled in the relevant professional or trade register appropriate to their country as described in Schedule 5 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
SPD Question 4A.2 Authorisation/Membership
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
SPD Question 4B.4 Economic and Financial Standing
The Council will use the following ratios to evaluate a bidders financial status:
Profitability – this is taken as profit after tax but before dividends and minority interests. If a company makes a profit then it is a pass for this ratio;
Liquidity – this is calculated as current assets less stock and work in progress, divided by current liabilities. If the answer is greater than or equal to one then it is a pass for this ratio
Gearing – this is calculated as the total external secured borrowing (short term and long term) divided by shareholder funds expressed as a percentage. If the answer is less than or equal to 100% it is considered a pass for this ratio.
Bidders must provide the name and value of each of the 3 ratios within their response to SPD question 4B.4.
The Council requires bidders to pass 2 out of the 3 financial ratios above.
Where 2 out of the 3 ratios cannot be met, the Council may take the undernoted into consideration when assessing financial viability and the risk to the Council, providing that the Bidder can supply evidence to substantiate any of the mitigating criteria when requested to do so. The following list is not exhaustive and other criteria may be considered where proposed by a bidder as mitigating factors:
Would the bidder have passed the checks if prior year accounts had been used?
Were any of the poor appraisal outcomes "marginal"?
Does the bidder operate in a market which, traditionally, requires lower liquidity or higher debt finance?
Does the bidder have sufficient reserves to sustain losses for a number of years?
Does the bidder have a healthy cashflow?
Is the bidder profitable enough to finance the interest on its debt?
Is most of the bidder's debt owed to group companies?
Is the bidder's debt due to be repaid over a number of years, and affordable?
Have the bidder's results been adversely affected by "one off costs" and / or "one off accounting treatments"?
Do the bidder's auditors (where applicable) consider it to be a "going concern"?
Will the bidder provide a Parent Company Guarantee?
Is the bidder the single supplier/source of the Goods/Works/Services in the marketplace?
The Council will request submission of and assess the bidders financial accounts, and may use financial verification systems to validate the information provided.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
SPD Question 4B.5 Insurance
The bidder must confirm that they have or will commit to obtain prior to the commencement of the contract, the following levels of Insurance Cover:
Employer’s Liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injuries to employees of the bidder arising out of and in the course of their employment in connection with this contract to the level of 10000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
Public Liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injury to a person (not an employee of the bidder) or loss of or damage to property resulting from an action or failure to take action by the bidder to the level of 5000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
Professional Indemnity Insurance covering the failure of the bidder to use the skill and care normally used by professionals providing the services described in this tender to the level of 5000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
SPD Question 4C.1.2 Technical and Professional Ability
Bidders should demonstrate in their response to question 4C.1.2 that they have held contracts (preferably public sector authority) of a similar nature, size and value to those mentioned in the Specification, within the last 5 years. A Minimum of 3 examples and a maximum of 5 should be provided.
SPD Question 4C.10 Technical and Professional Ability (Sub-Contracting)
Bidders will be required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract.
SPD Question 4D.1 Quality Assurance Schemes
It is a requirement of this tender that the bidder recommended for award holds the Quality Assurance scheme membership ISO9001 accreditation OR complies with the Quality Assurance Statements contained within the ITT.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Please refer to the Performance Appraisal document within the ITT.
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: 2023/S 000-752572
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
21 October 2024
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: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
21 October 2024
Local time
12:00pm
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
six.3) Additional information
SPD Question 2.C.1 Reliance on the capacities of other entities
Bidders are required to complete a full SPD for each of the entities whose capacity they rely upon
SPD Question 2.D.1 Subcontractors on whose capacity the bidder does not rely
Bidders are required to complete a shortened version of the SPD for each Subcontractor on whose capacity the bidder does not rely on.
Exclusion Criteria
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
SPD Questions 3A – 3C have been identified as mandatory exclusion grounds and SPD Questions 3D have been identified as discretionary exclusion grounds. All the exclusion grounds will be assessed on a PASS/FAIL basis. For the mandatory exclusion grounds a bid will be excluded where the bidder fails to provide either a positive response or to provide details to the satisfaction of the Council of the self cleansing measures undertaken. .For the discretionary exclusion grounds a bid may be excluded where the bidder fails to provide either a positive response or if the Council is not satisfied as to the self cleansing measures undertaken.
Declarations and Certificates
In an open tendering procedure prior to any award being made the successful bidder will provide the undernoted certificates, declarations and/or completed questionnaires to evidence their compliance with the relevant questions within the Qualification Envelope.
All certificates, declarations and questionnaires can be found within the Attachment area of PCS-T.
SPD Question 2D.1 Prompt Payment Certificate
SPD Questions 3A.1 to 3A.8 Serious and Organised Crime Declaration
SPD Question 3A.6 Modern Slavery Act 2015 Declaration
SPD Question 3D.11 Non-Collusion Certificate
SPD Question 4B.4 Fully Audited Accounts for Previous 2 Years
SPD Question 4B.5.1 Insurance Certificates
SPD Question 4D.1 Quality Assurance Accreditations
Declaration Section Form of Offer to Tender
Declaration Section SOC Protocol Form (if required)
*The ‘Form of Offer to Tender’ must be completed and uploaded within the relevant question in the Commercial Envelope.
In the case of an open tender, the other Declarations listed above will not be required to be uploaded and submitted with the bid, but will instead be requested by the Council following the conclusion of the evaluation of the Qualification, Technical and Commercial Envelopes and prior to the award of the tender.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 27229. 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: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Under this contract bidders will be required to actively participate in the achievement of Community Benefits. A summary of the expected Community Benefits has been provided within the attachment area/technical envelope and bidders will be asked to provide details of the Community Benefits they can offer as part of their bid. The Council has calculated that the minimum total of 60 community benefit points which must be delivered under this contract.
(SC Ref:775194)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Hamilton Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, 4 Beckford Street,
Hamilton
ML3 0BT
hamiltoncivl@scotcourts.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
Please note, the alternative review body to the local Sheriff Court detailed in VI.4.1 is:
Court of Session
Parliament House
Parliament Square
Edinburgh
EH1 1RQ
+44 1312252595