Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Essex County Council
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
Contact
Mr Barry Messenger
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=9af68f1d-2f60-ed11-811b-9f38301b3091
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/Advert/Index?advertId=9af68f1d-2f60-ed11-811b-9f38301b3091
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
Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service for Essex (ICELS 2023)
Reference number
DN635614
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 is seeking to procure a contract for the provision of an integrated community equipment loan service (ICELS) commencing July 2023 for an initial 5-year period (with a further extension option of up to 2 years) for the benefit of the Consortium. The Council is the lead organisation for the Consortium and will be conducting the procurement process in accordance with the requirements set out in the tender documents. The Consortium is currently made up of the Council and the Partners identified in section VI.3 of this notice.
The Consortium works together under partnership arrangements under the National Health Service Act 2006 and the Local Government Act 1972 (as applicable to the relevant Partner) to provide community equipment services to Essex residents who are eligible under the Health and Social Care Act 2006 and the Care Act 2014 (as applicable to the relevant Partner) across the administrative areas of the Consortium in Essex. To be noted that delivery of the Services extends to a wider geographic area to facilitate where service users may be located – see the Service Specification for the relevant geographic areas.
Enabling people to remain independent, and to live as full a life as they can in their own home, is fundamental to the Consortium’s approach to supporting people. One of the principal ways that the Consortium does this is with the provision of equipment to people of all ages and needs across the administrative areas of the Consortium in Essex. The ICELS for Essex provides equipment on loan to people living in the community, based on clinical or assessed need, to enable them to do tasks they would otherwise be unable to do and/or to provide support to a Carer or care worker (including family members), to enable care and support to happen where required.
The ICELS aims to:
• enable and support people to live, age and die well.
• provide the right solution, at the right time, in the right place, the first time.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £140,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Essex County Council on behalf of the Consortium invites tenders for provision of an integrated community equipment loan service for people of all ages and needs across Essex, providing such items as commodes, beds, shower chairs and hoists, as well as adaptations such as grab rails and chair raisers in line with the requirements set out in the draft Contract and Service Specification issued as part of this tender process.
This service will be for an initial 5 year term, with an option to extend for up to a further 2 years, with services commencing in July 2023.
The community equipment service complements other Health and Social Care services, such as reablement and domiciliary care and support. The aim of all these services is to promote independence and enable people to gain, regain and maintain skills, as well as helping to prevent hospital admissions. This accords strongly with the Council’s ‘Everyone’s Essex’ ambition of promoting health, care, and wellbeing for all ages, as well as the Council’s aims around levelling up. It does this by promoting independence and healthy lifestyles, levelling up health, supporting carers, improving outcomes for vulnerable adults and children, encouraging green growth (minimising waste and increasing recycling of equipment) and strengthening family resilience and stability.
The non-exhaustive list of activities to deliver a core service are as set out below, and defined within the tender documentation:
• Sourcing, purchasing and storage of equipment including management of stock;
• Delivery, installation and fitting of equipment;
• Approved Assessor assessment service for low-level items;
• Collection of equipment from service users when no longer required;
• Counter service for the collection and return of equipment, demonstration of equipment or clinical assessment;
• Adaptations;
• Maintenance and repair/refurbishment of equipment, including scheduled testing and servicing (e.g., LOLER, PAT, etc.);
• Cleaning and decontamination of returned equipment;
• Ceiling track hoist assessments, installations, repairs, replacement, maintenance and removal;
• Moving or relocating equipment within or between someone’s home(s) e.g. upstairs to downstairs or to a new property;
• Reporting and management of any situations of concern or safeguarding;
• Maintenance of accurate information and asset management records on stock, procurement, warranties, maintenance, cleaning etc providing suitable transparency to for the Consortium;
• Facilitation of new product evaluation, demonstrations and clinical trials for the Consortium;
• Assessment and reduction of non-recyclable and single use items over the life of the contract;
• Engaging with stakeholders supporting the health and social care system in Essex.
Notwithstanding the indicative contract value, the services the subject matter of this contract are demand-based services with no guarantee of equipment or activity volumes or inflation uplifts at any point during the term.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £140,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
60
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Option to extend for up to a further two years
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The contract will be for an initial 5 year term commencing on 1 July 2023 with an option at the Council’s sole discretion to extend for up to a further 2 years.
The estimated value in II.1.5 and II.2.6 represents the maximum estimated value of the contract over its term for existing and potential future members of the Consortium. The estimated spend for the 5 current Consortium members (see details set out in VI.3) for the duration of the contract is in the region of £83m over the five-year contract period (£57m for the Council and £26m for the Health and Local Authority Partners), based on forecast spend at current activity levels. All organisations (existing and new) may change from time to give effect to mergers including any statutory reorganisation including the change to integrated care boards etc.
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
See section VI.3
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
In accordance with Regulations 56 to 58 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and as set out in the standard selection questionnaire which is available with the tender documents.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
Tenderers must have the financial capacity/provide assurance that the tenderer will be financially viable to fulfil the contract. Selection criteria and method for the assessment of financial viability detailed in the procurement documents.
In accordance with Regulations 56 to 58 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and as set out in the standard selection questionnaire which is available with the tender documents.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
Tenderers must have experience from the delivery of equivalent services.
An overview of relevant contracts that the tenderer has carried out in the last three years, together with information on the contract value, date of delivery or execution and name of the recipient.
In accordance with Regulations 56 to 58 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and as set out in the standard Supplier Selection Questionnaire which is available with the tender documents.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The tender documents contain provisions that relate in particular to social and climate/environmental matters. See also the form of contract supplied with the tender documents.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
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 000-030750
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
12 December 2022
Local time
4:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
14 November 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
Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
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
Current members of the Consortium:
• Essex County Council, as lead organisation
• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)
• Thurrock Council
The future of the Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service may provide an opportunity for the addition of the West Essex elements of the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS as a member of the Consortium.
At the commencement date, certain equipment will be outside of the scope of the Essex ICELS:
• Care Technology Equipment, for remote monitoring, alarms or similar;
• Pressure Area Care (PAC) - Air pressured mattresses/cushions to reduce skin pressure;
• Active/Dynamic Pressure Relief Equipment prescribed by Health Partners;
• Wheelchair Services, for those with mobility challenges;
• Stairlifts and Steplifts, other than for legacy maintenance.
The Council reserves the right not to call for negotiation. The Council reserves the right to cancel the procurement and/or not to award the opportunity described in this contract notice.
The award criteria referenced in II.2.5 includes the applicable weightings:
• 30% - Price/Commercial
• 50% - Technical/Quality
• 10% - Social Value
• 10% - Climate and Environmental Action
and using the published evaluation sub-criteria in the tender documents.
The withdrawal at any time during the procurement process of: (i) any member of the Consortium (ii) any of the services included within the Service Specification at the date of publication of the contract notice shall not result in an automatic cancellation of the procurement process. The Council will confirm any consequential changes to the terms of the tender documents to account for the withdrawal of any such member.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Essex County Council
County Hall, Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH
Country
United Kingdom