Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The City of Edinburgh Council
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh
EH8 8BG
Contact
Ben Fulton
Telephone
+44 1315296432
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00290
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/
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.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
Single Occupancy Discount Review Service
Reference number
CT2989
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75000000 - Administration, defence and social security services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) is responsible for the collection of council tax for approximately 262,000 dwellings. Around 90,000 of these are currently in receipt of a single occupancy discount (SOD). The Council is seeking to procure a third party to undertake a fully managed service that will review, validate, and update the Council’s SOD accounts.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £240,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) is responsible for the collection of council tax for approximately 262,000 dwellings. Around 90,000 of these are currently in receipt of a single occupancy discount (SOD). The Council is seeking to procure a third party to undertake a fully managed service that will review, validate, and update the Council’s SOD accounts.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
72
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
This requirement will be for a period of three years with the option to extend for up to a further 36 months, undertaken at the sole discretion of the Council
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.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
Tenderers are required to have a minimum “general” annual turnover of GBP100,000 for the last two financial years. Where a Tenderer does not have an annual turnover of this value, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.
Tenderers will be required provide the following information:
Current ratio for Current Year of 1.10
Current ratio for Prior Year 1.0
Tenderers are required to hold, or commit to obtaining prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the stated levels of insurance.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
The formula for calculating a Tenderer’s current ratio is current assets divided by current liabilities. The acceptable range for each financial ratio is greater than 1.10. Where a Tenderer’s current ratio is less than the acceptable value, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.
Tenderers are required to hold, or commit to obtaining prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance - GBP5m
Public Liability Insurance - GBP10m
Professional Indemnity - GBP5m
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
It is a mandatory requirement of this Framework that a prompt payment clause is present in all Contracts used in the delivery of the requirements. This ensures payment of sub-contractors at all stages of the supply chain within 30 days and includes an obligation to provide a point of contact for sub-contractors to refer to in the case of payment difficulties. This will require active monitoring of payment performance as well as the provision of evidence and reports to the Council on request or as contractually scheduled.
Tenderers are asked to confirm that they will pay staff that are involved in the delivery of the contract (including any agency or sub-contractor staff directly involved in the delivery of the contract), at least the real Living Wage. Bidders should confirm that this condition will be met within the response to this question. Please note that tenderers who fail to answer “Yes” to this question may not have their tender considered further or proceed to the Price/Quality ratio calculation.
Tenderers will be required to provide evidence that their organisation has taken steps to build their awareness of the climate change emergency and how they will respond. Accepted evidence includes but is not limited to:
A completed copy of “Climate Change Plan” including planned projects and actions to reduce the bidder’s carbon emissions. This does not need to contain calculated carbon emissions.
Where a Tenderer’s response is of a less than the acceptable standard, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.
It is a mandatory requirement that Tendering Organisations with more than 5 employees have in place a Health & Safety Policy which is approved at a senior level within the Organisation and is reviewed regularly. Bidders should confirm that this condition has been met within the response to this question. Where a Bidder does not have a Health & Safety Policy and is required to do so, the Council may exclude the Bidder from the competition.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with a single operator
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:
To support business need over longer horizon
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
15 December 2023
Local time
2:00pm
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
15 December 2023
Local time
2:00pm
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
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 25590. 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:
Contractors are expected to offer a suitable community benefit linked to the service. Further information can be found within the tender documentation.
(SC Ref:750135)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, 27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
Eh1 1LB
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
A tenderer that suffers loss as a result of a breach of duty under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session. Post contract award the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session may (1) award damages provided proceedings are brought within 3 months from the date when the grounds for the bringing of the proceedings first arose (2) be entitled to issue an ineffectiveness order or impose a financial penalty on the Council. A claim for an ineffectiveness order must be made within 30 days of the Contract Award Notice being published in the FTS or within 30 days of the date those who expressed an interest in or otherwise bid for the contract were informed of the conclusion of the contract or in any other case within 6 months from the date on which the contract was entered into.