Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
East Lothian Council
John Muir House
Haddington, East Lothian
EH41 3HA
procurement@eastlothian.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 1620827827
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00181
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.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.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
Income maximisation, money, debt and energy advice service
Reference number
ELC-24-0395
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Provision of free, impartial and confidential advices services for residents of East Lothian, primarily relating to income maximisation (benefits advice), money advice (incorporating debt advice) and energy advice (including fuel debt advice).
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
East Lothian Council require a provider to deliver advice services to East Lothian citizens. Services shall be delivered by appropriately trained, experienced staff and\or volunteers.
Services shall be delivered in a readily accessible manner. The advice services shall be accessible to those people most in need and 'face to face' services shall be provided from appropriate locations within East Lothian. The services will also be available by telephone and digitally e.g. through web chat.
Specific service outcomes include; providing advice to help maximise income; reducing the number of households in East Lothian currently in debt, or at risk of being in debt; improving access to the services through the provision of appropriate accessible face-to-face, phone and digital services.
The contract duration will be for 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 periods of 1 year.
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
36
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
1 + 1
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
It is mandatory requirement of this contract that the Contractor and any proposed sub-contractor provide have achieved or demonstrably be working Competency Levels as laid out by the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers (SNSIAP).
-The Income Maximisation service will be delivered to SNSIAP Type II
-Money advice will be delivered to a standard of SNSIAP Type II
-Generalist advice service will be delivered to standard of SNSIAP Type I
-Energy Advice to a standard of SNSIAP Type II
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
-Employers Liability insurance to the value of at least ten million pounds Sterling (GBP5,000,000) in respect of any one event and unlimited in the period.
-Public Liability insurance to the value of at least ten million pounds Sterling (GBP5,000,000) in respect of any one event and unlimited in the period.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
Part 4C: Environmental Management Measures
Bidders 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 “Schedule 6- Climate Change” including planned projects and actions to reduce the bidder’s carbon emissions. This does not need to contain calculated carbon emissions. Please note Schedule 6- Climate Change is supplied as an individual document for completion. 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.
Part 4D: Quality Assurance Schemes
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.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
ELC Terms & Conditions apply.
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
31 January 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
31 January 2025
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
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
This Contract includes an obligation for the delivery of Community Benefits [once the aggregate spend with the Council reaches GBP 50,000 in any financial year. The Community Benefits information included in the Tender documentation outlines the Community Benefits that the Council is seeking as part of this Contract.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=785484.
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
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:
This Contract includes an obligation for the delivery of Community Benefits [once the aggregate spend with the Council reaches GBP 50,000 in any financial year. The Community Benefits information included in the Tender documentation outlines the Community Benefits that the Council is seeking as part of this Contract.
(SC Ref:785484)
Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=785484
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Edinburgh
Country
United Kingdom