Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The City of Edinburgh Council
Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street
Edinburgh
EH8 8BG
nicole.sherry@edinburgh.gov.uk
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
CT1542 Sheriff Officer Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79940000 - Collection agency services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) is seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of Sheriff Officer Services. This service recovers funds from debt streams including unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Parking Fines and Sundry Debt.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,750,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
Maximum number of lots that may be awarded to one tenderer: 1
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
All Debt Streams - Primary Collection
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75242110 - Bailiff services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
Main site or place of performance
The city of Edinburgh.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) is seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of Sheriff Officer Services. This requirement recovers funds from debt streams including unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Parking Fines and Sundry Debt.
The Lot 1 Provider will receive the majority of debt cases.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70
Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 30
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
84
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
This Framework Agreement will run for a period of four years with the option to extend for a further 24 month period and a further 12-month period (4+2+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
two.2.14) Additional information
Please see tender documentation for further information.
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
All Debt Streams - Secondary collection
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75242110 - Bailiff services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
Main site or place of performance
The city of Edinburgh.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) is seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of Sheriff Officer Services. This service recovers funds from debt streams including unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Parking Fines and Sundry Debt.
The Provider for Lot 2 shall receive cases from the Council where the collection and recovery efforts of the Lot 1 Provider have been unsuccessful. If a customer's case has been passed to the Lot 2 Provider and a new debt arises from the same customer, this debt will also be passed to the Lot 2 Provider for consistency and to ensure the case is dealt with in its entirety.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70
Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 30
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
84
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
This Framework Agreement will run for a period of four years with the option to extend for a further 24 month period and a further 12-month period (4+2+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
Part IV: Selection criteria – A: Service Contracts- Professional & Trade Registers – Question 4A2 Tenderers must be members of the Society of Messengers-At-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). Tenderers are required to be registered to the SMASO and adhere to its Code of Conduct.
Part IV: Selection criteria – A: Service Contracts- Professional & Trade Registers – Question 4A2 It is a mandatory requirement that Sheriff Officers and Messengers-At-Arms involved in the delivery of this Framework Agreement are commissioned to operate in Edinburgh.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
This refers to Section B of Part IV of the SPD (Scotland).
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.1 - Tenderers are required to meet the following financial thresholds:
Lot 1 - a minimum “general” annual turnover of GBP 300,000 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.
Lot 2 - a minimum “general” annual turnover of GBP 200,000 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.
Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.4 - Tenderers will be required to provide the following information in response to 4B.4:
Current ratio for Current Year: greater than 1.10
Current ratio for Prior Year: greater than 1.10
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.
Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.5 - 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 - GBP 5 million
- Public Liability Insurance - GBP 5 million
- Professional Indemnity - GBP 5 million
Where a Tenderer does not hold or commit to obtaining the types and levels of insurance indicated, the Council will exclude the Tenderer from the competition.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
This refers to section C and D of Part IV of the SPD (Scotland).
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
Part IV: Selection criteria – A: Service Contracts- Professional & Trade Registers – Question 4A2 - It is a mandatory requirement that Messengers-At-Arms and Sheriff Officers are commissioned to operate in Edinburgh.
Part IV: Selection criteria – A: Service Contracts- Professional & Trade Registers – Question 4A2 - Tenderers must be members of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO) and are required to be registered and adhere to its Code of Conduct.
Part IV: Selection Criteria – C: Technical and Professional Ability – Services – Question 4C1.2 - It is a mandatory requirement that Provider’s have experience of high-volume local government revenue collection and/or experience in Edinburgh, or a city with a similar demographic composition. Please provide one example of a similar contract that you have delivered. Your response should consider:
- The contracting authority/organisation
- Approximate value of debt collected
- Overview of the contract delivered
Your response must not exceed 500 words.
Part IV: Selection criteria - C: Technical and Professional Ability – Living Wage – Question 4C.4 - Tenderers are asked to confirm that they will pay staff that are involved in the delivery of the Framework Agreement, and/or any subsequent call off contract (including any agency or sub-contractor staff directly involved in the delivery of the Framework Agreement, and/or any subsequent call off contract), at least the real Living Wage. Please note that tenderers who fail to answer “Yes” to this question will not have their tender considered further or proceed to the Price/Quality ratio calculation.
Part IV: Selection criteria - C: Technical and Professional Ability – Prompt Payment – Question 4C.4 - Tenderers are asked to confirm that they will include the standard clause in all contracts used in the delivery of the requirements, ensuring payment of sub-contractors at all stages of the supply chain within 30 days and include a point of contact for sub-contractors to refer to in the case of payment difficulties. This will require you to actively monitor payment performance and provide evidence and reports to the contracting authority on a regular basis. If you do not intend to use any sub-contractors, please answer N/A.
Part IV: Selection criteria - C: Environmental Management Measures – Question 4C.7 - 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 “CT1542 Climate Change Plan” attached to this question 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.
Part IV: Selection criteria – C: Quality Control – Question 4C.12 - It is a mandatory requirement that organisations have a code of conduct in place. The code of conduct should include commitments and supporting procedures, including the mechanisms in place to secure compliance and to highlight and address non-compliance. Please attach your organisation’s code of conduct.
Part IV: Selection criteria - D: Quality Assurance Schemes & Environmental Management – Question 4D.1 - 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. Tenderers should confirm that this condition has been met within the response to this question. Where a Tenderer does not have a Health & Safety Policy and is required to do so, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision
Tenderers must be members of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO) and are required to be registered and adhere to its Code of Conduct.
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Please refer to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provided in the document entitled CT1542 Key Performance Indicators.
three.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
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 several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 2
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:
It can take the Provider years to fully recover debt and work through cases. It would significantly affect the success of the debt recovery process if a short-term Framework Agreement was introduced that required changing Providers, the recovery process for client cases in progress would have to be restarted and this process would be lengthy.
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: 2024/S 000-038628
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Originally published as:
Date
2 October 2025
Local time
12:00pm
Changed to:
Date
7 October 2025
Local time
12:00pm
See the change notice.
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
2 October 2025
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: If extension options are not used then this opportunity is likely to be published in the third quarter of 2029. If extension options are utilised then the third quarter of 2032.
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
Please see tender documentation for further information.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 29530. 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:
Please see document entitled CT1542 Community Benefits Guidance.
(SC Ref:802280)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Sheriff Court
27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LB
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
An economic operator that suffers or risks suffering loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or Court of Session. A claim for an ineffectiveness order must be made within 30 days of the Contract Award Notice being published in the Find a Tender Service 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.