Contract

Whistleblowing Hotline Service

  • The City of Edinburgh Council

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-055467

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04ce14 (view related notices)

Published 10 September 2025, 3:18pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

The City of Edinburgh Council

Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street

Edinburgh

EH8 8BG

Contact

Aga Wieczorkiewicz

Email

aga.wieczorkiewicz@edinburgh.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1314693922

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00290

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

Whistleblowing Hotline Service

Reference number

CT1527

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79720000 - Investigation services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The City of Edinburgh Council (the “Council”) awarded a Contract for a Whistleblowing Hotline Service.

The Council’s appointed a single whistleblowing solutions Contractor to provide an independent whistleblowing hotline service, oversight of investigations, carry out investigations into major disclosures and provide critical friend services on investigations carried out internally.

It is expected that the new Contract shall operate from September 2025 for a period of three years with the option (at the Council’s discretion) to extend for a further two 12-months periods.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £535,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79720000 - Investigation services
  • 79512000 - Call centre
  • 79411000 - General management consultancy services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
Main site or place of performance

Edinburgh

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Contract for a single whistleblowing solutions Contractor to provide an independent whistleblowing hotline service, oversight of investigations, carry out investigations into major disclosures and provide critical friend services on investigations carried out internally.

Please refer to Specification for details in full.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70

Price - Weighting: 30

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

This is a Contract Award Notice.


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: No

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2025/S 000-032272


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

CT1527

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

25 August 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 2

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 2

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 2

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Safecall

Loftus House

Sunderland

SR5 3XB

Telephone

+44 07562683279

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKC23 - Sunderland
The contractor is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: £535,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

Please note that this is a Contract Award Notice.

(SC Ref:809863)

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. The City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) will have a minimum standstill period of 10 days before awarding the contract. The communication of the award decision notice will be sent by fax or e-mail to all tenderers with the standstill period commencing on the next day. If proceedings are started in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session against the Council in respect of the decision to award the contract within the standstill period then the Council is prevented from awarding the contract. 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.