Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
London Borough of Islington
Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, Islington
London
N12UD
Contact
Strategic Procurement
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKI43 - Haringey and Islington
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.islington.gov.uk/business/opportunities/selling_council/procurement-opps
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
Prepaid Card Services
Reference number
2425-0256
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 66172000 - Financial transaction processing and clearing-house services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The contract covers the provision of long-term prepaid card services to support various council operations including Adult Social Care, Children's Services, NRPF, and Client Finance. Prepaid cards enable fast electronic fund transfers, reduce manual payment processes, and allow real-time expenditure monitoring. The service supports cashless operations and protects vulnerable clients from financial abuse.
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: £450,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKI - London
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The procurement covers the provision of long-term prepaid card services to support multiple council operations including Adult Social Care, Children's Services, NRPF, Client Finance, and Education. The council currently manages approximately 2,000 prepaid cards across eight payment platforms. The service enables fast electronic fund transfers, reduces manual payment processes, and allows real-time expenditure monitoring. It supports a largely cashless operation and protects vulnerable clients from financial abuse.
The contract includes a fixed monthly fee based on card volume (currently in the 1,001-3,000 bracket), plus additional charges for setup, replacement cards, reporting, and platform-specific changes. The successful provider, Prepaid Financial Services (PFS), was selected via direct award under the NEPO framework due to their ability to meet all requirements, including robust reporting, joint account functionality, and continuity of service.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The contract was awarded without prior publication in accordance with Regulation 32 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. This is lawful because the procurement is a direct call-off from an existing framework agreement (NEPO505 - Payment Solutions).
The framework permits direct award and includes Prepaid Financial Services (PFS) as an eligible supplier. The council selected PFS based on continuity of service, value for money, and their ability to meet all technical and operational requirements. No further competition was required under the terms of the framework.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
7 February 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Prepaid Financial Services
London
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
Companies House
06337638
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £450,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice
London
Country
United Kingdom