Agreement for the Provision of Flexible Benefits

Framework agreement for the provision of flexible benefits schemes to entitled NHS organisations.

UK-Sheffield: Benefit services

2013/S 019-028663

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

North of England NHS Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) (hosted by and acting through Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust)
Don Valley House, Savile Street East
For the attention of: Alison Petrie
S4 7UQ Sheffield
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: alison.petrie@noecpc.nhs.uk

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.3)Main activity

Health

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

Agreement for the Provision of Flexible Benefits.

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 27: Other services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Please see III.2.1) for full user eligibility text.
NUTS code UK

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators
maximum number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 5
Duration of the framework agreement

Duration in months: 24
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement

Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 200 and 7 000 GBP

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Framework agreement for the provision of flexible benefits schemes to entitled NHS organisations.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

75310000

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

II.1.8)Lots

II.1.9)Information about variants

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: yes
Provisional timetable for recourse to these options:
in months: 24 (from the award of the contract)

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: yes
Number of possible renewals: 2
In the case of renewable supplies or service contracts, estimated timeframe for subsequent contracts:
in months: 12 (from the award of the contract)

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 24 (from the award of the contract)

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Listings of the entities eligible to utilise any resulting agreement(s), subject to the approval of NOE CPC, can be found at:
Acute Trusts: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AcuteTrustListing.aspx

Primary Care Trusts ( pending changes under the modernisation of the NHS April 2013– see the NHS Commissioning Board website below): http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/PrimaryCareTrustListing.aspx

Mental Health Trusts: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/MentalHealthTrustListing.aspx

Ambulance Trusts: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AmbulanceTrustListing.aspx

Care Trusts: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/CareTrustListing.aspx

Strategic Health Authorities: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/StrategicHealthAuthorityListing.aspx

Special Health Authorities: http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/SpecialHealthAuthorityListing.aspx

other English NHS bodies: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx

Arms Length Bodies: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/OrganisationsthatworkwithDH/Armslengthbodies/Categorisationofarmslengthbodies/index.htm

The NHS Commissioning Board (www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk) and other organisations involved in commissioning of primary care services via Clinical Commissioning Groups – CCGs supported by the Commissioning Support Units – CSU’s which will be responsible for commissioning most aspects of NHS care (or equivalent body/bodies established pursuant to legislation enacted as a result of, or in connection with, the White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS published July 2010.

CCG: www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/ccg-details/

CSU: www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/appointments/csu

The NHS Commissioning Board and other organisations involved in commissioning and/or overseeing General Practitioner services and GP consortia
GP Practices: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx, and: http://www.general-practitioners-uk.co.uk/

and any other provider of primary medical services:
a) who are a party to any of the following contracts:
– General Medical Services (GMS),
– Personal Medical Services (PMS),
– Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) and/or
b) Commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board or other organisations involved in commissioning or overseeing General Practitioner services, as described above.
Social Enterprises: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_119228.pdf

Local Authorities:
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=directory.alpha

NHS Wales (National Health Service for Wales) including but not limited to: Welsh Health Boards, Primary care services – GPs, pharmacies, dentists and optometrists, Hospital services, and community services, including those provided through community health centres and mental health services:
http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/localhealthboards/

NHS Scotland (National Health Service for Scotland) including but not limited to: NHS Boards, Hospitals, Primary care Services GPs, pharmacies, dentists and optometrists, Hospital services, and community services, including those provided through community health centres and mental health services:
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/organisations/index.aspx

NHS Northern Ireland (National Health Service for Northern Ireland) including but not limited to: Health and Social Care Trusts, Primary care Services GPs, pharmacies, dentists and optometrists, Hospital services, social care services and community services, including those provided through community health centres and mental health services:
http://www.n-i.nhs.uk/

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Candidates may be disqualified who do not respond in accordance with the format and instructions of this requirement. Prior to entering your general information & Expressing an Interest in this requirement candidates are requested to provide their profile in Sid4health. The NOE CPC utilizes the NHS Supplier Information Database (sid4health) to manage & assess general pre-qualification info in the form of a profile. To register your profile on Sid4health you must:
i) Obtain a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) DUNS(R) Number to enable registration on sid4health. Normally its provided within 48 hours but may take up to 5 days. The DUNS(R) No. is the standard supplier coding for the NHS & must be obtained for trading with the NHS. Check if your company has a DUNS(R) No on the Sid4health registration page.
ii) Go to www.sid4health.nhs.uk and select Register Supplier Organisation & enter the first part or the whole of your organisation name or DUNS number. Click on Search, follow instructions to complete the registration or select an existing registration to create a new user account. (Candidates must publish at least one validated profile to make their profile available for buyers to view generally – see Help page on Sid4health within Profile Management for details).

iii) Ensure all mandatory fields of their Sid4health profile are completed. D&B data will be supplied automatically by D&B.
iv) Where access to Sid4health is unavailable, contact the sid4health Helpdesk: helpsid4health@eurodyn.com

Once your sid4health profile has been completed & validated progress to express interest in this tender as per section VI.3)Please ensure YOU keep your profile updated within Sid4health regularly.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Restricted

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

22.2.2013 – 17:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

VI.3)Additional information

Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender:
1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (once) – Browse to the eSourcing Portal: https://noecpc.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml and click the link to register – Accept the terms and conditions and click ‘continue’ – Enter your correct details – Note the username you chose and click ‘Save’ when complete – You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (keep secure). Once registered, please follow the steps to import your sid4health profile, the instructions to do so are in the ‘Supplier Import guide’ once logged in. You will then be able to express interest in the tender exercise that is of interest to you.

2. Express an Interest in the tender – Login to the portal with the username/password – Click the ‘PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers’ link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires/ Invitations to Tender open to any registered supplier) – Click on the relevant PQQ/ ITT to access the content. – Click the ‘Express Interest’ button at the top of the page. – This will move the PQQ /ITT into your ‘My PQQs/ My ITTs’ page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only) -You can now access any attachments by clicking ‘Buyer Attachments’ in the ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’ box.
3. Responding to the tender – Click ‘My Response’ under ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’, you can choose to ‘Create Response’ or to ‘Decline to Respond’ (please give a reason if declining) – You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification – Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ/ ITT – There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available) You must then submit your reply using the ‘Submit Response’ button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help or contact the eTendering help desk at 0800-3684580 or help@bravosolution.co.uk

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: NOE CPC will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers, in accordance with Regulation 32A of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006. Any tenderer wishing to appeal the decision to award the contract, or after the award of the contract appeal the award of the contract, shall have the rights set out in Part 9 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and as amended in 2009 Remedies Directive and further amended in 2011.

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:23.1.2013