Employee Assistance Programme for Further Education and Higher Education in Scotland

Provide employee counselling services to Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Institutions in Scotland. 2 Lots.

United Kingdom-Stirling: Counselling services

2020/S 089-213589

Contract notice

Services

Legal Basis:

Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses

Official name: APUC Ltd
Postal address: Unit 27, Stirling Business Centre, Wellgreen
Town: Stirling
NUTS code: UKM77
Postal code: FK8 2DZ
Country: United Kingdom
E-mail: fmacnaughton@apuc-scot.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 1314428930

Internet address(es):Main address: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10402

I.2)Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

I.3)Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: 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: www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

I.4)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.5)Main activity

Education

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement

II.1.1)Title:

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Reference number: SEC1004 AP

II.1.2)Main CPV code

85312320

II.1.3)Type of contract

Services

II.1.4)Short description:

The provision of employee counselling services to Higher Education (HE) Institutions and Further Education (FE) Institutions in Scotland.

II.1.5)Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: 400 000.00 GBP

II.1.6)Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: yes

Tenders may be submitted for all lots

II.2)Description

II.2.1)Title:

Employee Assistance Programme

Lot No: 1

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

85312300

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKM

II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

The purpose of this lot is the provision of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to Higher Education (HE) Institutions and Further Education (FE) Institutions in Scotland.

II.2.5)Award criteria

Criteria below

Quality criterion – Name: Technical / Weighting: 60

Price – Weighting: 40

II.2.6)Estimated value

II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 24

This contract is subject to renewal: yes

Description of renewals:

The authority reserves the right to extend the framework agreement for up to 2 periods of 12 months (24 months total), subject to satisfactory performance and continued institutional requirement.

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.12)Information about electronic catalogues

II.2.13)Information about European Union funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.14)Additional information

Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

II.2)Description

II.2.1)Title:

Face-to-Face Counselling

Lot No: 2

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

85312320

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKM

II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

The purpose of this lot is the provision of Face-to-Face Employee Counselling Services to Higher Education (HE) Institutions and Further Education (FE) Institutions in Scotland.

II.2.5)Award criteria

Criteria below

Quality criterion – Name: Technical / Weighting: 60

Price – Weighting: 40

II.2.6)Estimated value

II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 24

This contract is subject to renewal: yes

Description of renewals:

The authority reserves the right to extend the framework agreement for 2 periods of 12 months (24 months total), subject to satisfactory performance and continued Institutional requirement.

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.12)Information about electronic catalogues

II.2.13)Information about European Union funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.14)Additional information

Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions for participation

III.1.1)Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

List and brief description of conditions:

As per section 4A.1 of the ESPD Counsellors involved in delivering the employee counselling services to be provided through this framework must either:

— be a chartered counselling/clinical psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and also hold registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); and

— hold the BPS diploma in counselling psychology or a statement of equivalent or have undergone counselling training at Masters’ level.

Or B.

— be accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Or C

— be undertaking accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) having undertaken a total of 450 hours of counselling training comprising of 200 hours of skill development and 250 hours of theory;

And,

— have had at least 450 hours of supervised counselling practice over a 3-year period.

Bidders for Lot 1 must also be registered with the EAPA UK or equivalent.

III.1.2)Economic and financial standing

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:

With reference to question 4B.5 of the ESPD in the qualification questionnaire, bidders must confirm they can provide the following supporting evidence prior to award:

Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = GBP 5 000 000

Public Liability Insurance = GBP 5 000 000

With reference to question 4B.6 of the ESPD in the qualification questionnaire, bidders must provide 2 years audited accounts, or equivalent to demonstrate financial stabilities.

Alternatively if the contractor is unable to provide the required accounting information then they will be required to provide a bankers letter demonstrating their willingness to support the contractors organisation over the term of the framework agreement.

III.1.3)Technical and professional ability

III.1.5)Information about reserved contracts

III.2)Conditions related to the contract

III.2.1)Information about a particular profession

III.2.2)Contract performance conditions:

Submission of management information

Following commencement of the framework agreement, the contractor will provide a performance report to the authority on a quarterly basis to include spend by institution under the framework agreement for the reporting period.

Contractors must provide the information on a quarterly basis, within 10 working days following the start of each quarter. Data must be uploaded to the website:

http://ucsp.ac.uk/ using the template provided (template shall be provided during the lead-in period). The supplied template is the only format permissible and should contain contractor name, tender reference, total net spend by institution each month. If there has been no spend for the quarter, then this will still require you to log in and record a nil spend return.

III.2.3)Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open procedure

IV.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: 6

IV.1.4)Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

IV.1.6)Information about electronic auction

IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes

IV.2)Administrative information

IV.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure

IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 11/06/2020

Local time: 14:00

IV.2.3)Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:

English

IV.2.6)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 11/06/2020

Local time: 17:00

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published:

January 2024

VI.2)Information about electronic workflows

VI.3)Additional information:

Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Suppliers should confirm they will be in a position to complete (at point of award) the following

Appendix A: Form of Tender

Appendix B: Freedom of Information

Appendix D: APUC Sustain Supply Chain Code of Conduct

Appendix F: Pricing Schedule

Appendix G: GDPR Assurance Assessment

Appendix H: Living Wage

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 16209. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

(SC Ref:617601)

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 16209. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

(SC Ref:618598)

VI.4)Procedures for review

VI.4.1)Review body

Official name: Stirling Sheriff Court
Postal address: Sheriff Court House Viewfield Place
Town: Stirling
Postal code: FK8 1NH
Country: United Kingdom

VI.4.2)Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.4.3)Review procedure

VI.4.4)Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:

06/05/2020