National Minimum Data Set for Social Care

Leeds: database-management system

National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC) & LeaRNS.

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

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

Skills for Care Limited
West Gate, 6 Grace Street
For the attention of: Phyllis Wicks, IT Project Manager Workforce Intelligence
LS1 2RP Leeds
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1132411279
E-mail: ojeu-110143A@skillsforcare.org.uk
Fax: +44 1132436417

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Electronic access to information: http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/tenders/NMDS-SC_LeaRNS.aspx

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

Other: Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee

I.3)Main activity

Other: Workforce Development in Adult Social Care in England

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

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

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

National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC) & LeaRNS.

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

Services
Service category No 7: Computer and related services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: The services will be delivered electronically from remote premises.
NUTS code UKE42

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

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

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

The Contracting Authority requires a service to manage and run two established systems (NMDS-SC & LeaRNS), to establish an updated infrastructure, to deliver the smooth migration from the existing configuration to the new, including handover and knowledge transfer from the current supplier, and to continue to deliver the systems to the existing and growing user communities in line with developing needs and priorities. This service will include resource to develop further releases, fix identified errors and make changes to the software as defined and approved by Skills for Care.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

48612000, 72267000, 72262000, 48611000, 72263000, 48000000

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

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

The Contracting Authority seeks to procure a service as described in Section II.1.5 to manage the NMDS-SC and LeaRNS systems, however due to the current pace of change in the adult social care arena and financial constraints it is possible that either system may be removed from the tender after the issue of this PQQ.
Clarification will be provided at the issue of the full ITT. The procured service would include the establishment of an updated infrastructure to deliver the systems, and the smooth migration from the existing configuration to the new, including handover and knowledge transfer from the current supplier.
In addition, the contract will include resource to develop further releases, fix identified errors and make changes to the software as defined and approved by Skills for Care.
The main objective of the project is to deliver a new 6 year contract for NMDS-SC and LeaRNS to include the full range of services identified, to implement the new contract smoothly and seamlessly from a user perspective, and to provide a flexible, quality-focused partnership in order to ensure the Workforce Intelligence systems remain relevant and effective for the sector.
The Department of Health commissions Skills for Care to provide workforce intelligence for social care via the NMDS-SC. The NMDS-SC gathers information on providers offering a social care service and on the workers employed in the adults’ and children’s social care sectors. NMDS-SC has data on over 25 000 locations and 600 000 workers across England. (For further information please refer to full contract documents).
Collection and updating of NMDS-SC is ongoing rather than at a census date.
LeaRNS is the web-based national information system supporting the professional development of social workers at pre- and post-qualifying levels. LeaRNS coordinates information about practice placements for social work students and tracks post-qualifying training done by social workers. (For further information please refer to full contract documents).
Skills for Care aim to realise a number of benefits from the new contract over its life. Identified benefits are that:
— Increased take-up of NMDS-SC is demonstrably linked to improved workforce planning in the employer user community,
— Workforce Intelligence systems development is clearly linked to and supports the wider Skills for Care offer,
— Workforce Intelligence systems development is widely seen as responsive and pro-active in meeting the specific needs of employers and the sector as a whole, enhancing Skills for Care’s reputation,
— Skills for Care is able to demonstrate to funders cost efficiencies through new technology,
— Workforce Intelligence systems are recognised widely as the best source of workforce data for the adult social care sector,
— Delivery of the systems demonstrates Skills for Care’s commitment to quality.
Further details will be available to interested parties in the body and Appendices of the PQQ.
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 5 000 000,00 and 10 000 000,00 GBP

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: yes
Description of these options: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the contract for a period of one year and will require break clauses at 2 and 4 years in the 6 year period of the contract.

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: no

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

Duration in months: 72 (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:

A performance bond or parent company guarantee may be required. See Contract Documents.

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

See Contract Documents.

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

Subject to the status and involvement of the parties, the Contracting Authority may require these parties to enter into joint and several liability obligations. Alternatively, the Contracting Authority may expect the lead operator to take responsibility.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: yes
Description of particular conditions: Subject to the status and structure of the Contracting Operator, collateral warranties may be required from subcontractors.

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: Interested bidders should consider the Project Summary provided and are required to complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). Completed PQQ’s, together with the information requested in the PQQ, needs to be returned to the address provided in section I.1 by the date and time set out in section IV.3.4. The Contracting Authority intends to invite a range of between 5 and 7 of the top performing responses to the PQQ to tender (applying the evaluation criteria set out therein).

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Interested bidders should consider the Contract Documents provided and are required to complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). Completed PQQ’s, together with the information requested in the PQQ, needs to be returned to the address provided in section I.1 by the date and time set out in section IV.3.4. The Contracting Authority intends to invite a range of between 5 and 7 of the top performing responses to the PQQ to tender (applying the evaluation criteria set out therein).

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Interested bidders should consider the Contract Documents provided and are required to complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). Completed PQQ’s, together with the information requested in the PQQ, needs to be returned to the address provided in section I.1 by the date and time set out in section IV.3.4. The Contracting Authority intends to invite a range of between 5 and 7 of the top performing responses to the PQQ to tender (applying the evaluation criteria set out therein).

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

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

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: yes

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

Envisaged minimum number 5: and maximum number 7
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: Please see evaluation criteria set out in PQQ documentation.

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

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

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

Notice on a buyer profile

Notice number in the OJEU: 2006/S 123-131579 of 1.7.2006

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

Payable documents: no

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

9.1.2012 – 15:00

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

5.3.2012

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 tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

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

VI.3)Additional information

Interested candidates should download the Contract Documentation from the link given in section I.1.1 Internet address, access to electronic information and return it to the contracting authority by the date mentioned in IV.3.4. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award the contract. All applicants will be responsible for their own costs in relation to this tender.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

High Court of Justice, For the nearest High Court please see http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/HMCSCourtFinder
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 2079476126
Internet address: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: The contracting authority will incorporate a minimum of 10 calendar days standstill period in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, as amended (“the Regulations”). This is intended to allow parties to apply to the Court to set aside the award decision before the contract is entered into. In addition, these Regulations provide remedies for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules, to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Court of Session (Scotland). Any such action must be brought within the appropriate statutory deadline in force at the relevant time. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the authorities to amend any document and may award damages. In certain circumstances, the remedy of effectiveness is available and/or penalties may be imposed.

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

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:18.11.2011