Pension Services for UK Higher and Further Education Sector

APUC is seeking to put in place a Framework Agreement for a Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, compliant with Auto Enrolment legislation, on behalf of the UK Higher and Further Education sector.

United Kingdom-Edinburgh: Pension services

2013/S 231-401306

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

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

APUC Limited
14 New Mart Road
For the attention of: Emma Nicholson
EH14 1RL Edinburgh
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1314428930
Fax: +44 1314428931

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/home.htm

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

Electronic access to information: www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Electronic submission of tenders and requests to participate: www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Further information can be obtained from: APUC Limited
14 New Mart Rd
For the attention of: Emma Nicholson
EH14 1RL Edinburgh
UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/home.htm

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: APUC Limited
14 New Mart Rd
For the attention of: Emma Nicholson
EH14 1RL Edinburgh
UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/home.htm

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: APUC Limited
14 New Mart Rd
For the attention of: Emma Nicholson
EH14 1RL Edinburgh
UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/home.htm

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.3)Main activity

Education

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

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

Fife College

Dundee & Angus College

West College Scotland

Glasgow Clyde College

Ayrshire College

Glasgow Kelvin College

Edinburgh College

City of Glasgow College

North East College Scotland

New College Lanarkshire

Scotland’s Rural College

Borders College

Coatbridge College

Dumfries and Galloway College

Forth Valley College

Inverness College

Lews Castle College

Moray College

Newbattle Abbey College

North Highland College

Orkney College

Perth College

Sabhal Mor Ostaig

Shetland College

South Lanarkshire College

West Lothian College

Edinburgh Napier University

Glasgow Caledonian University

Glasgow School of Art

Heriot-Watt University

Queen Margaret University

Robert Gordon University

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

SRUC

UHI Millennium Institute

University of Aberdeen

University of Abertay Dundee

University of Dundee

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

University of St Andrews

University of Stirling

University of Strathclyde

University of the West of Scotland

London Universities Purchasing Consortium

Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium

North East Universities Purchasing Consortium

North West Universities Purchasing Consortium

Universities and Colleges Employers Association

Higher Education Purchasing Consortium Wales

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

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

Provision of a Pension Scheme.

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

Services
Service category No 6: Financial services a) Insurances services b) Banking and investment services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Various locations around the United Kingdom.
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 a single operator
Duration of the framework agreement

Duration in years: 4

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

APUC is seeking to put in place a Framework Agreement for a Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, compliant with Auto Enrolment legislation, on behalf of the UK Higher and Further Education sector.
NOTE: The authority is using PCS-Tender to carry out this procurement process. Please note this is a separate website and if you are not already registered, registration will be required.
To access PCS-Tender, record your interest in this notice and access the tender documentation please visit https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk and search for project Code project_1635 within the appropriate area.

If you have already registered on Public Contracts Scotland and PCS-Tender and paired your accounts you can access PCS-Tender through your Public Contracts Scotland Control Panel.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

66520000, 66522000, 66523100, 66131100, 66141000

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

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

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 resultant Pension Scheme will be available to all members of APUC, SUPC, LUPC, NEUPC, HEPCW and NWUPC to join and offer to their employees, along with UCEA as an individual organisation.
See details provided in the ITT document.

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

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: 48 (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:

Details provided in the ITT Document.

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

Details provided in the ITT document.

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

Where a consortium or other grouping of suppliers submits a bid, such consortia or grouping must nominate a lead organisation to deal with APUC Ltd on all matters relating to the Framework Agreement. All consortium members or grouping will be required to be jointly and severally liable in respect to the obligations and liabilities relating to the Framework Agreement.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: yes
Description of particular conditions: Details to be provided in the Invitation to Tender. The terms and conditions of the contract will be set out in the invitation document.

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: (1) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that they are not bankrupt or the subject of an administration order, are not being wound-up, have not granted a trust deed, are not the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of their estate, have not had a receiver, manager or administrator appointed and are not otherwise apparently insolvent.
(2) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that the candidate, their directors, or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the candidate has not been convicted of conspiracy, corruption, bribery, or money laundering. Failure to provide such a declaration will result in the candidate being declared ineligible and they will not be selected to participate in this procurement process.
(3) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that they have not been convicted of a criminal offence relating to the conduct of their business or profession.
(4) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that they have not committed an act of grave misconduct in the course of their business or profession.
(5) All candidates must comply with the requirements of the State in which they are established, regarding registration on the professional or trade register.
(6) Any candidate found to be guilty of serious misrepresentation in providing any information required, may be declared ineligible and not selected to continue with this procurement process.
(7) All candidates will have to demonstrate that they are licensed, or a member of the relevant organisation, in the State where they are established, when the law of that State prohibits the provision of the services, described in this notice, by a person who is not so licensed or who is not a member of the relevant organisation.
(8) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that they have fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions under the law of any part of the United Kingdom or of the relevant State in which the candidate is established
(9) All candidates will be required to produce a certificate or declaration demonstrating that they have fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of taxes under the law of any part of the United Kingdom or of the relevant State in which the economic operator is established.

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Tenderers must meet minimum standards of economic and financial standing to take part in the competition. In the case where the tenderer is a Broker, the financial standing of their chosen Provider will also be assessed and must meet the stated minimum acceptable levels below.
Tenderers must be financially fluid and currently trading. They must not be recorded at Companies House as having any negative action / event (dissolved, removed, in liquidation etc.) that calls into question their financial standing. Such action / event will be deemed to be a failure to meet minimum standards of economic and financial standing.
Where a business is established and is required to have its accounts audited, the last two years’ audited accounts must be provided as instructed in the Qualification Questionnaire in PCS-Tender, in English and in UK Sterling* together with details of any significant changes since the last year end.
If a business is exempt from the audit requirement, the last two years annual accounts must be provided and certified by an independent Chartered Accountant or accompanied by a positive banker’s reference for the Tenderer.
If a business was recently set up and not audited, nor annual or endorsed accounts produced, then unaudited or management accounts for the 3 months prior to the application date must be provided and certified by an independent Chartered Accountant or accompanied by a positive banker’s reference for the bidder.
If a business is part of a group, similar accounts for the parent and ultimate holding companies must be included.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Details provided in the Invitation to Tender.
The liquidity ratio of the Provider shall be assessed and must be equal to, or greater than, 3:1 (asset:liability).
The Provider must hold a rating of BBB or higher from Standard and Poors to be considered as suitable for this Tender.
Minimum Insurance levels required by Bidders are detailed in the ITT document.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
Details are provided in the Invitation to Tender.

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

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

Open

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

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:

PFB1011 AP

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

9.1.2014 – 12:00

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

Date: 9.1.2014 – 13:00
Place:

APUC Ltd., 14 New Mart Rd, Edinburgh, EH14 1RL.

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

VI.3)Additional information

(SC Ref:284848)

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: APUC Ltd will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day Standstill Period following electronic notification (minimum of 15 calendar days for any other means of communication) to unsuccessful applicants of the award decision. An economic operator that suffers, or risks suffering, loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (SSI 2006/1) (as amended) may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session.

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

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:26.11.2013