Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Welsh Government
Corporate Procurement Services, Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
UK
Telephone: +44 3000257095
E-mail: cpsprocurementadvice@gov.wales
NUTS: UKL
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://gov.wales
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0007
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Discretionary Assistance Fund Framework Agreement
Reference number: C317/2021/2022
II.1.2) Main CPV code
75110000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Act 2012 abolished the discretionary Social Fund, which was administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and replaced parts of it (crisis loans and community care grants) with new locally based provision. From April 2013 funding for the Social Fund was devolved to the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and to local authorities in England. The Discretionary Assistance Fund was established and has operated as the replacement scheme in Wales since 2013.
The fund comprises two distinct elements:
- Emergency Assistance Payments (EAP) – which provide assistance with an emergency or disaster situation when there is an immediate threat to health and well being; and
- Individual Assistance Payments (IAP) – which are in place to meet an urgent identified need necessary to enable or support independent living thereby preventing the need for institutional care. Eligibility for an IAP is based upon an applicant being entitled to and in receipt of income related benefits. All IAP applications are required to be supported by a Partner from an established Partner Network comprising support and advice organisations across Wales.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
3 936 183.95
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
75112000
79512000
72262000
72263000
75131000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The key aim of the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) is to offer payments or in kind support to enable or maintain independent living and to provide urgent assistance to people where there is an identified need to safeguard health and well being. These payments are made available to people who have no other means of meeting the immediate cost of living and are not intended to meet the cost of ongoing expenses. As such, payments from this fund are not repayable. The aim of this contract is to ensure the fund is delivered to the most financially vulnerable people in Wales. The successful Bidder will be responsible for all aspects of the management, implementation, administration and monitoring of the DAF grant scheme.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 75
Cost criterion: Cost
/ Weighting: 25
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Additional call off contracts may be required during the Framework Agreement duration for contracts that may be required as a result of any change in Ministerial priorities in response to emerging policy changes, for example having to respond to possible unprecedented emergency situations, i.e Welsh Government response to flooding or other such emergencies.
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
The value is GBP6m to GBP15m for the initial 3 years. 6m reflects historical spend prior to the covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Spend during 2018-2021 is GBP3.5m per annum the value may be less at circa GBP2m per annum. The 15m value reflects changes to Ministerial priorities in response to unknown priorities. The max value over the lifetime of the framework/ contract is GBP30m.
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
IV.1.8) Information about 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
Notice number in the OJ S:
2022/S 022-123067
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: C317/2021/2022
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
12/01/2023
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
NEC Software Solutions UK Limited
Suite 101, 1st Floor, iMex Centre, 575-599 Maxted Road
Hemel Hempstead
HP27DX
UK
Telephone: +44 1442768445
NUTS: UK
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 3 936 183.95
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The Framework Agreement term is 3 years plus 1 year extension option (with the option to award a further 2 year contract in year 4 of the framework agreement).
The contract value included in section V.2.4 of the notice is per annum, and the maximum framework agreement value for the initial 3 year contract term is GBP 15m. Should the up to 3 year contract extension be utilised the maximum value will be up to GBP 15m.
(WA Ref:128702)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477501
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
01/02/2023