CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

As in 1.1

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

As in 1.1

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

BSS23001 - Out of Hours Call Handling Service Framework

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

This Invitation to Tender (ITT) has been issued by Barcud Shared Services for and on the behalf of its Clients. This ITT is to be run as an ‘Open Procedure’ in accordance with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) and advertised on Sell2Wales.

Barcud Shared Services requirement for BSS23001 - Out of Hours Call Handling Service will be the base upon which an Out of Hours Call Handling Service Framework is established. This framework will be assessable by all Barcud Shared Services members and Clients. The budget for this requirement is up to £180,000.00 and advertised on a Contract Duration of 3 + 1 Years. The framework aims to establish a direct award call-off procedure appointing a maximum of 3 suppliers.

Suppliers appointed to the Framework Agreement must be aware that there is no guarantee of any of work or set number of individual “call-off” Contracts per Supplier for each Lot. It is anticipated (but there is no obligation) that Individual “call-off” Contracts shall be awarded in accordance with Schedule 2 – Call Off Process of the Framework Agreement. It is at Barcud Shared Services sole discretion when “call-off' Contracts will be awarded.

Further information on the framework requirements may be found within the associated tender specification & framework agreement.

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=135048.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

N/a

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

Barcud Shared Services was originally established in 2012 by four large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) housing associations. Due to the organisation's success, Barcud Shared Services Limited (BSS) was incorporated in September 2019 as a not-for-profit company with five Members: Bron Afon Community Housing, Merthyr Valleys Homes, Tai Tarian & Valleys to Coast Housing with Cynon Taf, joining in 2022. Barcud Shared Services also has a subsidiary company - Astari Limited - which was established to provide services to non-Member organisation’s both in the sector and beyond, focusing on those with a social purpose.

As a group we work with a range of social purpose organisations including:

• Aelwyd Housing

• Barcud Housing Group

• Bron Afon Community Housing

• Cadwyn Housing Association

• Caredig

• Care & Repair Powys

• Cwm Taf Care & Repair

• Cynon Taf

• First Choice Housing Association

• Local Partnerships

• Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association

• Merthyr Valleys Homes

• Newydd Group

• Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

• Rhondda Housing Association

• SHAL

• Smart Money Cymru

• Tai Tarian

• Trivallis

• The Care Society

• United Welsh

• Valleys to Coast

(WA Ref:135048)

Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:

Community benefits are to be evaluated as a proportion of the award criteria of this framework.

The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia bidding.

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice