Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place, Tipping Street,
Stafford
ST162DH
UK
Contact person: Clare Kinvig-Jenkinson
E-mail: clare.kinvig-jenkinson@staffordshire.gov.uk
NUTS: UKG2
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/selling-council/procurement
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.proactisplaza.com
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.proactisplaza.com
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
IA3617 Communicator Guide
Reference number: IA3617
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Communicator Guides offer support to Eligible Persons who have developed sight and hearing impairments, often as they get older. These difficulties can cause people to become increasingly withdrawn, depressed and isolated. With the right help, deafblind people can live fulfilling lives at home and in the community.
The Communicator Guide Service supports sensory impaired Eligible Persons within Staffordshire by providing suitably trained and qualified 'Communicator Guides.' The Service supports Eligible Persons either in their home or in the community in accordance with their Care Support Plan to achieve their agreed assessed outcomes.
The Communicator Guide Service support for each Eligible Persons will depend on their individual needs as stated in their Care and Support Needs Assessment and their Care Support Plan. The Service will to be delivered to meet the support needs of the Eligible Persons. The Service will be delivered within the Contract Area as defined in the Framework Agreement but ultimately will be Staffordshire wide.
The service is a 7 day a week service.
Communicator Guide Support will be provided to the Eligible Persons through the most suitable format of Communication.
The Service's primary objective is to enable Eligible Persons to remain living independently and maintain a good quality of life, and to help them achieve their assessed outcomes, and to limit the extent to which a person's sensory loss detrimentally impacts on their life, and the lives of their family.
The delivery and intensity of the Service will be flexible to reflect the support that the Eligible Persons requires, and to enable them to meet their individual outcomes as set out in their Care and Support Needs Assessment.
The Open tender procedure is to appoint Suppliers to a Framework.
The Light Touch Framework Agreement will have the option to re-open on an ad-hoc basis subject to capacity and demand on the Service if required to allow new entrants and resubmissions from previously unsuccessful tenderers to apply, after the Commissioner has reviewed the effectiveness of the Framework and determined that there is a need.
The decision to re-open though will be made in line with the availability of resources from Procurement and Commissioning. The Council will also reserve the right to not open the Framework.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
2 753 405.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKG2
Main site or place of performance:
Staffordshire
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This Procurement is for a Framework Agreement between the successful supplier(s) and the Authority, to supply Services, as and when required under a Call-Off Contract. The Authority makes no guarantee as to the volume of business on offer and any figures / quantities / volumes given are indicative and are guidance only.
Number of Suppliers to be awarded is unlimited onto the Framework Agreement.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Service Delivery Model
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Aims and Objectives of the Service
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Workforce
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Quality Assurance
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Eligible Person Views
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Case Study
/ Weighting: 20
Cost criterion: FIXED PRICE
/ Weighting: 0
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
2 753 405.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/09/2026
End:
31/08/2031
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
Statutory duty Service, subject to budget and internal approvals.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Term - the Framework Agreement will commence on 1st September 2026 and, subject to earlier termination in accordance with its terms, will continue until midnight on 31st August 2029. At the Authority's entire discretion, the term may be extended by Two (2) One (1) year extensions on the same terms for such period(s) in accordance with the contract.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
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 with several operators.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
22/05/2026
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
22/05/2026
Local time: 13:00
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure:
IV.2. Administrative information
For information - there is a linked UK2 notice, but the form/template would not accept this number - 2025/S 000-077446 Published on FAT.
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Staffordshire County Council
Stafford
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
22/04/2026