Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
APUC Limited
Unit 27, Stirling Business Centre, Wellgreen
Stirling
FK8 2DZ
UK
Contact person: Grace Taylor
Telephone: +44 1314428930
E-mail: gtaylor@apuc-scot.ac.uk
NUTS: UKM77
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10402
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Student Assistance and Support Services
Reference number: SEC1008 AP
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85312320
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Authority is seeking Contractor(s) for the provision of student assistance and support services to the Scottish HE/FE sector (https://www.apuc-scot.ac.uk/?#!/members). These services include: counselling sevices, student support helpline and online mental health and wellbeing support.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
800 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Full Student Support Service
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85312300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM77
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This lot will be combining:
- Counselling on a one-on-one basis given via SVC, telephone and in a face-to-face setting;
- Student support helpline (out of hours, 24/7 or as required) via telephone and/or online methods);
- Online mental health and wellbeing support: online peer to peer web portal, offering creative tools, courses and web-based therapy and online knowledge hub for students including, but not limited to, advice on wellbeing and self-help practises.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 36
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
1 x 12 month extension.
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:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Student Wellbeing Tool
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85312320
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM77
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Provision of online mental health and wellbeing support: online peer to peer web portal, offering creative tools, courses and web-based therapy and online knowledge hub for students including, but not limited to, advice on wellbeing and self-help practises.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 36
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
1 x 12-month extension.
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:
No
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 III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
(LOT 1 ONLY)
Counsellors and all Service Provider Personnel attending any Institutions or interacting with students sites must have PVG Scheme Membership. This is a minimum requirement and Bidders are asked to confirm membership in their response to the Single Procurement Document (SPD);
Key Personnel to be qualified members of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapist (BACP), UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or equivalent;
Key Personnel to be a chartered Counselling/Clinical psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and also hold registration with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and COSCA/ Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland.
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
With reference to question 4B.5 of the SPD in the qualification questionnaire, bidders must confirm they can provide the following supporting evidence prior to award:
Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = 5,000,000 GBP
Professional Indemnity = 1,000,000 GBP
Public Liability Insurance = 5,000,000 GBP
A copy of the Insurance Certificate or Brokers Letter must be provided prior to award to demonstrate that the Insurance requirements can be met. All Insurance requirements are minimum standards and are mandatory. A fail will result in elimination of the procurement exercise.
To demonstrate and evidence suitable economic standing, successful Contractors will be required to provide 2 years audited accounts, or equivalent if awarded to the Framework Agreement. Alternatively, if the Contractor is unable to provide the required accounting information, e.g. due to being a new business, then they will be required to provide a banker's letter demonstrating their willingness to the support the Contractor's organisation over the term of the framework agreement. Please refer to 4B.6 of the SPD.
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Tenderers must confirm they have (or have access to) the relevant supply chain management and tracking systems to ensure a resilient and sustainable supply chain. This includes confirmation that they have the systems in place to pay subcontractors through the supply chain
promptly (i.e. no later than 30 days after the invoice (or similar claim) relating to the payment is presented) and effectively, and provide
evidence when requested of:
a) their standard payment terms
b) ≥95% of all supply chain invoices being paid on time (in accordance with the terms of contract) in the last financial year.
If the bidder is unable to confirm (b) they must provide an improvement plan, signed by their Director, which improves the payment performance.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Submission of Management Information:
Following commencement of the Framework Agreement, the Contractor will provide a performance report to the Authority on a quarterly basis to include spend by Institution under the Framework Agreement for the reporting period.
Contractors must provide the information on a quarterly basis, within 10 working days following the start of each quarter. Data must be uploaded to the website:
http://ucsp.ac.uk/ using the template provided (template shall be provided during the lead-in period). The supplied template is the only format permissible and should contain Contractor name, tender reference, total net spend by institution each month. If there has been no spend for the quarter, then this will still require you to log in and record a nil spend return.
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.
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 6
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:
2025/S 000-082983
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
01/06/2026
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:
01/06/2026
Local time: 13:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
3 years - 30/04/2029.
VI.3) Additional information
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
Suppliers should confirm they will be in a position to complete (at point of award) the following:
Appendix A Form of Tender
Appendix B Freedom of Information
Appendix D APUC Sustain Supply Chain Code of Conduct
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 31588. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
In line with the Procurement Reform Act (2014), the Contractor will work with the Authority to consider what community benefits can be delivered through this Framework Agreement. This will include, whenever feasible, ensuing that any Institution undertaking a call off can capture community benefits. These may include, but not limited to, employment and recruitment, skills and training opportunities, community engagement and anything delivered through the contract intended to improve the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the community in a way that is additional to the main purpose of the Framework Agreement.
(SC Ref:829016)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Stirling Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, Viewfield Place
Stirling
FK8 1NH
UK
E-mail: enquiries@scotcourts.gov.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
29/04/2026