Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Castle House, Barracks Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
ST5 1BL
UK
Contact person: Amanda Boffey
Telephone: +44 1782717717
E-mail: amanda.boffey@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk
Fax: +44 1782711032
NUTS: UKG23
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0592
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
www.mytenders.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
www.mytenders.co.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Newcastle Housing Advice Service
Reference number: 2019/AB/NHAC
II.1.2) Main CPV code
70000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Borough Council are conducting a tendering exercise to ensure transparency and best value for the future delivery of the following services:
— the Homelessness service, adapted to support HRA 2017, which includes the prevention of homelessness through advice and intervention, discharging the Council’s statutory homelessness duty and ensuring that customers are assisted to access appropriate housing,
— the Housing Advice service, which includes a comprehensive housing advice service across all tenures, joint working with key stakeholders and providers and signposting to other specialist services,
— the Housing Register service which includes the management of the housing register, nominations to private registered housing providers and advice on the Housing Register and the NHA options scheme.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1 200 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKG23
Main site or place of performance:
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council transferred its housing stock under large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) to Aspire Housing Ltd in 2000 and as a statutory housing authority it continued to have a duty to provide a Homelessness, Housing Advice and Housing Register Services. These functions are currently delivered as the Newcastle Housing Advice (NHA) service under a contract with Midland Heart.
The existing NHA service contract commenced on 1.4.2014 and is due to expire 31.3.2020. The current contractual NHA service has been delivered during a period where the housing policy landscape has changed significantly. The Welfare Reform changes, the cuts to supporting people funding, the housing and planning act and rent reductions for social housing tenants, are all policy decisions that are proving making it more challenging to support customers especially those who are the most vulnerable. This service has now been adapted to support the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) 2017 and has invested in significant changes to IT and resources to legally and practically support the enhanced legislative burdens.
The Council are conducting a tendering exercise to ensure transparency and best value for the future delivery of the following services. Under the existing contract NHA currently deliver:
— the Homelessness service, adapted to support HRA 2017, which includes the prevention of homelessness through advice and intervention, discharging the Council’s statutory homelessness duty and ensuring that customers are assisted to access appropriate housing,
— the housing advice service, which includes a comprehensive housing advice service across all tenures, joint working with key stakeholders and providers and signposting to other specialist services,
— the housing register service which includes the management of the housing register, nominations to private registered housing providers and advice on the housing register and the NHA Options scheme.
The NHA service offers free, independent and confidential advice and assistance to all residents in the Borough, and provides fair and equitable access regardless of tenure, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age or disability.
Although the Council takes an 'enabling' role, it still retains the statutory responsibility for these services. The Council is responsible under Parts VI and VII of the Housing Act (1996) and as amended by the Homelessness Act (2002) and Homeless Reduction Act (2017) and is contracting out these services under the provisions of the Contracting Out and Deregulation Act (1994). The essence of this order allows the contracting out of executive functions while leaving the responsibility for making strategic decisions with the Local Housing Authority.
The Council's aim is to ensure that present and future residents of the Borough have greater choice in being able to live in a home that is affordable, in good condition and adequately meets their needs. The Council is keen to ensure that it has excellent future proof services, where possible, which meet these needs.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 72
This contract is subject to renewal: No
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.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Participation is reserved to a particular profession: Yes
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council (NULBC) as a statutory housing authority continues to have a duty to provide a homelessness, housing advice and housing register services.
The service will be required to be, adapted to support HRA 2017, which includes the prevention of homelessness through advice and intervention, discharging NULBC’s statutory homelessness duty and ensuring that customers are assisted to access appropriate housing.
Continuing an 'enabling' role NULBC still retains the statutory responsibility for these services, it is responsible under Parts VI and VII of the Housing Act (1996) and as amended by the Homelessness Act (2002) and Homeless Reduction Act (2017) and is contracting out these services under the provisions of the Contracting Out and Deregulation Act (1994).
The successful bidder will ensure:
— staff are suitably experienced and trained in housing and homelessness legislation and case law, that they have access to regular updates and can respond to NULBC’s statutory homelessness duties,
— all homeless applications are investigated fully to ascertain if applicants meet the statutory requirements for acceptance as homeless, and ensure that their operational plan demonstrates to NULBC their ability and expertise to ensure that NULBC ’s statutory homelessness duties are discharged lawfully and effectively.
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
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:
30/09/2019
Local time: 17:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until:
02/12/2019
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
01/10/2019
Local time: 09:30
Place:
Borough Council of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure:
Business improvement manager.
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
Note: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the myTenders website at https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=216870
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.mytenders.co.uk/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.
(MT Ref:216870)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Castle House, Barracks Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
ST5 1BL
UK
Telephone: +44 1782717717
Fax: +44 1782711032
Internet address(es)
URL: http://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
05/08/2019