Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10 Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
UK
E-mail: Rod.Skinner@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House Parkway Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL8 6JL
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH35
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Aspen House Stephenson Road Severalls Business Park
Colchester
CO4 9QR
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk
I.1) Name and addresses
Essex County Council
19 Market Rd
Chelmsford
CM1 1GG
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.essex.gov.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
Southend-On-Sea City Council
8th Floor, Civic Centre, Victoria Ave
Southend-on-Sea
SS2 6ER
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.southend.gov.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
Thurrock Council
Civic Offices, New Road
Grays
RM17 6SL
UK
E-mail: amy.wilson@attain.co.uk
NUTS: UKH3
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk/
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Essex All-Age Autism Outreach Service
Reference number: ACE-0689-2023-MSE
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Authorty invites responses from suitably qualified and experienced providers to deliver an All Age Autism Outreach Service (the Service) providing specialist autism support to autistic individuals of all ages, across the Transforming Care Partnership (TCP) footprint of Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET), from 1st May 2024 to 30th April 2028, with an option to extend for a further two years until 30th April 2030.
The potential aggregate value of the contract over the term may be up to £8,153,500 including the and potential (but in no way guaranteed) extension period and any modifications over the life of the contract.
The four-year contract value and actual budget is £4,769,000 (excluding the extension period), which will act as an affordability envelope for the purposes of bidding. Any bids received in excess of such affordability envelope will be rejected as non-compliant.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
8 153 500.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85140000
85323000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKH3
Main site or place of performance:
Southend, Essex and Thurrock.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Authority invites responses from suitably qualified and experienced providers to deliver an All Age Autism Outreach Service (the Service) providing specialist autism support to autistic individuals of all ages, across the Transforming Care Partnership (TCP) footprint of Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET), from 1st May 2024 to 30th April 2028, with an option to extend for a further two years until 30th April 2030.
Hereafter all references to the Authority incorporates: NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB, NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council.
The Service will aim to achieve the ambitions of Building the Right Support and the NHS Long Term Plan by reducing the number of avoidable admissions of autistic people to tier 4 and inpatient services and improving the quality of life and care of autistic people in both inpatient services and the community. It will consist of a ‘core offer’ for Children, Young People and Adults as well as crisis offer for Children and Young People.
The service will be expected to work with individuals, across a variety of settings, as well as supporting their families and offering consultation to other professionals/services to support the understanding of the individual’s needs ‘through an autism lens’. The service will also be expected to offer hands on, practical support to implement its recommendations, with a more intensive offer of this support for children and young people forming a ‘crisis offer’. Engagement with individuals and their families tell us the importance of support being ‘for autistic people, by autistic people’, and there will be an expectation that that lived experience is held at the centre of the service’s offer and values, employing individuals with lived experience to enhance the support offered.
Areas of support will include:
-Sensory processing
-Identity (neurodiversity, gender, sexuality etc)
-Psychological interventions, adapted to make more accessible for autistic people.
-Practical support with things like executive functioning, communication, and skill development
-Emotionally based school avoidance
-An understanding of and ability to provide consultation around eating disorders and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
The potential aggregate value of the contract over the term may be up to £8,153,500 including the and potential but not guaranteed extension period and any modifications over the life of the contract. The four-year contract value and budget is £4,769,000 (excluding the extension period), which will act as an affordability envelope for the purposes of bidding. Any bids received in excess of such affordability envelope will be rejected as non-compliant.
Further information can be found at section VI.3 and within the Procurement documents.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
8 153 500.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 48
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The Authority is providing for a potential extension of up to 24 months, but this is in no way guaranteed, and activation of such extension will be at the sole discretion of the Authority based on fundamental principles, particularly additional funding having been secured, as well as the performance of the provider and results of any service evaluations undertaken.
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:
The Authority is providing for a potential extension of up to 24 months, but this is in no way guaranteed, and activation of such extension will be at the sole discretion of the Authority based on fundamental principles, particularly additional funding having been secured, as well as the performance of the provider and results of any service evaluations undertaken.
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:
In accordance with Regulations 56 to 58 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) and as set out in the qualification envelope which is available with the procurement documents.
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to 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:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-021612
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
22/01/2024
Local time: 12:00
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
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
22/01/2024
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
The Authority is looking to appoint a single Preferred Bidder to manage all aspects of the Service. As such, a Lotting Strategy is deemed inappropriate as it risks creation of unnecessary fragmentation and complexity. Accordingly, the service will be offered as a single contract awarded to a single Preferred Bidder (either as a lead provider in its own right, as a such as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or consortium of providers, or in association with sub-contractors). Bidders will be required to confirm their Bidding Model including the legal form it takes. The Authority reserves the right to require members of any bidding group to assume a specific legal form if awarded the contract, if considered necessary for the satisfactory performance of the contract.
The Services within this procurement fall within Section 7 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the "Regulations"). Neither the inclusion of the Bidder at Qualification Stage nor the use of the terms Open Procedure, Selection Questionnaire, or Invitation to Tender nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold themselves bound by any of the Regulations save those applicable to Public Contracts for social and other specific services listed in Schedule 3 of the Regulations (the "Light Touch" Regime).
The Authority may wish to expand the Service during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modification(s)"). To this end, providers should be aware that after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation(s) to the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020), in the potential circumstances and or situations as communicated in detail in the ITT Process Overview.
The Contract to be entered into by the Authority and the Preferred Bidder for the procurement will be based on the NHS Standard Contract 23/24.
Disclaimer: The Authority shall not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by respondents to this procurement in preparing and/or submitting such responses.
To access the procurement documentation, please go to the Attain eProcurement Portal (Bravo powered by Jaggaer) at: https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk
Click on 'Register here' and follow the on-screen instructions. You can access the ITT: 'itt_131 – Essex All Age Autism Outreach Service' by clicking on the link called 'View current opportunities' on the Home Page. Please note that the tender will not be accepted by any means other than through the Attain e-Procurement Portal.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice of England and Wales
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10 Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
30/11/2023