Social and other specific services – public contracts
Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Aberdeen City Council
Marischal College, Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
UK
E-mail: eaitken@aberdeencity.gov.uk
NUTS: UKM50
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00231
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare/become-funded-provider
Additional information can be obtained from another address:
Aberdeen City Council
Early Years Team, 2nd Floor North, Marischal College, Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
UK
Contact person: Early Years Team
Telephone: +44 1224764654
E-mail: EYFunding@aberdeencity.gov.uk
NUTS: UKM50
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare/become-funded-provider
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the following address:
Aberdeen City Council
Early Years Team, 2nd Floor North, Marischal College, Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
UK
Contact person: Early Years Team
Telephone: +44 1224764654
E-mail: EyFunding@aberdeencity.gov.uk
NUTS: UKM50
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and-childcare
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Early Learning and Childcare Funded Provider Application
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80110000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
In terms of section 1(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and section 47 of the 2014 Act, the Council must secure that the ‘mandatory amount’ of EL&C is made available for each eligible pre-school child belonging to its area. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and linked statutory guidance has set out the increased entitlement to 1 140 hours for eligible children and places a duty on the Council to offer increased flexibility to parents as to where and how their child can access their early learning and childcare entitlement.
The Council has therefore identified a requirement to establish a flexible framework agreement with suitably qualified and competent early learning and childcare service providers to ensure security of required places, in order to fulfil its duty. On successful completion of this application process, all providers that meet the criteria set out within the national standards and agree to Aberdeen City's terms and conditions of contract, will be accepted onto the flexible framework.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
38 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Nursery Services (including Private, Public and Third Sector Settings)
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80110000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM50
Main site or place of performance:
Aberdeen.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
A procurement under the light touch regime to establish a non-competitive, flexible framework of early learning and childcare providers. This will ensure Aberdeen City Council has sufficient capacity to deliver every child’s funded ELC entitlement by August 2020. The framework will commence in August 2020 and will operate for 4 years.
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 48
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
Childminding Services
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80110000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM50
Main site or place of performance:
Aberdeen.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
A procurement under the light touch regime to establish a non-competitive, flexible framework of childminders. This will ensure Aberdeen City Council has sufficient capacity to deliver every child’s funded ELC entitlement by August 2020. The framework will commence in August 2020 and will operate for 4 years.
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 48
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.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
Bidders must confirm that they are appropriately registered with the care inspectorate for the services required.
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:
It is a requirement of this procurement that service providers staff hold, or can commit to obtain, prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the professional memberships indicated below:
Benchmark qualification for ELC practitioners for their role.
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
See application documents.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
IV.1.11) Main features of the award procedure:
Please see application documents.
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
01/08/2024
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
Providers may submit applications at any time throughout the framework term.
Please refer to the application documents for details on how to submit an application.
Financial assessment of providers
The Council shall obtain a Creditsafe credit check and will score applicants accordingly:
71 — 100 very low risk – accept
51 — 70 low risk — accept
30 — 50 moderate risk – subject to further discussion internally with the option to reject.
21-29 high risk – subject to further discussion internally with the option to reject.
1-20 — very high risk – reject.
If you are under no obligation to publish accounts on companies house and/or do not have a comprehensive credit rating then provide audited financial accounts for the previous 2 years. Both quick and current ratios should be a minimum of 1:1.5 for the 2 successive years. Applicants whose ratios do not meet the minimum criteria will be rejected. Applicants who can provide audited accounts but chose not to do so shall be rejected.
Applicants who have been trading for less than 1 year and cannot provide audited accounts must submit the cash flow for the current year and a letter from the bank outlining the current cash and credit position for the current year and subsequent year. This will be subject to internal discussion with the option to reject.
If an applicants still does not meet the financial criteria for consideration but has a parent company that does, the firm may still be eligible for consideration where their submission is supported by a parent company guarantee.
Insurance requirements
Providers must hold these insurance levels at a minimum:
Employers (compulsory) liability insurance* — 10 000 000 GBP in respect of any one claim and unlimited as to number of claims;
Public liability insurance — 5 000 000 GBP in respect of any one claim and unlimited as to number of claims;
Statutory third-party motor vehicle insurance (only where applicants will use their vehicles when undertaking activities under the contract).
* where applicable under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969.
Note: to register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland WebSite at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=612094
The contracting authority does not intend to include a sub-contract clause as part of community benefits (as per Section 25 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014) in this contract for the following reason:
No sub-contract clause us included due to the nature of the services being provided.
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2361
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Criteria 8 of the national standard is clear that the provider, by entering the contract with the Council, in accordance with the supporting guidance on transition options, to deliver the funded entitlement, will commit to adopting and demonstrating fair work practices in their setting to all childcare workers delivering the funded entitlement.
(SC Ref:612094)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Aberdeen Civil Justice Centre and Commercial Courts
Queen Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AQ
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
04/02/2020