Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Beaufort House, 15 St. Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QU
UK
Telephone: +44 2073758194
E-mail: procurement@fscs.org.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.fscs.org.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Independent Insurance Claims Handling Services
II.1.2) Main CPV code
66510000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Handling of FSCS protected claims in respect of Independent Insurance Company Ltd.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
4 005 600.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
Main site or place of performance:
UNITED KINGDOM
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
For the provision of claims handling services in relation to IICL
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Criterion 1
/ Weighting: 0
Cost criterion: Price
/ Weighting: 0
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 IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation
FSCS has awarded the contract to Western Mortgage Services Limited (WMSL) under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 on the basis that the services can only be provided by that firm as competition is absent for technical reasons and no reasonable alternative exists. This is for two principal reasons. Specifically, this contract is for Independent Insurance Company Limited (in liquidation) (“IICL”) insurance run-off claims handling for FSCS in the context of FSCS carrying out its public law statutory function. It is a technical exercise requiring a unique set of knowledge and skills and not simply an administrative or straightforward claims handling. The complex and bespoke nature of the service (and vulnerable nature of individuals benefitting from it) means that a particularly experienced and skilled cohort of staff is essential for the delivery to the required quality standards. FSCS does not consider that it would be possible for any other provider to develop sufficient skills and knowledge nor to recruit and train sufficiently qualified staff within an acceptable time period, leading to an unacceptably long transition period, given the initial contract term of only two years. Such a long transition period would have an adverse effect on timely meeting of claims and risk destabilising service provision. FSCS therefore considers that to award the contract to an alternative provider would lead to an unacceptable degree of risk to performance of the services and FSCS being able to discharge its statutory duties. The documentation and data required for the ongoing work is held across a number of platforms, some dating back many years and incompatible with current technology. The firm appointed needs full access to, and ability to use, all such documentation and data as it relates to FSCS “protected claims” to carry out the work. As a result, the identification, conversion, extraction and migration of the relevant data to a state and platform which would be usable by any service provider other than this company (or an associated company) would be so complex, time-consuming and costly as to be prohibitive. In addition, aspects of the arrangement are subject to confidentiality obligations to which FSCS is not a party, adding further complication. All of FSCS’s requirements for this service are objectively justified by the nature, complexity and context of the services, factors relating to the individuals making the relevant claims, the way in which documents and data are held and the existence of third party confidentiality arrangements to which FSCS is not a party. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing of the parameters of the procurement and no reasonable alternative exists. It is not reasonable to relax any of the above requirements as this would expose FSCS and its customers to an unacceptable degree of risk.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section V: Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
12/12/2024
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Western Mortgage Services Limited
03191608
2 Kingdom Street, Paddington
London
W2 6BD
UK
NUTS: UK
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 4 005 600.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The initial contract duration is until 31st March 2027. There will be an option for FSCS to extend the contract from the expiry of the Initial Term on up to 2 occasions for a maximum duration of up to 12 months on each of those occasions. Please note in relation to Section II.2.5) Award Criteria. Due to the process, the default values of the notices have been entered
To view this notice, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=861817177
GO Reference: GO-2025117-PRO-29162857
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The Royal Court of Justice
The Strand
London
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
17/01/2025