Social and other specific services – public contracts
Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Aberdeen City Council
Woodhill House, Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB
UK
Telephone: +44 1467539600
E-mail: smelvin@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
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
http://www.publictenderscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.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
2026 - Aberdeen City Council - Dual Sensory Support Service
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Aberdeen City Council has a requirement for the provision of a fully accessible dual sensory service across Aberdeen City for adults aged 16 and over. The duration of this contract is from 1st October 2021 to 30th September 2024, with two potential one-year extensions.
The Service shall offer support to individuals who have a range of issues relating to sight and hearing impairment and it shall also extend to the families and/or carers of Supported People. The Service shall also seek to raise public awareness around issues relating to sensory loss, train and educate professionals, as well as influence planning decisions to improve accessibility.
It is envisaged that the Service will provide varying levels of support, ranging from intensive support, for example, social work assessments, to low level, for example, newsletters. Interventions may be required at short notice and on an ad hoc basis therefore the service to people with a sensory loss needs to be responsive to need. The Service Provider will also maintain a register of visually impaired people on behalf of the Council.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
2 100 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM50
Main site or place of performance:
Aberdeen City
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Aberdeen City Council has a requirement for the provision of a fully accessible dual sensory support service for adults aged 16 and over across Aberdeen City (the “Service”). The Service shall offer support to individuals who have a range of needs relating to visual impairment, hearing loss, deafness, deafblindness and dual sensory loss (“Supported People”). The Service shall also extend to the families and carers of Supported People.
The Service shall seek to raise public awareness around issues relating to sensory loss, train and educate professionals, influence planning decisions to improve accessibility, and support the development of inclusive communities across Aberdeen City.
It is envisaged that the Service will provide varying levels of support, ranging from intensive support, for example, statutory social work assessment, sensory rehabilitation and risk management, to low level support, for example, accessible information, newsletters, signposting, peer support and community awareness. Interventions may be required at short notice and on an ad hoc basis. The Service Provider shall therefore ensure that support to people with sensory loss is responsive to assessed need, risk, eligibility and personal outcomes.
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
2 100 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 72
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
Estimated maximum contract value 2,100,000 GBP excluding any potential Scottish Government Real Living Wage increases for the total of 6 years.
Duration 1/1/27-31/12/31 plus optional 2 x 1-year extensions.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
PCS-T Question 4C 1.2 - Relevant Experience
Bidders will be required to provide examples that demonstrate they have relevant experience to deliver the services as described. A minimum of two examples will be required. In the case of an FTS Notice:
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.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.11) Main features of the award procedure:
Open Procedure
Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT)
Quality: Price : 90:10
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
31/08/2026
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
Credit Checks
1.The Council shall obtain a Creditsafe credit check and will score bidders 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.
*The following applies if no credit check can be undertaken:
2. Please state current turnover (if contract value is over 50% of reported turnover, further discussion will be had internally with the option to reject).
3. 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 two years. Both quick and current ratios should be a minimum of 1:1.5 for the two successive years. Bidders whose ratios do not meet the minimum criteria will be rejected. Bidders who can provide audited accounts but chose not to do so shall be rejected.
4. Bidders who have been trading for less than one 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.
5. If bidder 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
It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Employer’s Liability Insurance = GBP10m
Public Liability Insurance = GBP5m
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32409. 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:
Specific Community Benefits for this project are as follows:
-Fair Work First
-Carbon Reduction
-Innovation
Further details will be provided in the Tender Overview attachment in PCS-T
(SC Ref:838510)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Aberdeen Sheriff Court
Castle Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1WP
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
28/07/2026