Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED
Northern Design Centre, Abbots Hill, Baltic Business Quarter
Gateshead
NE8 3DF
UK
Contact person: Nick McDonald
E-mail: corporate.services@nepo.org
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.nepo.org
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
http://open-uk.org
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
http://open-uk.org
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
General Banking Services
Reference number: NEPO531
II.1.2) Main CPV code
66000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
NEPO seeks to establish a multi-supplier Framework Contract for the prevision of General Banking Services. It is envisaged that the service will be used to deliver core transactional banking arrangements, providing bank account structures to be used for outgoing payments such as creditor cheques, CHAPS, BACS, direct debits, standing order payments, balance requests, commission charges and associated interest payments.
Alongside these core transactional services, the framework agreement will include ancillary services which sit outside the core contract such as receipt accounts to receive payments, rent allowance accounts for benefit payments, wage accounts for staff salary payments and petty cash accounts and treasury deposits.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
288 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
66000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
NEPO are using a 2-stage competitive procedure with Negotiation for the procurement of this Framework Contract. The first stage is a selection questionnaire which will be used to shortlist suppliers. Shortlisted suppliers will then be Invited to Tender. The selection questionnaire document also contains an ITT overview that sets out the high-level requirements of the Framework Contract. This document will allow suppliers to determine if they are interested in this opportunity and consider whether they have the required capability and capacity to deliver the Framework Contract.
The Framework Contract will be a multi supplier and single lot solution. Those suppliers shortlisted from selection questionnaire and Invited to Tender will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria contained within the Invitation to Tender documents. NEPO may also wish to enter into negotiations with tenderers inline with the requirements of the competition with negotiation procedure. NEPO also reserve the right not to enter into negotiations and award the framework contract on the basis of initial tender.
The most economically advantageous tenderers will be awarded the Framework Contract. NEPO does not give any guarantee and/or warrant the actual value of the services (if any) which will be placed with the successful supplier by any Contracting Authority using the Framework Contract pursuant to this process and accepts no liability thereof. In accordance with the Framework Contract, each Contracting Authority will enter into a call-off contract. The call-off contract is to be entered into by both the Contracting Authority and successful supplier and will be based on the terms and conditions of the Framework Contract.
The opportunity can be accessed via the NEPO eTender system. Suppliers wishing to be considered for this Framework Contract must register their expression of interest and submit the selection questionnaire and tender response through the Open eTendering System. If not already registered, suppliers should register on the NEPO eTendering System at https://www.open-uk.org/
Selection questionnaire and tender responses must be submitted using the link above. Selection questionnaire and tender responses submitted via postal or email methods will not be accepted.
If you need technical assistance from the Open Support team, this can be requested via open.support@nepo.org
PLEASE NOTE: Open is accessible 24/7 however, technical support is available Monday - Thursday 8:30 - 5pm and Friday 8.30 - 4.30pm
For guidance on how to submit your response through Open, please visit https://www.open-hub.org/training to access the available Training Guides.
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:
288 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 96
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
It is anticipated that this Framework Contract will be renewed prior to it's conclusion.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged number of candidates: 4
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.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
Competitive procedure with negotiation
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2022/S 000-029753
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
21/07/2023
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
06/09/2023
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
18-24 months prior to the framework contract expiry date.
VI.3) Additional information
NEPO is a Central Purchasing Body as defined in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (PCR15). This means that NEPO may provide central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities.
The agreement will be available for use by all NEPO Members within the North East region. A list of member organisations is available in the About section of the NEPO website at: www.nepo.org
This agreement will also be made available to all current and future NEPO Associate Members throughout the North East region. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: www.nepo.org/associate-membership/list
NEPO intends to make the resulting agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout the North East region (as defined by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) including but not limited to Government Departments and their Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Central Government, NHS Bodies, Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Coastguard Emergency Services, Educational Establishments, Registered Social Landlords and Registered Charities who have a need to purchase the above services.
Please see the following websites for further details:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/index.htm
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
https://www.gov.uk/check-a-university-is-officially-recognised/recognised-bodies
http://www.schoolswebdirectory.co.uk/localauthorities.php
http://www.ukschoolsdirectory.net
https://www.gov.uk/find-school-in-england
http://apps.education-ni.gov.uk/appinstitutes/default.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development
http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/institutions/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/workprovide/unicoll/heis/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/workprovide/unicoll/fecs/
http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AcuteTrustListing.aspx
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/A-ZOfCentralGovernment/index.htm
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/contact
https://www.ons.gov.uk/
http://www.police.uk/forces.htm
http://www.police-information.co.uk/index.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency
http://www.fireservice.co.uk/information/ukfrs
http://www.fire.org.uk/fire-brigades.html
http://www.oscr.org.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-registered-providers-of-social-housing
http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/registerhomepage.aspx
http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom/factsandfigures/housingplanning1/facts/socialhousing/?id=1822644
A complete list of permissible users is shown on the NEPO website below:
https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users
Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance.
Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
NEPO
Northern Design Centre, Abbots Hill, Baltic Business Quarter
Gateshead
NE8 3DF
UK
E-mail: corporate.services@nepo.org
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
21/06/2023