Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
UK
Telephone: +44 412425466
E-mail: freya.boyes@gov.scot
NUTS: UKM
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.scotland.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
EIHR-Contact Scotland BSL
Reference number: Case 764539
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79530000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Scottish Government is seeking to establish a BSL/English Video Relay Service which enables BSL users to make short video calls using a BSL/English interpreter and emerging services on offer that complement a Video Relay Service. The Scottish Government requires a service that provides quality in terms of BSL/English interpreter translation and by reliable technical infrastructure. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate a high degree of cultural and linguistic awareness of Deaf and Deafblind BSL users who will use the service.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The existing service, Contact Scotland BSL, has been in operation since 2016 and has been expanded to provide a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year national service. BSL users are able to call any public service, third sector organisation, private service or friends and family and can also receive calls. The service also handles calls using a Braille display for deafblind people. It should be noted it is not an emergency service.
The objectives of the Contract are to:
- Ensure that, through the Contact Scotland BSL service, public services, third sector organisations, as well as private sector services and personal calls to family and friends in Scotland are made accessible to Deaf BSL users who need to interact with them;
- Ensure that the Contact Scotland BSL service is delivered to the highest possible standard, with optimal reliability, integrity and fitness-for-purpose; is future-proofed, continuously improved and able to be developed and scaled-up; is protected from inappropriate use or abuse;
- Provide value-for-money to the public purse through delivery of an effective, efficient, competitive and comprehensive service.
The service comprises four main elements:
- Comprehensive management of the service;
- software;
- hardware;
- BSL/English interpreting and interpreting personnel.
The service will go live on 1 December 2025 following an implementation period.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Ability to provide the requirement
/ Weighting: 15
Quality criterion: Service Delivery
/ Weighting: 30
Quality criterion: Technical Proposal
/ Weighting: 25
Quality criterion: Staffing, Knowledge and Expertise
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
/ Weighting: 2.5
Quality criterion: Fair Work First
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 2.5
Price
/ Weighting:
30
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/09/2025
End:
30/11/2027
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The contract may be extended, at the sole discretion of Scottish Ministers by up to 24 months.
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 contract may be extended, at the sole discretion of Scottish Ministers by up to 24 months.
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
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.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Financial Ratios - Bidders must demonstrate a Current Ratio of 0.8 or more.
The current ratio shall be calculated as current assets/current liabilities and shall be based on the previous financial year. There must be no qualification or contra-indication from any evidence provided in support of the bidders economic and financial standing
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
- Public Liability Insurance (In the sum not less) - 5,000,000 GBP;
- Professional Indemnity Insurance (In the sum not less) - 2,000,000 GBP;
- Employer’s Liability Insurance - employer’s liability insurance in accordance with any legal obligation for the time being in force.
Such insurance must be maintained for the duration of the Contract and for a minimum of 5 years following the expiry or termination of the Contract.
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
- Relevant examples of previous experience
- Supply Chain Management/Tracking Systems Used
- Environmental Management Measures
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
- Bidders will be required to provide examples that demonstrate that they have the relevant experience to deliver the services/supplies as described in part II.2.4 of the Contract Notice or the relevant section of the Site Notice.
- If bidders intend to use a supply chain to deliver the requirements detailed in the Contract Notice, they should confirm they have (or have access to) the relevant supply chain management and tracking systems to ensure a resilient and sustainable supply chain. This will include confirmation that they have the systems in place to pay subcontractors through the supply chain promptly and effectively, and provide evidence when requested of:
a) their standard payment terms
b) ≥95% of all supply chain invoices being paid on time (in accordance with the terms of contract) in the last financial year.
If the bidder is unable to confirm (b) they must provide an improvement plan, signed by their Director, which improves the payment performance.
-Bidders will be required to provide evidence that their organisation has taken steps to build their awareness of the climate change emergency and how they will respond. Accepted evidence includes but is not limited to:
- a completed copy of the Bidder ‘relevant contract’ Climate Change Plan Template, including planned projects and actions to reduce the bidder’s carbon emissions. This does not need to contain calculated carbon emissions.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing 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:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-011395
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
11/07/2025
Local time: 11:00
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:
11/07/2025
Local time: 11:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
Question Scoring Methodology for Award Criteria outlined in invitation to tender
0 Unacceptable. Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement.
1 Poor. Response is partially relevant but generally poor. The response addresses some elements of the requirement but contains insufficient/limited detail or explanation to demonstrate how the requirement will be fulfilled.
2 Acceptable. Response is relevant and acceptable. The response addresses a broad understanding of the requirement but may lack details on how the requirement will be fulfilled in certain areas.
3 Good. Response is relevant and good. The response is sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a good understanding and provides details on how the requirements will be fulfilled.
4 Excellent. Response is completely relevant and excellent overall.
Please note there are minimum requirements concerning Cyber Security for this contract.
Tenderers are also asked to confirm:
that they will pay staff that are involved in the delivery of services under the contract, at least the real Living Wage.
they will meet standards on payment of subcontractors
Tenderers who do not pass these questions will not be subject to Commercial Analysis. As a result the tender will not be considered further.
Bidders must complete the SPD (Scotland) to demonstrate adherence to the Exclusion and Selection Criteria for this procurement.
If there are named subcontractors/technicians upon which the bidder will rely to meet the selection criteria, these named parties must complete and reattach the SPD Supplier Response Form attached to SPD.
The contract value is estimated to be no less than 700,000 – 750,000 GBP per annum for each financial year. Subject to Ministerial commitments, Scottish Ministers reserve the right to increase the budget. Scottish Ministers reserves the right to purchase additional services on an annual basis. The volume of additional minutes should not exceed 50% the Bundled Monthly Package amounts per year. In the event of exceeding the normal annual amounts, the cost per minute value will be used to purchase additional services. If the extension option is applied a CPI uplift may apply as outlined in the Pricing Schedule.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 29421. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
(SC Ref:801063)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, 27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LB
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
09/06/2025