Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
The Cabinet Office (referred to as “the Authority”)
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
UK
Telephone: +44 2072761234
E-mail: csps.futureservice@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
NUTS: UKI
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/cabinetoffice
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.crowncommercialservice.bravosolution.co.uk
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.crowncommercialservice.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.crowncommercialservice.bravosolution.co.uk
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
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
Future Administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme
Reference number: RM6117
II.1.2) Main CPV code
75320000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Procurement for provision of pension administration services for the Civil Service Pension Scheme (“CSPS”). This scheme is managed by the Authority. The current contract expires on 31.12.2021.
The Authority’s aim is to transform the CSPS into the best administered, best managed and best value public sector pension scheme in the United Kingdom.
The Authority is therefore looking for proposals to respond to this significant pension administration services opportunity. This procurement is solely for the administration services of the CSPS and associated schemes as referred to in para II.2.4 below.
The successful supplier will be expected to work with the Authority in its role as scheme manager, as well as with all current and potential employers (of whom there are currently around 350) covered by the scheme. The successful supplier will deliver a transformed service to the 1 500 000 CSPS members. The CSPS is currently the 3rd largest public sector pension scheme in the UK.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
235 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
66520000
66523100
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKI
Main site or place of performance:
The Cabinet Office, 1 Horse Guards Road, SW1A 2HQ London.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Authority requires the provision of administration services for the CSPS, which includes the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, the Civil Service and Others Pension Scheme, the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and the Civil Service Injury Benefits Schemes. The CSPS has approximately 475 000 active members, 360 000 deferred members and 662 000 pensioners. The pension administration services required include the following:
— accounting services,
— administration services.
— employer services including:
—— the collection of data,
—— communications, including digital,
—— the provision of a portal,
— maintenance of a comprehensive single data base of members records which complies with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements,
— member services, including:
—— the provision of self service capability,
—— the accurate and timely calculation of pension awards,
—— member communications (including digital communications, managing and operating a helpline, issuing benefits statements, annual pension increase letters, printing services and scheme leaflets),
— pension payroll services (bulk and individual payroll services),
— and reporting, including management information and provision of information to regulators and other bodies as needed.
The tender documents will include more information on these requirements.
Potential bidders' suitability to participate will be assessed using the Selection questionnaire (SQ).
Following the initial evaluation, shortlisted potential bidders will be issued an Invitation To Tender (ITT), and invited to provide a tender outlining their proposed solution. Tenders will undergo evaluation and the Authority anticipates that no more than the top 6 bidders will be invited to attend a face to face session with the Authority. Once all bidders have attended their session, the Authority will issue a formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD). Bidders will be required to submit a formal response to the ITPD. The Authority will evaluate the ITPD, and down-select to those bidders it wishes to take in to Competitive Dialogue stage. The Authority anticipates that no more than 3 bidders will participate in the Competitive Dialogue stage.
During the Competitive Dialogue stage, the Authority will reserve the right to down-select bidders that fail to meet the award criteria. At the end of the Competitive Dialogue stage all remaining bidders will be invited to present a subsequent tender. Following the Authority’s evaluation of such subsequent tender a preferred bidder will be selected. The Authority will then endeavour to finalise a contract with the preferred bidder. The Authority reserves the right to appoint a reserve tender during the preferred bidder stage with whom the Authority will endeavour to finalise a contract if the preferred bidder cannot stand up to their subsequent tender.
The Authority reserves the right to invite additional potential bidders to tender in certain circumstances, for example if a shortlisted potential bidder withdraws from the procurement process.
The award criteria will be on the sole basis of the most economically advantageous tender in terms of the tender representing the best price-quality ratio. The Authority envisages that the price-quality ratio will be approximately 30 (price) and 70 (quality) at initial tender stages and 45 (price) 55 (quality) at future down select and final evaluation stages as may be updated during the stages of the procurement process. It is envisaged that quality will encompass contractual compliance and appropriate technical solution and compliance with the technical requirements.
Any contract or agreement resulting from the procurement process will be considered as a contract made in England according to English Law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. The Authority does not bind itself to award any contract nor does it bind itself to accept any tender.
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:
235 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 144
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The estimated total value provided in Section II.1.5) is based on a transitional term of 2 years, then an initial operational term of 7 years and a possible extension option of up to 3 years.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 3
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
As set out in the tender documents.
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
Yes
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
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
At the Authority's discretion, a parent company or other form of guarantee may be required. Bidders will be advised during the procurement process if necessary.
The Authority operates an enterprise resource planning (electronic trading/ordering) system and has a mandatory policy relating to use of purchase orders. The successful supplier is required to provide information to be adopted onto the system. Payment will be made by BACS within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.
Bids may be submitted as a single legal entity. Alternatively, suppliers can take one or both of these options:
— work with other legal entities to form a consortium. If you do, we ask the consortium to choose a lead member who will submit the bid on behalf of the consortium,
— bid with named key subcontractors to deliver parts of the requirements. This applies whether you are bidding as a single legal entity or as a consortium.
Any contract awarded will be subject to the Authority's conditions of contract.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive dialogue
IV.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated
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:
2018/S 195-441301
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
25/01/2019
Local time: 15:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
01/03/2019
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: 12 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
Potential bidders should note that, in accordance with the UK Government's policies on transparency, the Authority intends to publish the Selection Questionnaire (SQ), the invitation to participate in dialogue (ITPD) document, and the text of any contract awarded, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Authority. The terms of the proposed contract will also permit a public sector contracting authority to publish the text of that contract, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the contracting authority.
The Authority shall not be liable for any costs incurred by those potential bidders tendering for this contract. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential bidders.
The Authority reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice and to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition.
Registering for access:
This procurement will be managed electronically via the BravoSolution eSourcing tool. This will be the route for sharing all information and communicating with bidders. If you have recently registered on the BravoSolution portal for another CCS procurement you can use the same account for this new procurement. If not, you will first need to register your organisation on the portal.
To register, you will need to:
1) Go to the URL: https://crowncommercialservice.bravosolution.co.uk
2) Select the link "I am a new supplier user";
3) Read and agree to the portal user agreement;
4) Complete the registration form, providing information including:
— the full legal name of your organisation,
— your company registration number,
— your DUNS number — a unique nine-digit number provided to organisations free of charge by Dun and Bradstreet,
— user and contact details.
Once you have registered on the BravoSolution eSourcing tool, you will be able to express your interest in this specific procurement. Your registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.
Note: If you require additional users from your organisation to see the SQ, do not repeat the above process as this will create a new separate organisation account; instead the registered user can add additional users to the existing supplier organisation account via "User Management" > "Manage Users" > "Users" > "Create".
Expressing an interest:
To express your interest in this procurement:
1) Login to the BravoSolution eSourcing Suite portal: https://crowncommercialservice.bravosolution.co.uk
2) On the dashboard select the link “PQQs Open to All Suppliers”;
3) On the "PQQs Open to All Suppliers" webpage you will see one or more procurements listed, click on the procurement name you wish to access;
4) Click on Express Interest at the top of the next screen;
5) You can now access the published documents in the BravoSolution portal.
For assistance please contact the eSourcing Help-desk operated by BravoSolution by email at help@bravosolution.co.uk or call 0800 069 8630.
All communications shall be in English. Tenders, when invited, and all supporting documentation must be priced in Sterling and all payments under the contract will be in Sterling.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The Cabinet Office
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1 2HQ
UK
Telephone: +44 2072761234
E-mail: csps.futureservice@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Any appeals should be promptly brought to the attention of the Authority by emailing the named contact in Section I.1) above referencing "Pension Administrator Procurement — Civil Service Pension Scheme — For the Attention of the Procurement Manager" and will be dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Any appeals must be brought within the time-scale specified by the applicable law, including, without limitation, the Public Contract Regulations 2015. In accordance with such Regulations, the Authority will also incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period from the date information on the award of contract is communicated to bidders.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
20/12/2018