Scotland Excel

Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street

Paisley

PA1 1AR

UK

Telephone: +44 1414888230

E-mail: oss@scotland-excel.org.uk

NUTS: UKM83

Internet address(es)

Main address: http://www.scotland-excel.org.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10383

II.1.1) Title

Reference number: 1023

II.1.2) Main CPV code

79100000

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

This Contract Notice is in relation to a renewal framework opportunity for Debt Recovery and Sheriff Officer Services.

The scope of the services covered under the framework will include, but not be limited to, debt collection services for council tax (including water and wastewater charges), non domestic rates, community charge, housing benefit overpayments, enforcement and diligence in relation to current and former tenant rent arrears, service of a variety of statutory notices, post decree services including the service of charge and the carrying out of evictions, service of sundry court documents e.g. summons and interlocutors, sales ledger debt collection, sales ledger diligence and penalty charge notices.

II.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: 6 000 000.00  GBP

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: Yes

Tenders may be submitted for all lots

Lot No: 1

Lot No: 2

III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

List and brief description of conditions:

Tenderers must self-declare as part of the SPD (Scotland), qualification envelope, and as contained in the Technical Envelope that they will have the requested membership of The Society of Messengers-at-arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO) and be able to evidence this when requested at any point throughout the tender process.

III.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria:

1. SPD (Scotland) Questions 4B.5.1 and 4B.5.2 - Insurance Requirements

2. SPD (Scotland) Questions 4B.6 - Other Economic and Financial Requirements

In accordance with Regulation 59(12), as this proposed framework agreement is divided into lots, these economic and financial standing selection criteria apply separately in relation to each individual lot.

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:

Minimum level(s) of standards required:

ALL LOTS

- Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance – maintain a minimum of GBP 10 million in respect of each claim and without limit to the number of claims.

- Public Liability insurance – maintain a minimum indemnity level of GBP 5 million in respect of each claim and without limit to the number of claims.

- Professional Indemnity – maintain a minimum indemnity limit of GBP 1 million in respect of each claim, and without limit to the number of claims.

- Motor Vehicle insurance – statutory third-party motor vehicle cover.

For bidders who will sub contract parts of the business, the bidder should provide a letter signed by a person of appropriate authority confirming that the bidder has ongoing arrangements in place to ensure that subcontractors’ vehicles are appropriately insured and maintained.

OTHER ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS:

A search of the tenderer against Equifax's ScoreCheck and Protect must not result in a “Rating”, “Warning” or “Caution” return which identifies financial risk, unless the tenderer confirms that it can provide any other document which Scotland Excel considers appropriate to prove to Scotland Excel (acting within its permitted discretion under the applicable public procurement rules) that the tenderer does/would not present an unmanageable risk should it be appointed on to the proposed Framework Agreement.

Tenderers relying on the financial standing of a parent company who are unable to commit to obtaining a parent company guarantee may be assessed as a FAIL and will be excluded from the competition.

III.1.3) Technical and professional ability

List and brief description of selection criteria:

1. SPD (Scotland) Question 4C.10 - Subcontracting

2. SPD (Scotland) Question 4D.1 - Quality Assurance Schemes

3. SPD (Scotland) Question 4D.1 - Health and Safety Procedures

4. SPD (Scotland) Question 4D.2 - Environmental Management Standards

In accordance with Regulation 59(12), as this proposed framework agreement is divided into lots, these technical and professional ability selection criteria apply separately in relation to each individual lot.

Minimum level(s) of standards required:

SPD (SCOTLAND) QUESTION 4C.10 - SUBCONTRACTING:

Tenderers will be required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contracts to be called-off under the proposed framework agreement.

If you intend to subcontract any share of the contract to third parties on whose capacity you do not rely to satisfy the selection criteria, you must secure that each subcontractor completes a separate SPD (Scotland) Response for all Parts of the SPD (Scotland) Qualification Envelope, except Part 4 (Selection criteria).

SPD (SCOTLAND) QUESTION 4D.1 - QUALITY ASSURANCE SCHEMES:

The tenderer must have the following:

The tenderer MUST HOLD a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001 (or equivalent).

OR

A documented policy regarding quality management. The policy must set out responsibilities for quality management demonstrating that the tenderer has and continues to implement a quality management policy that is authorised by their Chief Executive, or equivalent, and is periodically reviewed at a senior management level. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of the work to be undertaken and set out responsibilities for quality management throughout the organisation.

SPD (SCOTLAND) QUESTION 4D.1 - HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES:

The tenderer must have the following:

The tenderer MUST HOLD a UKAS (or equivalent), accredited independent third party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS ISO 45001 (or equivalent) or have, within the last 12 months, successfully met the assessment requirements of a scheme in registered membership of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) forum.

OR

A regularly reviewed and documented policy for Health and Safety (H&S) management, endorsed by the Chief Executive Officer, or equivalent. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of the work and set out responsibilities for H&S management at all levels within the organisation. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of your operations and set out your company's responsibilities of health and safety management and compliance with legislation.

SPD (SCOTLAND) QUESTION 4D.2 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STANDARDS:

The tenderer must have the following:

The tenderer MUST HOLD a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third party certificate of compliance with BS EN ISO 14001 (or equivalent) or a valid EMAS (or equivalent) certificate.

OR

A regularly reviewed documented policy regarding environmental management, authorised by the Chief Executive, or equivalent. This policy must include and describe the tenderer's environmental emergency response procedures including the preparedness and response procedures for potential accidents and emergency response situations that give rise to significant environmental impacts (for example hazardous substances spill control).

III.2.2) Contract performance conditions

Scotland Excel will require the members of any tendering group of entities (including, but not limited to, consortium members, members of a group of economic operators and / or sub-contractors) to be jointly and severally liable for the performance of the contract (no matter the legal form taken by those entities in order to enter into the contract.

For full details of the conditions relevant to the proposed Framework, and contracts to be called-off there under (to the extent known or settled at this stage), please see the Procurement Documents (details of how to access these being set out in section " “I.3 (Communication” of this Contract Notice).

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.

Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 4

IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used

Additional information about electronic auction:

Details provided by Councils at Call-off, where required.

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number in the OJ S:

2023/S 000-026306

IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 09/10/2024

Local time: 12:00

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: 09/10/2024

Local time: 12:00

Place:

Scotland Excel, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AR on

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

VI.4.1) Review body

VI.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

An economic operator that suffers, or risks suffering, loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/446) (as amended) may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session.