Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2020-03-05
Buyer: Department for Work and Pensions
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 85000000
Estimated value: 1060000000 GBP

Technical requirements: DWP requires a range of health and disability assessments. health assessments help by providing advice to DWP decision makers to determine eligibility for benefits paid to claimants across a range of benefits including Personal Independent Payments (PIP), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit (UC).
In March 2019, the Department published a PIN advising the market of our intention to deliver PIP and work capability assessments via a single organisation using a single digital platform developed by DWP. DWP is committed to delivering this complex and important transformation safely and carefully.
DWP will initially develop the new service on a small scale via a transformation area in a defined part of the country from Autumn 2021; providing flexibility to test and develop new ideas.
The current PIP contracts expire on 31 July 2021. The Department is seeking to procure the current PIP service for a 3-year period; ensuring continuity of service for claimants from 1 August 2021, while the requirements for the next generation of contracts are confirmed and supporting IT systems are developed.
Currently these assessments are delivered through four contracts across the United Kingdom. Information about the caseload and current volumes in the service can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics#pip-quarterly-experimental-official-statistics and Northern Ireland statistic available via https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/personal-independence-payment-statistics
PIP is a DWP benefit which is intended to compensate for the extra costs of being disabled and support people to live independently. It is available to those in and out of work and is not means tested. PIP also functions as a gateway to other benefits and support in both DWP administered benefits, most notably additional premia in ESA, Carer’s Allowance and also wider services, including the Motability scheme and local authority services.
To support the determination of someone’s entitlement to benefit, DWP requires the delivery of PIP Disability Assessments. Through objective and independent assessment, DWP can ensure that support is targeted at those who need it most and that the levels and type of support provided to individuals reflects their circumstances. These assessments are then passed to a DWP Case Manager who will make the decision on entitlement on behalf of the Secretary of State.
We are investigating the geographical Lotting options, but we anticipate the Lot structure to consist of 3 lots covering England and Wales. Contract duration is 3 years, with an estimated combined contract value across all three lots of around GBP 1 060 million.
For the duration of these contracts, we anticipate suppliers will have to provide their own IT to support the delivery of the services along with the appropriate Estate from which to provide them.
We intend to hold a supplier event, likely to be a Webinar on Wednesday 25 March 2020 – 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 noon. (Further details will be provided nearer the time). It will provide those who may be interested in delivering PIP assessments with details of outline business case, proposed procurement approach.
Please register with your interest by via our Jaggaer (Bravo) e-Procurement System where further details of the event will become available.
If you are not currently registered on Jaggaer, please register via the link and attached details below.
To register, use the link below with supporting instructions (Attached Word document). If you experience difficulties registering, please contact the Jaggaer helpline number on Phone 0800 069 8630 or e-mail help@bravosolution.co.uk for assistance.
This service relates to ‘social and other specific services’ listed in Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (PCR) and is therefore subject to the ‘light touch regime’ in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 7 of the PCR (Regulations 74 to 77).
This PIN is being published for information purposes only (under Regulation 48) in order to notify potential bidders of the supplier event detailed below and proposed procurement opportunity that will be set out in the Contract Notice, anticipated to be issued in April 2020. DWP is still in the planning phases of this proposed procurement. All information set out in this PIN, including the nature and extent of the services, as well as the timing and nature of the proposed procurement, could be subject to change.


Award value: 1060000000