Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-11-25
Buyer: Hampshire County Council
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 85140000: Miscellaneous health services
Estimated value: 3000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2020-01-08
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Hampshire County Council’s Occupational Health Team is seeking to procure a new contract for the provision of an employee assistance programme which is currently used by staff within: Hampshire schools, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, ACRO Criminal Records Office and Hampshire County Council. To be successful, the new contract needs to be able to meet both current and future challenges in a very competitive market and bring new technologies and digital solutions to source, manage and develop Services. It will also be critical to demonstrate an innovative approach that is cost effective and can demonstrate value to the occupational health team and the employee. Active market engagement by the contract provider will be a critical element in order to achieve the necessary insight and understanding of the current marketplace, trends and workplace issues.
The main services will be delivered by telephone, however, ad-hoc and face-to-face counselling services in or around the county of Hampshire.
The key aims of an EAP service is to ensure rapid access for employees to a full range of work related or personal matters that may impact on workplace performance and seek to resolve those issues where possible. With ever increasing pressures at home and work, there are times when some extra support to balance the demands of everyday life is needed. An independent provider of employee support services offering access to qualified counsellors and information specialists who are experienced in helping employees deal with all kinds of practical and emotional issues such as, but not limited to, well-being, family matters, relationships, debt management and workplace issues is needed. The supplier must provide an EAP service across 4 types of package that each delivers flexibility and responsiveness whilst maintaining medical confidentiality at all times. The critical success factors have been identified as:
1) High quality services offering local, universal support with timely access to targeted and specialist services which take account of the learning from employees and significant others which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year;
2) An integrated, personalised model of provision that can respond to the holistic needs of a diverse group of employees with varied duties and responsibilities;
4) Sustainability of provision by ensuring best value for money without reliance on additional investment;
6) Confidentiality is the foundation of the services. In essence, the customer’s EAP service is to act as a gateway to a wide range of services and support functions. The use of the EAP service by an employee is voluntary and the vast majority of employees who use the EAP service do so through self referrals. Alongside this self referral, the EAP service must also be able to accept referrals from other organisational parties, including OH, union representatives, HR professionals and line managers.
The initial framework term is 3 years with the option to extend by a further 12 months to a maximum of 4 years.
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: in accordance with Articles 57-62 of Directive 2014/24/EC and Regulation 57 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Organisations are advised it is a condition of this contract that all managers and operatives (including subcontractors) are suitably competent to execute all trades and operations encompassed by these contracts in full compliance with UK legislation.
The contracting authority will incorporate a minimum ten (10) calendar days standstill period at the point that information on the conclusion of the contract is communicated to all tenderers. This period allows any unsuccessful tenderer(s) to seek further debriefing information from the contracting authority before the conclusion of the contract. Such additional information should be requested from the address at I.1) of this notice. If an appeal regarding the conclusion of the contract has not been successfully resolved, then the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be started within thirty (30) days beginning with the date when the aggrieved party first knew or ought to have known that grounds for starting such proceedings had arisen. The Court may extend the time-limit for starting proceedings where the Court considers that there is good reason for doing so, but not so as to permit proceedings to be started more than three (3) months after that date. Where the Contract has not been concluded, the Court may set aside the decision to award the contract or order the contracting authority to amend any document and may award damages. If the contract has been concluded, the Court may only award damages, or where the award procedures have not been followed correctly, declare the contract to be ineffective.

Eligibility requirements: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: in accordance with Articles 57-62 of Directive 2014/24/EC and Regulation 57 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Organisations are advised it is a condition of this contract that all managers and operatives (including subcontractors) are suitably competent to execute all trades and operations encompassed by these contracts in full compliance with UK legislation.

Award value: 3000000