Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2020-12-09
Buyer: Improvement Service
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 66171000 | 72221000: Business analysis consultancy services | 72224000: Project management consultancy services | 73000000 | 73220000
Submission deadline: 2021-01-26
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: An ‘Associates Framework’ is being commissioned by the improvement service as part of our support for Councils and CPPs.
The key purpose of the framework is to provide access to a wide range of expert support and resources to help the IS, CPPs and councils progress work where they need extra capacity on a flexible basis. Associates are external providers who will be contracted through the framework agreement to provide services such as advice, guidance, consultancy, facilitation, programme and project management support, research and change management support and organisational development support. This support will relate to matters of strategy, structure, management, operations or services and may include the identification of options with recommendations, or assistance with the implementation of solutions. Such support will be time-limited and provided outside the ‘business-as-usual’ environment when in-house skills are not available.
Note that the overall estimated value of the contract is very difficult to quantify however the best estimate is approx. GPB 100 000-300 000 per annum. Additional Scottish Councils who are not named in the contract may also access, if the requirement arises.
The duration of the framework agreement will be for 24 months initially, which may be extended for a further period of 12 months, subject to agreement between the IS and those on the framework agreement.
This section is not relevant in the context of this procurement exercise and has been deliberately omitted.
Bidders must comply with the undernoted financial requirements in order to participate in the tendering process:
There is a minimum financial requirement that affects trading performance and balance sheet strength.
Non-company applicants must supply documentary evidence that the undernoted financial requirements have been met:
Applicants who have been trading for less than the 3 years noted above must provide evidence that they are complying with the above minimum financial requirements for the period in which they have been trading.
Applicants who do not comply with the above financial requirements but are part of a group, can provide a parent guarantee if the parent company satisfies the financial requirements stipulated above.
After an associate has been appointed to a project either by the IS or Council or another Local Government body, the IS will require the associates to have in place GBP 2 million public liability and GBP 1 million professional indemnity insurance before proceeding with the actual project.
Bidders will be asked to demonstrate in the ITT that they have relevant experience to deliver the works in relation to this procurement.
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.
Note: to register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland website at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=637925
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx

Eligibility requirements: This section is not relevant in the context of this procurement exercise and has been deliberately omitted.