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: 500000000 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 Department is seeking to procure the current HDAS 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.
The current HDAS contract expires on 31 July 2021. Currently these assessments are delivered through a single national Great Britain Lot. The number of assessments delivered per year is around 1.1 million of which 760 000 are face to face. The contract is structured upon a target cost plus incentive fee payment model which also includes open book financing.
The primary focus of the contract will relate to assessments delivered in relation to employment and support allowance and universal credit as well as industrial injuries benefit; disability living allowance and attendance allowance. Assessments will need to be delivered at various locations throughout Great Britain and with an expectation that claimants will not need to travel more than 90 minutes by public transport for an assessment. Some provision will need to be made for face to face consultations in the claimants home and alternative place of residence such as a hospital.
The requirement is that assessments will be completed by healthcare professionals regulated by the General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council or the Health and Care Professions Council and meeting other criteria related to experience, training and competence prescribed by DWP. The new supplier will need to provide services compliant with all relevant legislation including the Welsh Language Act and the Equality Act (2010).
We are investigating the geographical Lotting options, but we anticipate maintaining the current Lot structure consisting of one national lot. The contract duration is 3 years, with an estimated combined contract value of around GBP 500 m.
DWP is exploring the provision of IT Digital Services for GB. DWP will provide the majority of Estate in GB.
We intend to hold a supplier event, likely to be a Webinar on Wednesday 25 March 2020 – 13.00 – 14.30. (Further details will be provided nearer the time). It will provide those who may be interested in delivering HDAS assessments with details of the outline business case, proposed procurement approach, timescales and proposed approach to shortlisting. We would request that organisations determine who would be best placed to attend.
Please register with your interest by via our Jaggaer (Bravo) e-Procurement System where further details of the event can be found.
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: 500000000