Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2019-03-18
Buyer: Bath and North East Somerset Council
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 66000000

Technical requirements: To comply with government legislation for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), Bath and North East Somerset Council are seeking to:
— provide an interest-free loan scheme to help businesses upgrade pre-Euro 6 commercial vehicles i.e. buses, coaches, HGVs, LGVs/vans and taxis/PHVs.
Interested companies should contact Mr Ashley Beighton on the contact details above for further information.
Bidders must be able to demonstrate a successful track record in vehicle asset finance, compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and that sufficient senior management oversight will be provided in order to ensure that the service is delivered within the agreed service levels.
The grant and interest-free loan schemes are outlined in the Appendices to the Options Appraisal Report at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/bath-breathes-2021-overview/outline-business-case
The successful bidder will be required to develop these into a fully defined set of terms and conditions for each scheme that comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.
The Council will provide the estimated 5 800 000 GBP capital for the grant scheme via funds being requested from the government’s Clean Air Fund. Whilst the Council is also able to provide the capital for the loan scheme via prudential borrowing, bidders are invited to put forward proposals to provide (either as principal lender or part of a syndicate) the estimated 24 200 000 GBP in capital required for the loan scheme.
The Council will cover the interest on the loan scheme via funds being requested from the government’s Clean Air Fund.
The Council will market and promote the 2 schemes. There will be no procuration fee payable by the successful bidder. The cost of any procuration fees to be paid to any other introducers or intermediaries will be agreed between the parties and added to the overall cost of the service.
The successful bidder will be required to provide all staff, technology, processes and procedures required to process the anticipated volume of grant and loan applications within the agreed service levels and determine eligibility. Applicants that meet the loan scheme criteria but are unsuccessful in obtaining finance will be referred to the Council’s concession application process.
The successful bidder will be responsible for collecting instalment payments from borrowers within the agreed service levels. Any late fees will be agreed between the parties and set out in the terms and conditions. Any additional revenue arising from these fees will be deducted from the overall cost of the service.
In the event that a borrower fails to adequately service their loan the successful bidder will be required to undertake all necessary steps to recover the outstanding debt within the agreed service levels. The successful bidder must make adequate allowance for mediation with borrowers before seeking legal recourse. The cost of any legal fees in relation to the recovery of any outstanding debts will be agreed between the parties and added to the overall cost of the service.
The successful bidder will be required to monitor their performance against the agreed service levels, provide regular management reports and correct any deviation from the agreed service levels in a timely and expeditious manner (so as to adequately mitigate the impact of the CAZ on households and businesses, ensure compliance with the ministerial direction and minimise any exposure to bad debts or reputational risk).