Notice Information
Notice Title
DSD Medical Support Services
Notice Description
DfC shall enter into a Contract Variation of the Medical Support Services (MSS) Agreement with the incumbent supplier following a period of 10 days from the date of publication of this notice. The Contract Variation provides for an extension of seven (7) months from 01.08.2023 to 01.03.2024.
Lot Information
Lot 1
Continuation of the provision of work capability assessment services in Northern Ireland. For full details of the nature of the services please see OJEU 2007/S 063-077231.
Procurement Information
On 5 March 2020, DWP published a PIN 2020/S 046-109668 signalling its intent to re-procure its Work Capability Assessment contracts for assessment services in GB in accordance with Section 7, PCR as part of a larger procurement for other types of assessment services (FAS Procurement). The Department for Communities agreed to join the procurement with Northern Ireland constituting a separate geographic Lot. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the new procurement was delayed and as a result, the WCA contract in NI was extended for the reasons set out in Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice 2020/S 135-333759. The FAS procurement was launched on 12 November 2021 and, although a light touch regime procurement, was based on a competitive dialogue procedure, the commencement of which included the submission of indicative bids. During dialogue it became apparent that the contract value envelope for the FAS procurement needed to be revised in order to provide these key public services effectively. The procurement was therefore halted temporarily with a view to re-engaging with stakeholders. It had also become clear that the ratio of face to face assessments versus remote assessments needed to be reviewed given the continuation of the Pandemic and further time was spent ensuring the contractual arrangements had built-in flexibility to deal with changing circumstances and impact the above changes. DWP and DfC also considered that a further round of commercial dialogue (not originally planned) was necessary to ensure the quality of BAFO submissions in the face of the revised contractual framework. Due to these various activity streams, it was therefore impossible for DWP and DfC to avoid a negative impact on its original procurement timetable. The procurement is now well underway. DWP do not envisage there will be cause for further delay. However, due to the additional activities and subsequent delay (see above) in order to ensure an efficient and smooth handover between the MSS and the new FAS providers during an appropriate implementation period, DfC consider an extension of 7 months to the existing MSS contract term is necessary. Without an extension there could be a delay to provision of assessments for the critical statutory welfare benefit which MSS services encompass. As the recipients of these welfare benefits constitute a vulnerable section of society, DfC are of the view such an extension is necessary to ensure they are not disadvantaged further. DfC considers Regulation 72(1)(b) PCR is applicable. For the reasons set out above, the provision of additional services until 1 March 2024 has become necessary and: (i) interchangeability issues with a new supplier means these key services could be negatively impacted for technical and economic reasons. The implementation of the contract currently being procured necessitates a lengthy handover period therefore it is not possible to introduce a new provider for the additional 7 months. A change in supplier without a full handover programme (which includes transition to a new managed IT service necessitating dual running of systems) would risk delivery of these services which provide critical statutory benefits to vulnerable people; (ii) appointing a new supplier to cover the extra 7 months (which DfC do not consider a viable option) at the same time as the incumbent was engaged in handover to the new FAS supplier means significant duplication of costs particularly as DfC would be paying additional costs already during the implementation period; (iii) the value of the contract for the extended period does not exceed 50% of value of original contract; and (iv) DfC will publish a modification notice pursuant to Regulation 72(3) of PCR.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-03a189
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002963-2023
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Limited
- Procurement Method Details
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
75 - Administration, defence and social security services
85 - Health and social work services
-
- CPV Codes
72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
75000000 - Administration, defence and social security services
75311000 - Sickness benefits
75313000 - Disability benefits
75313100 - Temporary disablement benefits
85000000 - Health and social work services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- £7,480,000 £1M-£10M
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 31 Jan 20233 years ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 31 Dec 201015 years ago
- Contract Period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Not Specified
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Active
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITIES FORMERLY THE DEPARTMENT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DSD
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- healthtransformation@communities-ni.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- BELFAST
- Postcode
- BT2 7EG
- Post Town
- Northern Ireland
- Country
- Northern Ireland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLN Northern Ireland
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLN0 Northern Ireland
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLN06 Belfast
- Delivery Location
- TLN Northern Ireland
-
- Local Authority
- Belfast
- Electoral Ward
- Central
- Westminster Constituency
- Belfast South and Mid Down
Further Information
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.
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