Notice Information
Notice Title
Westcountry Schools Trust Provision of HR System & Payroll Service
Notice Description
1. This tender opportunity has been issued by Westcountry Schools Trust ("the Trust") and Contractors are invited to tender for the provision of a HR System and Fully Managed Payroll Service ("the Service").
Lot Information
Lot LOT-0000
Options: To include: -additional optional HR Modules and Commissionable Services. -ability to include additional schools to the payroll and HR system should additional schools join the Trust. -ability to include a trading subsidiary to the payroll and HR system should the Trust add this to their organisational structure.
Renewal: the option of one further 2 year extension with a further option of two further one year extensions (3+2+1+1)
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-05e7db
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076666-2025
- Current Stage
- Tender
- All Stages
- Tender
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK4 - Tender Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Open
- Procurement Method Details
- Open procedure
- Tender Suitability
- SME
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
48 - Software package and information systems
79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
-
- CPV Codes
48450000 - Time accounting or human resources software package
79211110 - Payroll management services
79631000 - Personnel and payroll services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £1,050,000 £1M-£10M
- Lots Value
- £1,050,000 £1M-£10M
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 24 Nov 20253 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- 12 Jan 2026Expired
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 26 Feb 2026 - 25 Feb 2029 3-4 years
- Recurrence
- 2032-11-01
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Active
- Lots Status
- Active
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- WESTCOUNTRY SCHOOLS TRUST
- Additional Buyers
- Contact Name
- Josie Medforth
- Contact Email
- josie.medforth@phplaw.co.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- TOTNES
- Postcode
- TQ9 5RW
- Post Town
- Torquay
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLK South West (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLK4 Devon
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLK43 Devon CC
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- South Hams
- Electoral Ward
- Ivybridge East
- Westminster Constituency
- South West Devon
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076666-2025
24th November 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
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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"financialTerms": "The Trust requires the following payment profile: a. Table A Implementation Costs i. 25% invoiced upon Contract Signature ii. 25% invoiced upon completion of the build iii. 25% following completion of testing iv. 25% following go live plus 1 month b. Table B All Inclusive Cost i. 1st Month Invoice in Arrears following the end of the month after Go Live. ii. The invoice will be the cost per payslip under Table B * by the actual number of payslips processed. c. Commissionable Items i. Charged post Go Live in arrears, separately itemised in the All-Inclusive Cost Monthly Invoice d. Optional Add-Ons i. Additional Functionality Implementation. Charged against the same breakdown model as Table A ii. Additional Functionality Annual Cost - Charged annually in advance. e. All pricing is fixed for the contract duration including extensions, subject to CPI inflation which can be applied each year on the anniversary of Contract Commencement. Contract Invoicing The Contractor shall operate the Service efficiently and provide a commercial solution that offers best value to the Trust, proactively assessing where efficiencies can be made and discussing these and their cost benefits with the Trust. The Contractor shall submit invoices and associated documentation by email and in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the contract. Invoicing will be monthly, in arrears from the end of the previous month. Costs of providing new schools to the Trust will be based upon a price per payslip. Where, during a monthly period, it has been identified, and agreed, that adjustments are required (in respect of service credits, additional works, errors or omissions), these will be taken account of within the invoice for the following month."
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"riskDetails": "Compliance & Regulatory Risks Failure to meet GDPR, HMRC, LGPS, and TPS standards can lead to legal penalties and reputational damage. Incorrect pension contributions or PAYE submissions may result in fines and audit failures. Data Security & Confidentiality Outsourcing introduces vulnerabilities in handling sensitive employee data (payroll, medical records). Breaches or mismanagement of data by the provider could expose the Trust to GDPR liabilities. Operational Risks Poor integration between HR and payroll systems can cause duplication, errors, and delays in pay runs. Lack of robust validation controls may lead to inaccurate data entry and compliance failures. Vendor Performance Risks Service gaps or delays in resolving critical payroll issues can disrupt staff payments and erode trust. Limited oversight and dependency on the provider for system updates and maintenance. Integration Failures Poor HR-Payroll integration leads to manual work, errors, and compliance penalties. Education-Specific Compliance Challenges PAYE and HMRC real-time reporting. Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) compliance. Auto-enrolment and minimum wage adherence for term-time staff."
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