--- title: "Direct Payment Support Services Soft Market Test" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2022-01-14" --- # Direct Payment Support Services Soft Market Test Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c.json) ## Summary The procurement process currently undertaken by Essex County Council involves a soft market test titled "Direct Payment Support Services." This initiative falls within the health and social work services industry, targeted for delivery in the East of England. The soft market test aims to engage prospective providers and gather market feedback about the support services intended to help individuals manage their direct payments. Key dates include the engagement end date on 4th February 2022 by 17:00, and the tender has an anticipated total value of £5,400,000. The procurement is still in the planning stage, with the potential for multiple providers to be engaged based on the feedback received. This tender presents a strong opportunity for businesses specialising in health and social care support services, particularly those with experience in payroll management, personal assistant services, and digital solutions for direct payments. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) would be well-suited to participate. The flexibility in the structure of the forthcoming procurement suggests that various service providers could collaborate or bid individually to create a comprehensive support framework, enabling businesses to explore significant growth opportunities in this sector. ## Notice In preparation for a proposed forthcoming procurement opportunity to provide support to people to manage a direct payment, Essex County Council is inviting prospective providers to engage in a soft market test to secure market feedback on the current commissioning intentions for the proposed new Direct Payment Support Services offer. The precise structure of the forthcoming procurement remains subject to confirmation pending a review of the feedback from the market engagement. However, the Council is currently considering incorporating the following support for a direct payment support service (DPSS): 1. Payroll and Account Management 2. A single, dedicated Personal Assistant (PA) hub, incorporating support to develop a PA register alongside assistance with the recruitment, training, management and incentives to retain Personal Assistants. 3. A dedicated Direct Payment Information and Advice service & an Employment, Advice and Guidance Service 4. A pre-paid card option to manage direct payments 5. A digital solution to manage direct payments The Council may seek to engage more than one provider to provide all or parts of these services in order to create choice for people who will access the services. The Council may structure the corresponding procurement opportunity so that a number of providers will deliver all the core aspects of the service. However, the Council reserves the right to refine the scope of this procurement following the market engagement events for this project. The final scope of the procurement including the use of lots, contractual value and duration and confirmed procurement timetable will be published in the corresponding Contract Notice prior to the formal launch of this procurement opportunity. Further details of these components and a suite of soft market test questions can be located via the Council's e-sourcing portal, ProContract: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login Please note that you will need to undertake the registration process to secure a user account to access the soft market test questionnaire on ProContract. However, please be advised that the registration process is free of charge and provides access to all the current and forthcoming procurement opportunities for Essex County Council alongside several other public sector organisations. Please note that the deadline for the soft market test responses will be Friday 4th February 2022 at 17:00 and all responses must be submitted via the messaging facility in ProContract. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5d182f53-90c6-4a39-8864-cf121ac0f014 | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 14 Jan 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 4 Feb 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £5,400,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | CHELMSFORD | | Post town | Chelmsford | | Postcode | CM1 1QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex | | ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex | | Local authority | Chelmsford | | Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central | | Westminster constituency | Chelmsford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 14 Jan 2022 at 16:28 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5d182f53-90c6-4a39-8864-cf121ac0f014 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5d182f53-90c6-4a39-8864-cf121ac0f014 14th January 2022 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/Login ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-31f1557a-1aa6-4367-b98d-0abeff7adb2c.json.