--- title: "Direct Payment Support Services Market Engagement" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-030b57" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-030b57" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030b57.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030b57.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2022-01-14" --- # Direct Payment Support Services Market Engagement Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-030b57 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-030b57) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030b57.json) ## Summary The procurement process is led by Essex County Council, focusing on the provision of Direct Payment Support Services. This opportunity falls under the health and social work services industry category. The process is currently at the planning stage, with prospective bidders invited to participate in a soft market test. Although no specific dates for the forthcoming procurement opportunity have been confirmed, all responses for the soft market test must be submitted by 17:00 on 4th February 2022. The council will assess the market engagement feedback to finalise the structure and scope of the procurement, which may include multiple lots for various support services. This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in services related to direct payments and social care. Companies offering solutions in payroll management, personal assistant support, and digital payment systems would be particularly well-suited to compete. The project's structure, which encourages multi-provider engagement, is designed to create diversified choices for service users, making it an attractive contract for service providers aiming to expand their reach within the public sector. ## Notice In preparation for a proposed forthcoming procurement opportunity to provide support to people to manage a direct payment, Essex County Council ("the Council") would like to invite prospective providers to engage in a soft market test as part of the market engagement for this project. The soft market test has been designed to establish the potential level of interest from organisations to deliver a Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) and to invite feedback on the proposed structure of the DPSS service to inform the Council's commissioning intentions. Pending a review of the market feedback from this soft market test, the Council proposes to commission a DPSS service which incorporates the following support: 1. Payroll and Account Management 2. A single Personal Assistant (PA) support hub which incorporates a PA register alongside support for direct payment clients who are seeking to employ a PA, including support with recruitment, training, management and incentives to retain a PA 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 with multiple providers to deliver all or parts of these services in order to create choice for people who will access the services. In addition, the Council may structure the procurement opportunity so that multiple providers 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 for this project. The final scope of the procurement including the use of lots and the applicable tender submission deadline will be published in the corresponding Contract Notice prior to the formal launch of the procurement opportunity. Further details of the Council's current commissioning intentions for this service and a copy of the online soft market test questionnaire can be accessed via the Council's e-tendering portal: https://procontract.due-north.com/ 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. ### Lot Information Payroll and Account Management Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will finalise the scope of the forthcoming procurement opportunity following the conclusion of the market engagement stage and reserves the right to amend the scope of this service accordingly. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that the inclusion of lots within this PIN are provided for indicative purposes only due to the requirements of the online form and remain subject to confirmation by the Council. Personal Assistant Support Hub Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will finalise the scope of the forthcoming procurement opportunity following the conclusion of the market engagement stage and reserves the right to amend the scope of this service accordingly. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that the inclusion of lots within this PIN are provided for indicative purposes only due to the requirements of the online form and remain subject to confirmation by the Council. Direct Payment Information and Advice Service & Employment Advice and Guidance Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will finalise the scope of the forthcoming procurement opportunity following the conclusion of the market engagement stage and reserves the right to amend the scope of this service accordingly. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that the inclusion of lots within this PIN are provided for indicative purposes only due to the requirements of the online form and remain subject to confirmation by the Council. Pre-paid card service to manage direct payments Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will finalise the scope of the forthcoming procurement opportunity following the conclusion of the market engagement stage and reserves the right to amend the scope of this service accordingly. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that the inclusion of lots within this PIN are provided for indicative purposes only due to the requirements of the online form and remain subject to confirmation by the Council. Digital solution to manage direct payments Prospective bidders are advised that the Council will finalise the scope of the forthcoming procurement opportunity following the conclusion of the market engagement stage and reserves the right to amend the scope of this service accordingly. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that the inclusion of lots within this PIN are provided for indicative purposes only due to the requirements of the online form and remain subject to confirmation by the Council. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001214-2022 | | Notice type | Planning Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 14 Jan 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 30 May 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | 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 | TLH3 Essex | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services - 85321000 - Administrative social services ## Release History - 14 Jan 2022 at 16:09 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001214-2022 ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/ - https://www.essex.gov.uk/ ## 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-h6vhtk-030b57. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030b57.json.