Find a TenderClosed
Published 21 Jul 2022, 16:21 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Discretionary Assistance Fund Framework Agreement

Official notice

Authority: Welsh Government

Framework agreementServicesOpen procedure
Framework ceiling (notional)£30,000,000framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Submissions closed 12 Sept 2022

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Act 2012 abolished the discretionary Social Fund, which was administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and replaced parts of it (crisis loans and community care grants) with new locally based provision. From April 2013 funding for the Social Fund was devolved to the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and to local authorities in England. The Discretionary Assistance Fund was established and has operated as the replacement scheme in Wales since 2013.

The fund comprises two distinct elements:

  • Emergency Assistance Payments (EAP) – which provide assistance with an emergency or disaster situation when there is an immediate threat to health and well being; and
  • Individual Assistance Payments (IAP) – which are in place to meet an urgent identified need necessary to enable or support independent living thereby preventing the need for institutional care. Eligibility for an IAP is based upon an applicant being entitled to and in receipt of income related benefits. All IAP applications are required to be supported by a Partner from an established Partner Network comprising support and advice organisations across Wales.
  • Recurrence: 3 or 6 years

CPV: Administrative services for business operations · Call centre · General public services · Government services · Software development services · Software implementation services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Places
up to 1 suppliers

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1The key aim of the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) is to offer payments or in kind…RenewalPublished value£30,000,000

The key aim of the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) is to offer payments or in kind support to enable or maintain independent living and to provide urgent assistance to people where there is an identified need to safeguard health and well being. These payments are made available to people who have no other means of meeting the immediate cost of living and are not intended to meet the cost of ongoing expenses. As such, payments from this fund are not repayable. The aim of this contract is to ensure the fund is delivered to the most financially vulnerable people in Wales. The successful Bidder will be responsible for all aspects of the management, implementation, administration and monitoring of the DAF grant scheme. Additional information: The value is GBP6m to GBP15m for the initial 3 years. 6m reflects historical spend prior to the covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Spend during 2018-2021 is GBP3.5m per annum the value may be less at circa GBP2m per annum. The 15m value reflects changes to Ministerial priorities in response to unknown priorities. The max value over the lifetime of the framework/ contract is GBP30m.

Delivery: Wales
Extensions: Additional call off contracts may be required during the Framework Agreement duration for contracts that may be required as a result of any change in Ministerial priorities in response to emerging policy changes, for example having to respond to possible unprecedented emergency situations, i.e Welsh Government response to flooding or other such emergencies. · The framework includes the option to extend for 1 year. The Client will have the option to award an up to 3-year term call off contract during the final year of the Framework Agreement.Variant bids: not allowed

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
Conditions of participation1
  • Suitability

    As stated in the tender documents.

Staff
Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
What this means for your bid
  • “Discretionary Assistance Fund Framework Agreement” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Yes · 3 or 6 years
First published
21 Jul 2022, 16:21 BST
Last source update
21 Jul 2022, 16:21 BST
Award evaluation window
12 Sept 2022 – …
Authority reference
C317/2021/2022
FTS notice number
2022/S 000-019929
Classification (CPV)
Administrative services for business operationsCall centreGeneral public servicesGovernment servicesSoftware development servicesSoftware implementation services
Delivery area
Wales (UKL)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-035481 Find a Tender
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Performance terms

As stated in the tender documents.

Publisher note: E-Tender Information: https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk - The first person from your Organisation to use the Platform will be required to register on behalf of the Organisation. - Registration involves accepting a User Agreement, and providing basic information about your Organisation and about the User performing the Registration. - The User who performs the Registration becomes the Super User for the Organisation. - On registering on the Platform the Super User will select a Username and will receive a password. - The Password will be sent by e-mail to the email address that was specified in the User Details section of the Registration page. - In order to log-in to the Platform please enter your Username and Password. - Note: If you forget your Password then visit the homepage and click “Forgot your password?” - Registration should only be performed once for each Organisation. - If you think that someone in your Organisation may have already registered on this Platform then you must not register again. - Please contact the person who Registered (i.e. the Super User) in order to arrange access to the Platform. - Contact the Helpdesk immediately if you are unable to contact the Super User (for example if they have left your Organisation). - Note: If your Organisation is already registered on the Platform then you must not make any additional registration. Please contact the Helpdesk to gain access to the Platform. - Tenders must be uploaded to the BravoSolution portal by 2pm How To Find The ITT: - Once logged in you must click on ‘ITT’s Open to all Suppliers’ - The e-tender references for this contract are: project_50283, itt_94605. - Click on the title to access summary details of the contract. If you are still interested in submitting a tender, click the ‘Express an Interest button’. This will move the ITT from the ‘Open to all Suppliers’ area to the ‘My ITT’s’ on the home page. - You will then see the full details of the ITT in the qualification and technical envelopes along with any relevant documents in the ‘Attachments’ area. - Should you have any questions on the ITT, please use the ‘Messages’ area to contact the buyer directly – Please do not contact the named person at the top of this notice. NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=123067 Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are: Community benefits will be non core (WA Ref:123067) The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Jaggaer · Who buys & how to bid on Sell2Wales
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN, CY
Access & registration note: Free; latest Chrome/Edge/Firefox only — corporate browsers fail

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk/ ↗

Appointment period ends
12 Sept 2022, 14:00 BST
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en, cy
Bid validity
180 days from the deadline
Bids opened
12 Sept 2022, 14:00 BST
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

21 Jul 2022 → 12 Sept 2022 · 3 dates
  1. Notice published
    21 Jul 2022, 16:21 BST
  2. Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
    12 Sept 2022, 14:00 BST
  3. Bids opened
    12 Sept 2022, 14:00 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Welsh Government

Contracting authorityMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsGeneral public services Corporate Procurement Services, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3NQContact email, phone Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • High CourtReview body LondonContact phone

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria