Financial Services Framework · UK public procurement notice

This Framework is open to and may be used by other Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and its associate members, and Manchester Partners. This includes the following Councils: Bolton, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Trafford, Rochdale, Bury, Salford, Wigan, Blackburn with Darwen BC, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Warrington, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Greater Manchester Police Authority, Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, Manchester Central Convention Complex, Commission for New Economy, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (TfGM), Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and the Integrated Transport Authority.

This framework will allow Manchester City Council to call off contracts either by a competitive selection process or Direct Award without competition.

Competitive Selection (mini competition).

When the framework agreement does not include all the terms governing the provision of the services concerned, the contracting authority must organise a further competition between the providers which are party to the framework agreement.

It is intended that further competitions will be used when:

There is sufficient time to run a competitive procedure that it would not be prejudicial to the council's interests.

Where further competition is the chosen route, all providers awarded under the framework will be invited to participate, unless it is clear that particular firms cannot meet the specific needs.

The call-off procurement document will describe the requirement and tell bidders the basis on which evaluation the offers will be made (e.g., price, quality, social value and environment, together with an indication of the relative importance of these criteria). The Evaluation Criteria Price, Quality, 20% Social Value and 10% Environment will remain unchanged in evaluating further competition. The weightings for Price and Quality criteria may differ to the original tender.

Criteria used for a further competition may differ from the award criteria used to set up the framework if they are related to (i.e. derive from) the original award criteria.

Bidders will be allowed sufficient time to prepare and submit their quotations.

All documentation issued for further competition must refer to Manchester's Framework P-0832 in the invite to tender documents*.

Call-off contracts may be awarded following a competitive selection process after the expiration of the framework, provided the competitive selection process started prior to this.

Direct award without competition.

If the framework agreement sets out all the terms governing the provision of the, services concerned and all the objective conditions that are required to make a decision for award of the specific contract, then awarding the contract without re-opening competition amongst the parties to the framework agreement may be used. In this instance, the choice of provider must be based on the objective criteria laid out in the procurement documentation.

It is intended that direct awards will be available when:

The time needed to run a further competition exercise would be prejudicial to the Council's interests.

Where direct award is the chosen route, the highest-ranking organisation from this tender exercise will be asked to confirm their availability to fulfil the councils Financial Services requirement. If there are Financial Services requirements that are not fulfilled by the highest-ranking organisation, the same process will be carried out with the next highest-ranking organisation. (This will continue until the council's requirements are met).

It is in the council's view that TUPE may be applicable to these call-off contracts