Official UK procurement notice
Agreement for the Provision of Community Welfare Advice Services in Northumberland
Authority: Northumberland County Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Council intends to enter into a contract with Citizens Advice Northumberland to provide free advice to people across the County of Northumberland on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) debt, employment, consumer rights and housing. The service will contribute to preventing and reducing the problems faced by people living or working in Northumberland, including people who are homeless, that can be influenced by advice services. The Service will be delivered from Citizen Advice Northumberland’s existing county wide office / outreach provision, in areas and venues where it can have the widest reach and most impact, with particular attention to communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation
CPV: Health and social work services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The award of this contract is being made under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii)
The award of this contract is being made under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii).
The Council intends to award a contract, subject to a 10-day standstill period, without prior publication of a contract notice.
In compliance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015, all awards of contracts that are subject to UK Procurement Directives are subject to a mandatory “standstill” period of at least 10 days. A Contract cannot be entered into with the preferred provider until at least the eleventh calendar day following notification. The standstill period is expected to end at midnight at the end of 15th August 2022. If steps are taken during this period to suggest that there may be a formal legal challenge to this award, or the Council determines an issue/concern with the process or preferred submission, then the contract award may be suspended until the matter is resolved (or not concluded if the matter cannot be resolved).
Subject to no legal challenge being received, the Council intends to execute the Contract at the conclusion of the standstill period on Tuesday 9th August 2022.
A contract will be entered into with Citizens Advice, Northumberland for a period of three years starting 1st October 2022 and ending on 30th September 2024. There will be an optional extension available for a further 18 months.
A copy of the contract is available at the following link: gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/w-59584e83/ ↗
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 4 Aug 2022, 08:20 BST
- Last source update
- 4 Aug 2022, 08:20 BST
- Authority reference
DN622421- FTS notice number
2022/S 000-021347- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0358c1Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
The Council seeks to secure a single service provider able to deliver throughout the County free to access, confidential advice and information on a range of topics that include but are not limited to debt, employment, consumer rights, benefits and housing. Market research has identified only one Provider able to meet the need and deliver across the whole of the County to ensure a consistent and joined up approach. Northumbrian Citizens Advice Bureau are known locally as Citizens Advice Northumberland and deliver their service throughout the County on a universal basis via 8 main offices and supported by additional outreach venues. The contract requires the existing provision to be maintained or improved and for consultation regarding relocation of any office. The service operates under a national framework operated by the Citizens Advice Bureau to confirm fidelity to its model and offering oversight for the standard of the advice provided. Whilst other organisations may be able to offer advice the scope is limited to specific topic(s) and/or aimed at a specific group or locality. There is no other organisation able to provide the breadth of knowledge, reach in terms of population, and delivery infrastructure across the whole of the County, which is underpinned by a quality assurance framework, to be able to deliver the service sought..
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens Advice NorthumberlandSME | £1,820,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 021347-2022-1 · Citizens Advice NorthumberlandSME
- Signed
- 29 Jul 2022
- Value
- £1,820,000
- Status
- active
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Royal Courts of JusticeReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Northumbrian Citizens Advice BureauAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.