Official UK procurement notice
Business Support Services Framework Agreement
Authority: The Highland Council (Local council)
What is being bought8 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe Highland Council Business Gateway Service have created a multi supplier Framework Agreement for delivery of a comprehensive range of business support services to local Micro and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
CPV: Business and management consultancy and related services · Business and management consultancy services · Business development consultancy services · Business organisation services · Education and training services · Miscellaneous business and business-related services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Bids received
- 5 bids on the busiest of 7 lots · 13 suppliers appointed
Lots and requirements (8)Procurement structure
8 lots · no lot values published · a supplier may bid for at most 8 and win at most 3 of them · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1General Start-UpAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include entry level start-up workshops and Webinars and shall focus on business structure, cashflow, funding, business planning, advice on tax, marketing, and HR.
Format of delivery: Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #2Specialist business support: HR/employee development/wellbeing/environmentalAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include support with employment legislation advice, continual personal development, mental health programmes, physical activity, and workplace health promotion.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #3Specialist business support: Finance/Business PlanningAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include support with business plans and profit and loss accounts.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #4Specialist business support: Legal/Property/ Intellectual PropertyRenewal
This Lot shall include company structure advice, property/premises legislation and copyright law.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #5Specialist business support: MarketingAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include support with branding, product labelling, graphic design, advertising/messaging.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #6Specialist business support: ProcurementAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include support and advice for tendering contracts including the use of Public Contracts Scotland and supply chain development. This is one to one support and also one to many through workshops/webinars.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
Lot #7Specialist business support: Energy efficiencies/ Net ZeroAwardedRenewal
This lot shall include advice and support to help a business make progress towards net zero emissions. This support and advice could cover heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Renewable heat technologies, heating and ventilation, LED lighting, solar panels. Waste Minimisation, Recovery and Reprocessing
Lot #8Digital services/Information solutions and technologyAwardedRenewal
This Lot shall include support with social media and digital solutions.
Format of delivery: One to One, Webinars & Workshops (on-site)
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: 80
- Price: 20
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers must have a minimum:
5,000,000 GBP Employers Liability Insurance (where applicable),
5,000,000 GBP Public Liability Insurance and;
1,000,000 GBP Professional Indemnity Insurance.
The Council will use an independent credit scoring organisation, namely CreditSafe, to conduct appropriate financial probity checks.
Minimum: 5,000,000 GBP Employers Liability Insurance (where applicable), 5,000,000 GBP Public Liability Insurance and; 1,000,000 GBP Professional Indemnity Insurance. If the Credit Report of any Tenderer contains a risk rating between Very High Risk – Moderate Risk, Tenderers will be give… - Technical & professional ability
2 Examples of providing an equivalent service during the last three years for each Lot tendered.
Minimum: 2 Examples of providing an equivalent service during the last three years for each Lot bid.
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Business Support Services Framework Agreement” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
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
- Awarded
- 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
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 3 Apr 2023, 11:46 BST
- Last source update
- 6 Sept 2023, 16:48 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 4 May 2023 – …
- Authority reference
HC/IEE/BSS/2023- FTS notice number
2023/S 000-026390- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-03b820Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Publisher note: Whilst it states that each Lot has a value of 300,000 pounds, this figure is the total spend of all Lots together, not individually. The maximum spend under this Framework Agreement will therefore be approximately 300,000 pounds. (SC Ref:743716)
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 12 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 90 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 4 May 2023, 12:00 BST
Timeline
4 May 2023 → 6 Sept 2023 · 3 dates- Bids opened4 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown12 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Notice published6 Sept 2023, 16:48 BST
Notice history
4 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Apr 2023- Deadline moved to 8 May 2023, 12:00 BST12 Apr 2023, 09:52 BST+4 days · was 4 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Deadline moved to 9 May 2023, 12:00 BST12 Apr 2023, 09:54 BST+1 days · was 8 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Deadline moved to 12 May 2023, 12:00 BST3 May 2023, 16:19 BST+3 days · was 9 May 2023, 12:00 BST
- Status changed to complete6 Sept 2023, 16:48 BST
Published amendments (3 · 3 deadline changes)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 4 May 2023 | 8 May 2023 | +4 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 4 May 2023 | 8 May 2023 | +4 d |
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 8 May 2023 | 9 May 2023 | +1 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 8 May 2023 | 9 May 2023 | +1 d |
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 9 May 2023 | 12 May 2023 | +3 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 9 May 2023 | 12 May 2023 | +3 d |
Business Gateway Highland have decided to increase the maximum number of Lots that tenderers can bid for from 3 to 5. This is to help maximise coverage.
Changed to the 9th to take account of the Bank Holiday for the Coronation on the 8th May.
The Council recognise that between May Day and the King's Coronation, many organisations will be under pressure in regards to resource. A decision has therefore been taken to extend the deadline until Friday 12 May at 12:00
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2023-04: 2 releases · 3 Apr 2023, 12 Apr 2023
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast7 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
All 7 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £300,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.
LOT1 General Start-Up
- Signed
- 7 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT2 Specialist business support: HR/employee development/wellbeing/environmental
- Signed
- 7 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT5 Specialist business support: Marketing
- Signed
- 4 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT8 Digital services/Information solutions and technology
- Signed
- 4 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT7 Specialist business support: Energy efficiencies/ Net Zero
- Signed
- 3 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT3 Specialist business support: Finance/Business Planning
- Signed
- 2 Aug 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
LOT6 Specialist business support: Procurement
- Signed
- 31 Jul 2023
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · General Start-Up | 4bids · 4 electronic | 4 | — | — |
| 2 · Specialist business support: HR/employee development/wellbeing/environmental | 3bids · 3 electronic | 3 | — | — |
| 3 · Specialist business support: Finance/Business Planning | 4bids · 4 electronic | 4 | — | — |
| 5 · Specialist business support: Marketing | 3bids · 3 electronic | 3 | — | — |
| 6 · Specialist business support: Procurement | 2bids · 2 electronic | 2 | — | — |
| 7 · Specialist business support: Energy efficiencies/ Net Zero | 2bids · 2 electronic | 2 | — | — |
| 8 · Digital services/Information solutions and technology | 5bids · 5 electronic | 5 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Local Sheriff CourtReview body
Framework contractors & participating bidders
13 commercial parties on the notice- Arena HR LtdFramework contractor
- Arete Zero CarbonFramework contractor
- Beyond Procurement LtdFramework contractor
- CJM Project Financial Management LtdFramework contractor
- Caton Advisers LlpFramework contractor
- Eris Business ServicesFramework contractor
- Inspire IT Services LtdFramework contractor
- J&G3 LtdFramework contractor
- Jeni IannettaFramework contractor
- Modus (Scotland) LtdFramework contractor
Show 3 more suppliers
- Third Sector Development LtdFramework contractor
- Tuminds LtdFramework contractor
- Watson Financial ManagementFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.