Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Banking & Merchant Services
Authority: South Ayrshire Council (Local council)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionSouth Ayrshire Council (the Council) has a requirement to establish a contract for the delivery of Banking Services and Merchant Services via two (2) lots.
Lot 1 – Banking Services. The provision of day-to-day banking services, including bank accounts, cash management, liquidity management, payment processing and associated treasury support services.
Lot 2 – Merchant Services. The provision of merchant services to facilitate the secure acceptance, processing and settlement of card payments across a range of Council service areas and customer payment channels.
- Recurrence: Yes, this is a recurrent procurement and will be advertised again in approximately seven (7) years
CPV: Banking and investment services · Central bank services · Financial and insurance services
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · no lot values published · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Banking ServicesRenewal
The provision of day-to-day banking services, including bank accounts, cash management, liquidity management, payment processing and associated treasury support services.
Lot #2Merchant ServicesRenewal
The provision of merchant services to facilitate the secure acceptance, processing and settlement of card payments across a range of Council service areas and customer payment channels.
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: 50
- Price: 50
- Suitability
It is a requirement of this procurement that Tenderers hold, or can commit to
obtain, prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded Contract, the
accreditations indicated below:
Lot 2 – Merchant Services Only
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or an equivalent certification
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How South Ayrshire Council buys Financial and insurance services (CPV 66), and who usually turns up
South Ayrshire Council’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Financial and insurance services (CPV 66) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Scotland.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 48 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid18% / 8%
2–314% / 60%
4–655% / 29%
7+14% / 2%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate57%
Within ±2%24%
Above estimate19%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Banking ServicesCPV 66Estimate not published
This lot lists more than one class in CPV 66. The comparison uses that group.
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How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid39%
2–338%
4–617%
7+6%
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Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROTECTOR INSURANCE (UK)Earlier contract | Provision of Insurance Servicesnotice published May 2025 | Property Damage & Business Interruption including Money and Specified Property Insured | £7.5m | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
allpay LimitedLarge | £12m25 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 4 live · £619k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 30% below n=2 |
Lloyds Bank PlcLarge | £104m7 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago | 2 live · £310k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 24% below n=4 |
| £360k2 awards in 36m · last 1 month ago | 1 live iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
BarclaysLarge | £1.3m9 awards in 36m · last 6 months ago | 4 live · £2.8m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=2 |
| £1.3m5 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | 2 live · £485k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 44% below n=2 |
Lot #2Merchant ServicesCPV 66Estimate not published
This lot lists more than one class in CPV 66. The comparison uses that group.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid42%
2–336%
4–616%
7+5%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROTECTOR INSURANCE (UK)Earlier contract | Provision of Insurance Servicesnotice published May 2025 | Property Damage & Business Interruption including Money and Specified Property Insured | £7.5m | Matched as the earlier contract |
| Aon LimitedWorked for this buyer | CE-180-21-MC - Provision of Insurance Services to South Ayrshire Councilnotice published Jun 2022 | — | — | Similar wording and category |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
Aon LimitedLarge | £56m18 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 7 live · £894k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=7 |
allpay LimitedLarge | £12m25 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 4 live · £619k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 30% below n=2 |
Lloyds Bank PlcLarge | £104m7 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago | 2 live · £310k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 24% below n=4 |
BarclaysLarge | £1.3m9 awards in 36m · last 6 months ago | 4 live · £2.8m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=2 |
| £1.3m5 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | 2 live · £485k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 44% below n=2 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
45% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
45% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (45% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Provision of Insurance Services — held by PROTECTOR INSURANCE (UK) and PROTECTOR INSURANCE (UK) (+1 more); no contract end date published.
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
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · Yes, this is a recurrent procurement and will be advertised again in approximately seven (7) years
- First published
- 14 Oct 2026, 15:50 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Oct 2026, 15:50 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 26 Nov 2026 – …
- Authority reference
CE-08-26- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-097154- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0787dbFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Performance terms
Please refer to Procurement documents
Publisher note: The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32630. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343 Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/ A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: Please refer to Procurement documents (SC Ref:845730)
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via Public Contracts Scotland- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 26 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 120 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 26 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
14 Oct 2026 → 26 Nov 2026 · 3 dates- Notice published13 days ago14 Oct 2026, 15:50 BST
- Today28 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 29 days26 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Bids openedin 29 days26 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Ayr Sheriff CourtReview body
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria