DHSC: Request for Information for Adult Social Care Improvement support offer

Concepts

• health and social work
• social care
• administration services

Location

London

Description

The Department of Health and Social Care (‘The Authority’) is seeking information regarding your views on the RFI, to allow the Authority to gather information on future improvement support offer options and support the building of a requirement and specification that may be used for potential future competitive tendering activity. The aim of the RFI is to explore the market reaction to the proposed future improvement support offer and responses will help to shape the specification for potential competitive tender.Information gathered from the response of the RFI will also help the Authority to gather the insights needed to build a tailored improvement support offer that will allow the planned financial support and other initiatives to land well with the sector and increase the overall uptake. This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute an Invitation to Tender (ITT) or a promise to issue an ITT in the future. This RFI does not commit the Authority to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Authority is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Authority will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense, by responding to the RFI the responder accepts these terms. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future ITT, if any is issued.

Total Quantity or Scope

At this stage the Authority is considering different ways to procure improvement support and may consider using one or more of the options outlined below. Organisations should note that as this requirement would be replacing an existing contract and grant there may be TUPE implications. Please seek advice from your legal representative on this matter. Option 1) A single, non-lotted competitive tender. In this option, we would seek to deliver all overarching aims of our proposed activity in a single, non-lotted competitive tender, resulting in a single contract. Option 2) A lotted competitive tender split either thematically or by support type.In this option, competitive tender would be lotted either by:a. CQC LA assessment framework themes (Working with people, providing support, how the local authority ensures safety within the system, leadership) across all support types b. Support type (best practice resources, universal support tools, targeted support) across all themesOrganisations could bid for one or more lot which would result in one or more contract following the competitive tender process. Option 3) Seeking views on whether organisations would be interested in delivering some elements of this activity as part of a framework arrangement.In this option, organisations would become trusted providers on a government managed procurement framework. LAs would then be able to commission improvement and support activities on agreed standard terms, benefitting from national government negotiated rates.Option 4) The authority Subject to consideration of the responses we receive to this RFI we may choose to run a competitive tender process for this activity. We would anticipate an invitation to tender to commence in December 2023, with estimated contract start date in April 2024. We anticipate that the funding will be in the range of up to a maximum of £9.6 million improvement funding over one year for a one-year contract/s.Interested parties must register an interest in this RFI via https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome (search opportunities using system reference C214596). The closing date for the response this RFI is 17:00, 17th October 2023.

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services
• 85321000 - Administrative social services

Indicators

Other Information

Suppliers should note that this RFI is a market research exercise only and it is not an invitation to tender or call for competition.The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Authority. The Authority has not made a commitment to procure, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorisation, to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. Participation in the RFI shall not preclude or influence future tendering action in any way. Please highlight any commercially sensitive information that is sent to the Authority, this information will not be shared outside of the Authority.