NECS394 - Enhanced Rapid Response Care Home Service

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is working for and on behalf of NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (the Commissioner); who wish to commission an Enhanced Rapid Response Care Home Service to be provided for patients residing within CQC registered care homes across Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough.

The current contract covers 86 Care Homes with a combined bed capacity of approximately 3,000.

The contract term will be for 2 years with effect from 01 April 2022, with an option to extend for a further 1 year at the discretion of the Contracting Authority and subject to satisfactory financial and contractual performance.

The basic principles that mirror those of the Open Procurement route will be followed for this procurement to test the capability, capacity, and technical competence of tenderers in accordance with The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended).

Under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 Contracting Authorities must consider:

• (a)How, what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the area where it exercises its functions; and

• (b)How, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with a view to securing that improvement.

Accordingly, the subject matter of the contract has been scoped to take into account the priorities of the Contracting Authority relating to economic, social, and environmental well-being.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (as amended) may apply. Bidders are advised to obtain their own legal advice and carry out due diligence including the New Fair Deal non-statutory policy setting out how pensions issues are to be dealt with when staff are compulsorily transferred from the public sector to independent providers delivering public services.

NECS is utilising an electronic tendering tool to manage this procurement and communicate with potential bidders. Accordingly, there will be no hard copy documents issued to potential bidders and all communications with NECS, including bid submissions, will be conducted via the In-tend portal https://in-tendhost.co.uk/nhsnecsu

It is free to register on the portal and it can be accessed at any time of day providing you have a working internet connection. Should bidders have any queries, or are having problems registering on the portal; they should contact the In-tend helpdesk via:

support@in-tend.com or call us on 0845 557 8079 / +44 (0) 114 407 0065

The helpdesk is open Monday - Friday between 9am - 5.30pm

Tender documentation will be available on the e-tendering site from 15 September 2021.

The closing date for submission of tenders is 12:00 noon on 15 October 2021.

N.B. Due to currently proposed legislation which may mean that the current responsibilities of CCGs will transfer into Integrated Care Systems with effect from 01 March 2022, the ultimate commissioner for this contract may change.