Pensions Re-procurement (Project ID: CA1071).
Prior information notice
Services
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
NHS Business Services Authority
Stella House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside Business Park
Contact point(s): Change and Commercial Delivery Directorate
For the attention of: Tony Waldron
NE15 8NY Newcastle upon Tyne
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
National or federal agency/office
I.3)Main activity
Health
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no
Section II.B: Object of the contract (Supplies or services)
II.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
Pensions Re-procurement (Project ID: CA1071).
II.2)Type of contract and place of delivery or of performance
Service category No 7: Computer and related services
II.3)Information on framework agreement
The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement: no
II.4)Short description of nature and quantity or value of supplies or services:
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is responsible for the NHS Pension Scheme and is preparing to go to market to procure services connected to its pensions administration function.
The NHS Pension Scheme is an unfunded occupational pension scheme, backed by the Exchequer, operating under regulations made by the Secretary of State. The scheme is open to all NHS employees and employees of other approved organisations covering England and Wales. The NHS Pension Scheme receives contributions in the region of £8 billion per annum and makes payments of around £6 billion. It is the largest centrally administered pension scheme in Europe.
The NHSBSA is a Special Health Authority and an Arms Length Body of the Department of Health and provides a range of critical central services to NHS organisations, NHS contractors, patients and the public. The NHSBSA has responsibility for the administration of the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales. This consists of the end-to-end process of administering the NHS Pension Scheme on behalf of all scheme members, NHS pensioners and employers.
The pensions administration services that are to be procured are currently intended to include some or all of the following: pensioner payroll services, facilities and estates management, IT/IS services, medical services (ill health retirement and injury benefit assessments), communications centre and finance functions. The facilities and estates management service is expected to commence on 23.7.2016 and will be procured separately (the procurement of this service is dealt with in II.8). The other services are expected to commence on 23.7.2017 (the procurement of these services is dealt with in the remainder of this description).
The NHSBSA has already carried out a considerable amount of preparatory work, including an early market engagement exercise in November 2014.
Prior to the formal start of the process for service provider procurement, the NHSBSA is continuing to develop its detailed strategy for the procurement process and subsequent delivery of the services. Interested service providers should be aware that this strategy includes a detailed assessment of possible disaggregation models, with a view to identifying the optimum method for delivery of the services. In tandem, the NHSBSA will also develop its lotting strategy.
After the strategy has been more fully developed, the NHSBSA currently intends to publish a further Prior Information Notice inviting all interested service providers to attend a series of ‘supplier boot camps’ to review and discuss the strategy in detail. The NHSBSA's current intention is that these ‘supplier boot camps’, which will form a key part of the necessary continuing prior market engagement, will be held in late 2015.
Based on the feedback received during the ‘supplier boot camps’ and other prior market engagement, the NHSBSA will finalise the strategy. It is currently intended that the process for service provider procurement will formally start with publication of a call for competition not later than mid-2016. That call for competition will take the form of a contract notice.
The NHS Pension Scheme is an unfunded occupational pension scheme, backed by the Exchequer, operating under regulations made by the Secretary of State. The scheme is open to all NHS employees and employees of other approved organisations covering England and Wales. The NHS Pension Scheme receives contributions in the region of £8 billion per annum and makes payments of around £6 billion. It is the largest centrally administered pension scheme in Europe.
The NHSBSA is a Special Health Authority and an Arms Length Body of the Department of Health and provides a range of critical central services to NHS organisations, NHS contractors, patients and the public. The NHSBSA has responsibility for the administration of the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales. This consists of the end-to-end process of administering the NHS Pension Scheme on behalf of all scheme members, NHS pensioners and employers.
The pensions administration services that are to be procured are currently intended to include some or all of the following: pensioner payroll services, facilities and estates management, IT/IS services, medical services (ill health retirement and injury benefit assessments), communications centre and finance functions. The facilities and estates management service is expected to commence on 23.7.2016 and will be procured separately (the procurement of this service is dealt with in II.8). The other services are expected to commence on 23.7.2017 (the procurement of these services is dealt with in the remainder of this description).
The NHSBSA has already carried out a considerable amount of preparatory work, including an early market engagement exercise in November 2014.
Prior to the formal start of the process for service provider procurement, the NHSBSA is continuing to develop its detailed strategy for the procurement process and subsequent delivery of the services. Interested service providers should be aware that this strategy includes a detailed assessment of possible disaggregation models, with a view to identifying the optimum method for delivery of the services. In tandem, the NHSBSA will also develop its lotting strategy.
After the strategy has been more fully developed, the NHSBSA currently intends to publish a further Prior Information Notice inviting all interested service providers to attend a series of ‘supplier boot camps’ to review and discuss the strategy in detail. The NHSBSA's current intention is that these ‘supplier boot camps’, which will form a key part of the necessary continuing prior market engagement, will be held in late 2015.
Based on the feedback received during the ‘supplier boot camps’ and other prior market engagement, the NHSBSA will finalise the strategy. It is currently intended that the process for service provider procurement will formally start with publication of a call for competition not later than mid-2016. That call for competition will take the form of a contract notice.
II.5)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
72000000, 75320000, 72260000, 72320000, 66520000, 66523100, 72212100, 72212517, 72212600, 72212610, 72222300, 72253000, 72261000, 72262000, 72263000, 72264000, 72265000, 72266000, 72267000, 72268000, 72300000, 72310000, 72321000, 72322000, 72330000, 72500000, 72510000, 79414000, 79631000, 79211110, 79200000, 85141000, 85147000
II.6)Scheduled date for start of award procedures
II.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes
II.8)Additional information:
The NHSBSA is intending to procure and award a contract for the facilities and estates management service through the use of a Crown Commercial Service framework agreement.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1)Conditions relating to the contract
III.1.1)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.2)Conditions for participation
III.2.1)Information about reserved contracts
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about European Union funds
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
VI.2)Additional information:
This notice is published for information purposes only. It is not a call for competition. A contract notice will be published as a call for competition as part of the process for service provider procurement referred to in II.4.
The envisaged dates and time periods for the process for service provider procurement represent the NHSBSA's present best estimate. The NHSBSA does not commit to take any particular action by any date. However, the NHSBSA will take all available steps to ensure that the process for service provider procurement is completed in good time for the provision of the services to commence on 23.7.2017.
As described in II.4, the NHSBSA is continuing to develop its detailed strategy for the process for service provider procurement, including the nature and extent of any disaggregation of services. As part of this, and to ensure the necessary coverage and continuity in respect of these important services for the benefit of scheme members, NHS pensioners and employers, the NHSBSA is further extending its current arrangements for the provision of the services with Paymaster (1836) Ltd by 12 months, to expire on 22.7.2017. The services being extended are the following pensions administration services: pensioner payroll services, IT/IS services, medical services (ill health retirement and injury benefit assessments), communications centre and finance functions. The facilities and estates management service currently provided by Paymaster (1836) Ltd is not being further extended and will expire on 22.7.2016. The 12 month further extension period is considered to be the minimum extension required to ensure that the remaining period is sufficient to enable the NHSBSA to bring the opportunity to market in a way that provides interested service providers and the NHSBSA with the necessary amount of time to ensure the quality of the information provided prior to the process starting, enable the necessary continuing prior market engagement (including the ‘supplier boot camps’) and prepare for and run the process.
The envisaged dates and time periods for the process for service provider procurement represent the NHSBSA's present best estimate. The NHSBSA does not commit to take any particular action by any date. However, the NHSBSA will take all available steps to ensure that the process for service provider procurement is completed in good time for the provision of the services to commence on 23.7.2017.
As described in II.4, the NHSBSA is continuing to develop its detailed strategy for the process for service provider procurement, including the nature and extent of any disaggregation of services. As part of this, and to ensure the necessary coverage and continuity in respect of these important services for the benefit of scheme members, NHS pensioners and employers, the NHSBSA is further extending its current arrangements for the provision of the services with Paymaster (1836) Ltd by 12 months, to expire on 22.7.2017. The services being extended are the following pensions administration services: pensioner payroll services, IT/IS services, medical services (ill health retirement and injury benefit assessments), communications centre and finance functions. The facilities and estates management service currently provided by Paymaster (1836) Ltd is not being further extended and will expire on 22.7.2016. The 12 month further extension period is considered to be the minimum extension required to ensure that the remaining period is sufficient to enable the NHSBSA to bring the opportunity to market in a way that provides interested service providers and the NHSBSA with the necessary amount of time to ensure the quality of the information provided prior to the process starting, enable the necessary continuing prior market engagement (including the ‘supplier boot camps’) and prepare for and run the process.
VI.3)Information on general regulatory framework
VI.4)Date of dispatch of this notice:
1.7.2015