Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle (DPV) for the Provision of Home Care Services in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire Council (the Council) is establishing a Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle (“DPV”) for the provision of Home Care Services in Buckinghamshire (“the Services”). The Council is conducting the procurement via the “Light Touch Regime” as set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015). Suppliers will be expected to deliver Services for people assessed as being eligible for health and social care support under the provisions of The Care Act (2014) or The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care (2022). Additionally, Suppliers will support Individuals being discharged from hospital through the Home First pathway who are awaiting an assessment of need. The Council commissions some of these Home Care Packages on behalf of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Integrated Care Board (ICB) (“the ICB”).

The DPV will be used to commission Home Care Services for adults aged 18 + across all care groups in Buckinghamshire. Successful Suppliers should expect to deliver Services to Individuals with eligibility under any of the above Pathways.

The DPV replaces the Council’s existing block and spot contracting arrangement and once live in April 2024, will be the primary mechanism for sourcing home care Packages. Please note, this does not include complex Continuing Healthcare Packages, which will be sourced separated via the ICB.

The DPV has been designed to meet current and future needs of people requiring care and support at home and will enable the Council to offer greater flexibility for Home Care services as well as drive improvements in quality in the market.

The DPV aims to harmonise and stabilise pricing of Home Care Services and facilitate a more comprehensive oversight of supply and demand to support market shaping. The DPV is divided into Two (2) Lots, representing the range of Services to be delivered.
The Lots are: Lot 1: Standard Home Care Lot 2: Complex/Bespoke Home Care

The Council cannot guarantee demand or volumes for the Services or for any of the Lots over the lifetime of the DPV. Appointment of a Supplier to the DPV is no guarantee of business.
The DPV will operate for a period of three (3) years commencing on or around April 2024. The Council will have the option, at its discretion, to extend the period of operation of the DPV for a further period or periods of up to two (2) years and then an option to extend for a further period or periods of up to one (1) year.

Suppliers that wish to be appointed to the DPV are required to complete a Selection Questionnaire (“SQ”). All those Suppliers who satisfy the selection requirements set out in the SQ, as evaluated by the Council, will be appointed to the DPV to the Lot(s) for which they have applied. There is no limit on the number of Suppliers that may be appointed to a Lot.

Once successful Suppliers are added (Stage 1), the Council will commence Stage 2 – call offs for Packages of care. The Council will issue mini competitions for Packages, as and when the need arises. All Suppliers within the relevant Lot will be invited to submit bids for such Packages (streamlined by geographical location for Lot 1). The Council will award each Package to the Supplier in that Lot that can most closely meet the Package requirements based upon evaluation criteria set out.

Suppliers who wish to participate in this process and submit a bid need to register with the Buckinghamshire Business Portal and will be unable to take part if not registered. Please use the link below and follow the instructions on the website: www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk

Further details on the operation of the DPV are set out in the Procurement Documentation.
The initial tender round has been completed and the DPV is currently in the mobilisation phase ahead of launch in April 2024. The Council will notify Suppliers via the Buckinghamshire Business Portal one month in advance of its intention to re-open and evaluate new bids. Applications that have been made to the DPV before the closing date will be evaluated. Please note, to ensure bids are as up to date as possible, Suppliers are encouraged to submit bids only when the Council notifies of its intention to re-open and evaluate bids.