Framework Agreement for the Provision of Short Breaks Services For Children With Disabilities Living...

<p>The Council of the London Borough of Waltham Forest (&ldquo;the Authority&rdquo;) is seeking Tenders from suitably experienced and qualified organisations for the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Short Breaks Services for Children with Disabilities Living in the London Borough of Waltham Forest (&ldquo;the Framework&rdquo;). The Framework shall commence on 1st April 2021 and, subject to satisfactory performance, shall continue up to and including 31st March 2025 (&ldquo;the Framework Period&rdquo;). The Authority is seeking to appoint multiple providers who can deliver good quality, safe, efficient and enjoyable activities to particular individuals assessed by the Authority as being eligible for Short Breaks Services under the provisions of the Care Act 2014, the Children Act 1989, the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014. The Framework is split into four (4) Lots:- Lot 1: Outreach Support The service is primarily focussed on delivering personalised 1:1 support both in the family home and enabling children and young people with disabilities to access and use universal services offered to all children and young people. Lot 2: Group Activities The provision of group activities and services that can deliver and meet the needs and requirements of children and young people with a disability. Lot 3: Overnight Stays Away from Home The delivery of overnight Short Breaks delivered at any point in a suitable residential style setting within easy access of children and young people and their parents living in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Lot 4: Other Short Breaks Services / Activities This covers services that cannot be classified as outreach support or group activities under the Framework (in the above Lots). Organisations are permitted to tender for any one (1) or more Lots for which they consider they are suitably qualified and experienced. Organisations shall be aware however that appointment to each Lot will be evaluated separately. Therefore, appointment to one Lot of the Framework will not automatically mean the organisation is appointed to any other Lot for which it submitted a Tender. Framework Agreement Evaluation Criteria: Organisations shall be experienced in providing similar services and shall also be required, as part of their Tender, to complete a Selection Questionnaire containing information about their economic and financial standing, technical capability and other general information. This information will be assessed to establish that the organisation is financially viable and technically capable of undertaking a service of the nature covered by the relevant Lot. Also, as a pre-condition to their Tenders being evaluated, organisations will have to satisfy the mandatory and discretionary grounds for exclusion contained in the Selection Questionnaire. The Authority carries out financial appraisals of all organisations that Tender for the Authority&rsquo;s contracts to ensure that such organisations satisfy the Authority&rsquo;s minimum standards of economic and financial standing. In this instance the Authority has set the following financial threshold for the Contract: For organisations with an annual turnover of &pound;25,000 or less a statement of cashflow forecast for the current year will be required. In addition, a letter will need to be provided from the bank outlining the current cash and credit position of the organisation. All organisations with an annual turnover above &pound;25,000 will be financially assessed as described in Appendix 3: SQ Explanatory Document that forms part of the Invitation to Tender documentation. The Authority retains discretion to exclude any organisation that fails to meet this standard. Subject to satisfying the requirements of the Selection Questionnaire, appointment to each Lot of the Framework shall be based on the most economically advantageous Tenders received from those organisations that submit a Tender for that Lot. Such Tenders shall be evaluated in accordance with the following Evaluation Criteria : &bull; Quality 70%; and &bull; Price 30% A full breakdown of the Evaluation Criteria is contained in the Tender Documents. Award of Call-Off Contracts: Organisations are advised that whilst it is the intention of the Authority to utilise the Framework as the primary source of the services covered by each Lot, the Authority reserves the right to obtain the service from alternative sources should this represent best value. Further, appointment of an organisation to any Lot on the Framework does not guarantee any minimum level of income for the organisation or that the organisation will be awarded any Call-Off Contract during the Framework Period. All Call-Off Contracts shall be awarded in accordance with the procedures detailed in the Tender Documents the Specification and the Conditions of Contract.</p>