Banking services

Tender description

The Authority wishes to establish a contract for the provision of Banking Services and Merchant Acquiring Services. The Merchant acquiring services required is the facility for card payments, which allows users of the Council and/or the ALEOs services to pay charges with a range of payment cards, including: Maestro; Visa Debit/Electron; MasterCard/Visa Credit cards; and various Commercial and other Business Credit cards available from card issuing banks. The Merchant Acquirer must facilitate an electronic card acquiring solution that enables such payments to be made by the following methods: Swipe; Chip and Pin; Cardholder not present; Internet; and Touch Tone Payments (Automated Phone). The potential providers should be able to demonstrate relative experience with Local Authorities or organisation with similar profile for the aforementioned requirements. The Authority requires a range of general banking services including, but not limited to: Bank account facilities/Access to branch network; Direct Debit payment system e.g. BACS; Cashing/opening credit facilities; and Internet banking. Other notable Requirements: The suite of bank accounts required by the Authority are required to be located within the same branch of a potential providers banking service, that is, unless the potential provider can otherwise demonstrate to the Authority advantages for using different branches for various and/or specific accounts. The Authority will specify Authorised Signatories who may instruct the Banking Services Provider. The potential provider must have controls in place to support this. The Authority will require assistance by telephone and/or e-mail with general banking queries or issues. An SLA will be required to govern this. The Authority requires BACS (Bankers Automated Credit Services) credit facility for paying its creditors, and payroll costs. A facility of around 30 000 000 GBP is required. The Authority requires an overdraft facility The Authority requires an intra-day (settlement risk) of around 20 000 000 GBP for the initiation of CHAPS/Faster payments. The potential providers should be able to demonstrate relative experience with Local Authorities for the aforementioned requirements.