Health services

Tender description

Hertfordshire County Council (the “Council”) is carrying out Pre-Procurement Market Engagement (“PPME”) in relation to people with sensory needs. The Council will consider the feedback received to help inform the Council’s options and further decision making. For the avoidance of doubt, this stage of the project is not part of a formal procurement process and the Council is not committing, at this stage, to carrying out such a process. Participation or non-participation in the PPME shall not prevent any supplier participating in a potential future procurement, nor is it intended that any information supplied as part of the PPME shall place any supplier at an advantage in a potential procurement process. Participation in the PPME will be at each organisation’s own cost. No expense in responding to this PPME will be reimbursed by the Council. Hertfordshire County Council (the "Council") is carrying out Pre-Procurement Market Engagement ("PPME") in relation to the provision of sensory needs. The Council, in partnership with East North Herts CCG and Herts Valley CCG commission a number of services that support people who have a sensory need. The services range from provision of information and advice, home visiting and befriending from their volunteers; providing hearing aid maintenance and demonstrating equipment. These contracts expire in March 2019. The Council has a dedicated County-wide Sensory Services whose focus is on enabling individuals (children and adults) with visual impairment, deaf/ hard of hearing and dual sensory loss to achieve independence. Sensory Services undertakes statutory duties including carrying out assessment of needs, supporting mainly complex cases of sensory loss where statutory support or equipment is required. The team also provides rehabilitation, registration of sight loss, equipment and training. The purpose of the Council’s pre-procurement market engagement process is to allow and enable, potentially interested organisations with appropriate expertise and relevant experience to: — Outline and generate initial views/ideas around the outcomes, scope and the potential procurement strategy (i.e. with no commitment to themselves or the Council). — Engage with the Council to understand its challenges, intentions and desired Outcomes. — Provide informal input to help shape the Council’s technical requirements. — Inform the Council of current market developments. — Enable the Council to understand how the Current Requirements could be shaped and [satisfied/met/delivered]. — Explain potential solutions available to the Council. — Gage market capacity for a procurement process. This stage of the project allows the Council to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the options available to deliver its outcomes. Furthermore, this process enables organisations to effectively plan for any potential forthcoming procurement. The Council will consider the input and responses received as part of this pre-procurement market engagement to help inform the Council’s options and further decision making.