Administration services

Tender description

Reading Borough Council wish to invite tenders from suitable companies (partners) for the delivery of services related to the collection of Council Tax, business rates, administration of housing benefits and assessment of financial benefits for adult social care and associated activities. Reading Borough Council is a Unitary Council in Berkshire serving a population of more than 160 000 people. Further information on the profile of Reading Borough can be found at http://www.reading.gov.uk/borough-profile Reading Borough Council continues to face pressure on budgets with significant further reductions to be made over the next 3 years. The Council has already made savings in the corporate resources function (which includes administration of housing benefits, Council Tax Support, collection of Council Tax, business rates and business improvement districts) but further savings and additional income targets are required. In February 2018, the Council approved a decision to undertake a commercialisation exercise to drive improvement, reduce cost and transform service delivery in the areas responsible for the collection of: — Council Tax, — business rates, — business improvement districts, — administration of housing benefits, — Council Tax Support, — Council Tax Support, — FAB and customer contact functions. As a result, the Council is now undertaking a public procurement to identify a partner to work with the Council. The primary outcome of this procurement exercise is to identify a partner to help the Council deliver the scope of services defined in this document at a lower cost, whilst working to simultaneously drive performance, improve quality and customer service and increase accuracy of the service. The Council recognises the competing nature of these objectives but believes they are achievable. Lot 1 includes all services except the financial assessment and benefits service for adult social care clients. Lot 2 is the financial assessments and benefits service for adult social care clients