Banking services

Tender description

Flintshire County Council maintains two principal banking accounts which are used for the following purposes. — Payments Account – used for outgoing payments made by Flintshire County Council, e.g. creditor cheques, CHAPS, BACS, direct debits, standing order payments, commission charges and interest payable, — Income Account – used for receipt of cash and cheques and electronic transfers made to Flintshire County Council, e.g. bank giro credits, standing orders, CHAPS, BACS, faster payments and unpaid direct debits and cheques. 1) Bank Accounts – The Authority Flintshire County Council maintains two principal banking accounts which are used for the following purposes. — Payments Account – used for outgoing payments made by Flintshire County Council, e.g. creditor cheques, CHAPS, BACS, direct debits, standing order payments, commission charges and interest payable, — Income Account – used for receipt of cash and cheques and electronic transfers made to Flintshire County Council, e.g. bank giro credits, standing orders, CHAPS, BACS, faster payments and unpaid direct debits and cheques. The value of transactions on both the main accounts excluding inter account transfers for 2017/18 was 935 000 000 GBP. In addition to the main accounts, Flintshire County Council operates approximately 140 other official accounts (mainly imprest/petty cash accounts for various Council establishments). The balances on the other official accounts total approximately 80 000 GBP. The Council is also responsible for the administration of the Clwyd Pension Fund which also has two main bank accounts. Accounts may be closed and new accounts may be opened from time to time. The Supplier will ensure that appropriate internal procedures are in place for maintaining / updating account signatories/mandates. 2) Bank Accounts – General (a) The Council uses the following payment methods: — BACS, — Cheques, — CHAPS, — Direct debit, — Business/credit cards, — International Payments, — Faster Payments. (b) Cheques are reconciled by a weekly data link from the bank to the Council. (c) The Authority allows the following methods of electronic income collection: — Direct debit, — Standing order, — CHAPS, — Credit and debit cards, — International Payments, — Faster Payments. (d) Cash banking facilities (via Flintshire County Council’s security company) will be required. Cash and cheques are collected by a security firm from 13 establishments across the authority and processed through the Bank’s cash processing centre. Other Council establishments’ bank using a paying in slip at the nearest branch of the County’s bankers or another bank where a branch is not in the vicinity. (e) Flintshire County Council requires an electronic banking facility providing the following functions: — Comprehensive real time balance and transaction data, — Electronic money transmission such as CHAPS, — Reconciliation data on the accounts mentioned at (a) which can be downloaded to Flintshire County Council’s accounting systems. This software should be an internet based solution. (f) The Council accepts automated telephone payments and payments over the internet on a 24 hour basis. (g) The Council also operates an account with Santander for the receipt of income from various Post Office Counters throughout the County. Monies are transferred to the County’s account on a daily basis and it is expected that this facility will continue to be available. (h) The tenderer must provide facilities to monitor the usage of the other official accounts and operate procedures to ensure that no official account is opened or existing arrangements revised unless authorised by a signatory on the main bank accounts.