Smart cards

Tender description

This Contract Notice relates to the following services contract, namely: — best start food to provide a pre-paid card solution to enable payments to eligible recipients from 30.11.2018 to 28.5.2021 with the option of 1 x 12 month extension. Scottish Government (SG) is seeking to deliver a smartcard/digital payment card solution that will enable the distribution of monetary benefits to support the purchase of healthy foods for low income families. The power to deliver this scheme has been devolved to Scotland through the Scotland Act (2016) and the scheme is being integrated with the delivery of wider social security benefits also being devolved. Currently, UK Government and Department of Health administer Healthy Start Vouchers to low-income pregnant women and families with children up to the age of four to receive paper vouchers up to the value of 3,10 GBP per week. In the child’s first year of life 2 paper vouchers per week are issued. The vouchers can be used to purchase plain cow’s milk, infant formula milk, plain fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables from supermarkets and grocers who have registered to accept them. SG will make a number of changes to the existing scheme and, in particular, is looking to move away from the paper voucher currently in place by introducing a more widely accepted smartcard/digital payment card solution. This change is expected to improve the customer experience by increasing flexibility of use and removing the stigma associated with paper vouchers, while significantly reducing the administrative burden on both retailers and the Scottish Government. Requirements: It is expected that the card will remain the property of Scottish Government and that the supplier will be able to provide a solution that meets the requirements outlined below, but recognise that the list below is not exclusive or exhaustive at this stage. Card design and functionality: — a PIN secured payment card using widely accepted technology to ensure as wide a range of retailers as possible can accept these, — the card must be free at the point of use for end users, — the card must be blocked for use within non-food category retailers, for example off-licences, tobacconists, vaping outlets, clothing shops etc. In addition, the card should, where possible, be blocked for use at tobacco and alcohol kiosks within larger grocery stores, — the ability to have a bespoke card design on both sides, including relevant branding and specific information about what the card can be used to purchase. Volumes: — the issue of circa 23 000 cards to existing recipients in a phased manner (3-6 month period), — the issue of around 5 000 cards per year to new applicants, — transfer of circa 442 000 GBP total value per month between 23 000 individual cards. Customer service and administration: — the ability for users to check the card balance at an ATM and through an online portal (which can be linked to through SG/Social Security Agency websites), — the ability to put a ‘stop’ on lost or stolen cards, issue a replacement card and transfer any remaining balance to the new card, — a dedicated free helpline to report lost or stolen cards (this is expected to be around 750 lost/stolen cards per year) and/or problems with use, which can transfer calls to the social security agency (if the query relates to eligibility, value received onto card or applications). As a minimum, the help-line should be open between 9:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday excepting Bank Holidays. Tenderers may wish to provide an automated service outside these hours, — notification system for monthly payments (i.e. sending a text message to recipients confirm the amount being loaded every month), — a system to identify cards that have been unused for a period of 3 months and notify the social security agency of this in order for action to be taken (customer contact and/or putting a stop to new payments). Data and security: — a secure system to store necessary recipient data and accept monthly data transfer from the Social Security Agency on amounts to be transferred onto individual cards contract duration. Contract duration: — 30 months plus up to a maximum of 12 month extension.