Agreement for the Provision of Community Welfare Advice Services in Northumberland

Tender description

The Council intends to enter into a contract with Citizens Advice Northumberland to provide free advice to people across the County of Northumberland on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) debt, employment, consumer rights and housing. The service will contribute to preventing and reducing the problems faced by people living or working in Northumberland, including people who are homeless, that can be influenced by advice services. The Service will be delivered from Citizen Advice Northumberland’s existing county wide office / outreach provision, in areas and venues where it can have the widest reach and most impact, with particular attention to communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation Lot 1: The award of this contract is being made under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii). The Council intends to award a contract, subject to a 10-day standstill period, without prior publication of a contract notice. In compliance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015, all awards of contracts that are subject to UK Procurement Directives are subject to a mandatory “standstill” period of at least 10 days. A Contract cannot be entered into with the preferred provider until at least the eleventh calendar day following notification. The standstill period is expected to end at midnight at the end of 15th August 2022. If steps are taken during this period to suggest that there may be a formal legal challenge to this award, or the Council determines an issue/concern with the process or preferred submission, then the contract award may be suspended until the matter is resolved (or not concluded if the matter cannot be resolved). Subject to no legal challenge being received, the Council intends to execute the Contract at the conclusion of the standstill period on Tuesday 9th August 2022. A contract will be entered into with Citizens Advice, Northumberland for a period of three years starting 1st October 2022 and ending on 30th September 2024. There will be an optional extension available for a further 18 months. A copy of the contract is available at the following link: https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/w-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnorthumberland365.sharepoint.com%2F%3Aw%3A%2Fs%2FStaffPortal%2FEbPf9U6odylOlm1-AxpPCgYBgCURZwMTms2Dxm-qw6H7JQ%3Fe%3DyNSqUh&data=05%7C01%7CDaniel.Warnock%40northumberland.gov.uk%7Ca55ba88cd9184d880b1408da75833534%7Cbb13a9de829042f0a980dc3bdfe70f40%7C0%7C0%7C637951503630349081%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nvapRZfNp1HuhP24z0XxFKH34ao6CWD0gHkB%2FoKz%2BsI%3D&reserved=0