Employment Training and Support Service Soft Market Testing: 12 July - 9 August 2011

MENTAL HEALTH - EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICE

Soft Market Testing Briefing Document

Potential tendering of services in 2011/12:

  1. Introduction

1.1.The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (‘the Council’) currently has contracts with two separate specialist providers of mental health employment training and support services. Both these contracts offer added value by way of a number of distinctive,and possibly unique features,and have enjoyed consistently high service user satisfaction during their contract terms to date. These contracts are both due to expire in April 2012.

1.2The purpose of this soft market testing exercise is to determine whether there is sufficient interest and the availability ofcompetitive alternatives in the market place in order to carry out a successful tendering exercise, and if so the most appropriate procurement route to secure best value.

1.3In the event of low interest and/or the lack of competitive alternatives in the marketplace however the Royal Borough will renegotiate the existing contracts for a further contract term.

  1. Participating in the soft market testing

2.1Information about the current contracts for these services is provided in Appendix A.

2.2The Council invites Service Providers to reviewthe information provided and consider whether they would be able to offer the same or a similar level of service to the Council.

2.3Interested Providers are invited to complete the questionnaire at Appendix Band return this to the Council, to be received no later than:

Tuesday 9 August 2011

2.4Completed Questionnaires should be sent by email to:

Or by postal address, for the attention of Claire Luu, Contracts Business Manager, at:

Room 356

HHASC Contracts Team

The Town Hall

Hornton Street

London

W8 7NX

  1. Non-obligation

3.1The publication of this soft market testing exercise is without obligation and in no way commits the Council to carrying out any future procurement exercise.

3.2Participation in this market testing exercise by any interested Provider is likewise without obligation and in no way commits the participant to submit a tender to the Council in any future procurement exercise that the Council may conduct.

3.3So far as is permissible by law, both the publication and any participation in this market testing exercise shall be without the creation of any future obligation on either party as a result.

  1. Queries

4.1 If you have any queries in relation to this questionnaire please contact: Claire Luu, by email at or telephone on 0207 3612611.

  1. Confidentiality and Freedom of Information

5.1The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the ‘FoIA’) came wholly into force in January 2005. Under this Act, the public may make requests for information from the Council. In particular, the Council is required to form an independent judgment concerning whether the information is exempt from disclosure under the FoIA and whether the public interest favours disclosure or not.

5.2Whilst the Council cannot guarantee the confidentiality of all information provided, it is the Council’s intention to maintain the confidentiality of any commercially sensitive information provided as part of this market testing exercise. To assist the Council in meeting this commitment interested Providers are kindly requested to:

  1. Clearly identify information which is commercially sensitive; and
  1. Explain the potential implications of disclosure of such information; and
  1. Provide an estimate of the period of time during which the information will remain commercially sensitive.