HMRC: GB-Salford-Digitising White Mail

UK-Salford: Scanning services.

Section I: Contracting Authority
   I.1)Name, Addresses and Contact Point(s):
      HM Revenue & Customs
      5th Floor West Ralli Quays, 3 Stanley Street, Salford, M60 9LA, United Kingdom
      Tel. +44 1702366965, Email: e.procurement@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk, URL: www.hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
      Contact: Richard Dempsey, Attn: Richard Dempsey

      Further information can be obtained at: As Above       
      Specifications and additional documents: As Above       
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: ANNEX A.III
            
   
   I.2)Type of the contracting authority:
      Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions

   I.3) Main activity:
      Other: Tax

   I.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities:
      The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: No

Section II: Object Of The Contract: SERVICES
   II.1)Description
      II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority: GB-Salford-Digitising White Mail
      II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance: SERVICES         
         Service Category: 27

         Region Codes: UK - UNITED KINGDOM         
      II.1.3) Information about a public contract, a framework or a dynamic purchasing system:The notice involves a public contract                                                       
      
      II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase:
      Scanning services. HMRC is a key delivery department for Government. It plays a vital role in helping to reduce the deficit through maximising the collection of taxes due in order to fund the UK’s public services. We also help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

HMRC is a large and complex business. Its customers span nearly every UK citizen and business. In 2010-11 we collected over £400 billion in tax and paid out over £40 billion in benefits and credits.

HMRC’s objectives are to maximise revenues, improve customer experience and reduce costs in a sustainable way. Our strategy is based on understanding our customers, so we can deliver services tailored to their needs and positively influence their behaviour. HMRC’s digital strategy will help us meet our objectives and specifically states:

“The drive to Digital by Default will significantly reduce the volume of paper coming in to HMRC but, as dealing with HMRC by digital will not be mandatory for many of our customers, paper will never entirely disappear. An HMRC digitisation solution would take the vast majority of the remainder of paper mail being received within HMRC, open it in one place, scan it to capture a digital image of that paper, store that image in a digital library and move a copy of that image through a workflow solution. This service would be scaleable to the rest of HMRC, and would ensure that customers who are digitally excluded will not be also excluded from some of the benefits of digital (for example, there would be a significantly reduced risk of data loss, with paper no longer flowing from Regional Post Rooms, to back office post rooms, to teams, to storage).”

There remain large volumes of correspondence that are still received by paper from our customers, circa 20m mail items across HMRC.

HMRC is undertaking a programme to transform how we deal with our customers via our paper channels, ensuring we reduce post handling costs, be more flexible to meet demand and see more cases resolved at first contact, therefore reducing rework. To support this HMRC wants to:

create a digital copy of customer correspondence (including forms) ensuring we capture key information to identify who the customer is (such as a national insurance number or the self assessment unique tax payer reference) and what their correspondence is about (e.g. whether it is a form or a letter requesting a refund);
securely store the digital copy of the customer correspondence in a digital library enabling our staff to retrieve a digital image of the correspondence; and
create electronic workflow based on the type of digital correspondence so we can flexibly deploy work anywhere across our network of offices for processing.

What we are looking for

Digital White Mail Service

This service must initially be delivered to parts of the organisation that deal with an individual’s tax affairs (Personal Tax) but following its successful implementation it is the Department's intent to make the service available to the remainder of HMRC.

This would include:

Preparing post for scanning and exception handling (handing to HMRC the items not suitable for scanning).
Scanning and image creation of paper forms, tax returns, associated supplementary pages and customer correspondence.
Classifying each document based on what type of correspondence or tax return it is.
Secure storage of scanned documents for a limited period before secure destruction by HMRC’s 3rd party provider.
         
      II.1.6)Common Procurement Vocabulary:
         79999100 - Scanning services.
         

      II.1.7) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA):
         The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): Not Provided      
      II.1.8)Lots:
         This contract is divided into lots: No
      II.1.9)Information about variants:
         Variants will be accepted: No    
   
   II.2)Quantity Or Scope Of The Contract
      II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
      Not Provided                  
         Estimated value excluding VAT:
         Range between: 10,000,000 and 18,000,000
         Currency: GBP
               
      
      II.2.2)Options: Yes
         If yes, description of these options: There will be an option to extend the initial contract term up to a maximum of 2 years.                   
         II.2.3)Information about renewals:
            This contract is subject to renewal: Not Provided         
   II.3)Duration Of The Contract Or Time-Limit For Completion      
         Duration in months: 36 (from the award of the contract)

   Information About Lots
               
Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
   III.1)Conditions relating to the contract
      III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:
      Not Provided
      
      III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
      HMRC operates an Enterprise Resource Planning (electronic trading/ordering) system and has a Purchase Order Mandatory Policy. Successful tenderers will be required to provide information so that they can be adopted onto the system. Payment will be made by BACS within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.
      
      III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
      Joint and several liability. No special legal form is required, but each supplier will be required to become jointly and severally liable for the contract before acceptance.
      
      III.1.4)Other particular conditions:
         The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions:Yes       
      If Yes, description of particular conditions:
      Any contract or framework agreement awarded will be subject to the Authority's Conditions of Contract.      
   III.2)Conditions For Participation
      III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers:

      As stated in Section VI.3, HMRC is using an e-sourcing (eTendering) tool or application for this procurement. In order for Tenderers to progress to the e-auction stage they must first have demonstrated that they have the necessary personal standing and are eligible and suitable to be awarded a public contract. Tenderers will therefore be required to provide a statement within an online “selection questionnaire” as to whether any of the circumstances (relating to mandatory and discretionary grounds for exclusion) described in Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 apply. Revenue compliance will be considered and checks will be undertaken throughout the tendering exercise, using, as applicable, information from HMRC’s own records. UK applicants will be required to provide their tax reference numbers: i.e. Value Added Tax registration number, PAYE collection reference and Corporation Tax or Self-Assessment reference, as applicable. Overseas or non-UK Tenderers will be required to submit a certificate of tax compliance obtained from the country in which they are resident for tax purposes. If a company is a subsidiary, a member of a group or a consortium, the above details may also be required in respect of the parent company, other group members or each consortium member as appropriate. Information may also be required in respect of sub-contractors who will prospectively be performing core or major elements of the requirement.      
      III.2.2)Economic and financial capacity
         Economic and financial capacity - means of proof required:         
         
         Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:
         As stated in Section VI.3, HMRC is using an e-sourcing (eTendering) tool or application for this procurement. In order for Tenderers to progress to the e-auction stage they must first have demonstrated via an online “selection questionnaire” that they have the necessary economic or financial capacity to perform the contract. Actual requirements will vary depending on the particular requirement or contractual opportunity, but, as a minimum, the questionnaire will request the following information: 1) audited accounts (to include balance sheet and statement of profit and loss) and/or similar financial statements or information; 2) statement of turnover in respect of the required goods and/or service only; and 3) details of Public Liability and Employers Liability Insurance (as applicable) and other relevant insurances. If a company is a subsidiary, a member of a group or a consortium, the above details may also be required in respect of the parent company, other group members or each consortium member as appropriate.
      
      III.2.3)Technical capacity
         Technical capacity - means of proof required         
         
         Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:
         As stated in Section VI.3, HMRC is using an e-sourcing (eTendering) tool or application for this procurement. In order for Tenderers to progress to the e-auction stage they must first demonstrate via an online “selection questionnaire” that they have the necessary technical capacity to perform the contract. Actual requirements will vary depending on the particular requirement or contractual opportunity, but, as a minimum, the questionnaire will request the following information: 1) details of the principal business areas(s) in which the company is engaged and its structure, site locations and facilities; 2) evidence of previous relevant experience in the last 3 years, demonstrating capacity and ability to provide the required goods and/or services, inclusive of dates, size/value of contract and customer address/contact names for reference purposes; 3) details of quality systems in place, including (if applicable) details and copy certification relating to formal accreditation held, such as BS, ISO or equivalent; 4) information relating to compliance with Health & Safety, Equalities and Environmental legislation; and 5) a list of professional associations or trade bodies to which the organisation or individuals in the organisation belong. If a company is a subsidiary, a member of a group or a consortium, the above details may also be required in respect of the parent company, other group members or each consortium member as appropriate.         
         Minimum Level(s) of standards possibly required:
         A full statement of mandatory requirements for the Digitising Inbound Customer Correspondence project will be attached to the e-sourcing event. Suppliers wishing to take part in the tender exercise must be aware that in order for their tender to be fully considered they must be able to fulfill ALL of the requirements listed in the Requirements Catalogue.

Tenderers must be able to immediately deliver a solution which will have the capacity to receive, prepare and digitalise approximately 20 million items of post across HMRC

Tenderers must provide a minimum of two contracts from either or both the public or private sector, that are relevant to the Authority's requirement. References will be sought for those short listed suppliers. Contracts for the supply of goods or services should have been performed during the past three years. The minimum standard for reliability having regard to past performance is that HMRC is satisfied that the details provided have been satisfactorily performed in accordance with their terms or, where that has not occurred, the reason or reasons why that has not occurred in relation to any such contract, will not recur in the performance of the contract to be awarded. HMRC will assess whether or not this minimum standard is met at the selection stage.

The service will have a Security Impact Level (IL3) and potential bidders must demonstrate that they are able to provide accredited services to this level, comply with the Cabinet Office Security Policy Framework and have a Security Management Process that is equivalent to or accredited to ISO 27001.      
      III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts: Not Provided   
   III.3)Conditions Specific To Service Contracts
      III.3.1)Information about a particular profession:
         Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: Not Provided      
      III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service:
         Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: Not Provided
Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1)Type Of Procedure
      IV.1.1)Type of procedure: Open
   
   IV.2)Award Criteria
      IV.2.1)Award criteria:      
         Lowest price

      IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction:
         An electronic auction will be used: Yes       
            If yes, additional information about electronic auction
            Following evaluation of the Selection Questionnaires an electronic auction will be held to determine the lowest price.

   IV.3)Administrative Information
      IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority: TE-2013-Digitisng White Mail-RfQ      
      IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract: Yes
         Prior information notice
            Notice number in OJEU: 2013/S 58 - 95774 of 22/03/2013
               
         Other previous publications: No                

      IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document:


         Not Provided      
      
      IV.3.4)Time-limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
         Date: 24/11/2013
         Time: 23:59      
      IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up:         English
         
      IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
         Duration in month(s): 4
      
      IV.3.8)Conditions for opening tenders
         Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: Yes
            HMRC will be using an e-sourcing (e-tendering) tool/application for this procurement. This prevents any information provided by the applicant or tenderer from being viewed by the Authority until the e-sourcing event is closed. The e-sourcing (e-tendering) application will display the closing date and time for this particular tendering exercise within the event. The close time will be the earliest point at which the HMRC nominated or a tender defined evaluation team member will be able to open and view the tender responses. Therefore, the opening time for tenders will coincide with the close date and time for the event and all tenders will become visible to the HMRC nominated or event defined tender evaluation team in any place that provides access to the e-sourcing tool/application at that time.


Section VI: Complementary Information

   VI.1)This Is A Recurrent Procurement: No
   VI.2)Information about European Union funds:
      The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No       
   VI.3)Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement, and the contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender.HMRC is conducting this tendering exercise under the OJEU Open procedure and is using an eSourcing (eTendering) tool or application. ((Information about the e-Sourcing application, and about supplying to HMRC in general, is available on the HMRC website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/supplying.htm.) Economic operators who require access to the online tender documentation must send an email to e.procurement@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk any time up to, but no later than 17.00pm on 12/11/2013. This email should contain (a) the contract reference shown in Section IV.3.1 (File Reference), (b) a contact email address; (c) a contact name; and (d) the company name and contact telephone number. Economic operators who have complied with the foregoing will receive details of how to access the online Tender documentation. (If an email response from HMRC is not received within one working day of your request, re-contact e.procurement@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk (after first checking your spam in-box) notifying non-receipt and confirming when the request was first made). Online Tender documentation must be fully completed (and any requested associated hard-copy documents received by HMRC) no later than (00.00) on (Date). Tender documentation not submitted in the required form (or containing the requested information) may be rejected. (When requesting access to the online Tender documentation, please notify the Authority if you have any accessibility issues (disabilities) which may prevent you from providing a high quality response using the eSourcing application. This will then allow HMRC to agree with you an appropriate format for you to view and respond to the requirements). All communications shall be in English. Tenders, when invited, and all supporting documentation must be priced in Sterling and all payments under the contract will be in Sterling. Any contract or agreement resulting from the Invitation to Tender will be considered as a contract made in England according to English Law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. The Awarding Authority does not bind itself to accept any tender and reserves the right to accept any part of the tender unless the tenderer expressly stipulates to the contrary.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=77863931
GO-20131030-PRO-5232713 TKR-20131030-PRO-5232712
   
   VI.4)Procedures For Appeal
      VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures:
      HMRC
      5W Ralli Quays, Manchester, M60 9LA, United Kingdom

      Body responsible for mediation procedures:
               HMRC
         5W Ralli Quays, Manchester, M60 9LA, United Kingdom

      VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals: Not Provided   
   
      VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
            Not Provided

   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 30/10/2013

ANNEX A
   
   III) Addresses and contact points to which tenders/requests to participate must be sent:
      HM Revenue & Customs
      Ralli Quays, 3 Stanley Street, Salford, M60 9LA, United Kingdom
      Email: e.procurement@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk