Fair Start Scotland contract details: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


FOI reference: FOI/17/02882
Date received: 23 November 2017
Date responded: 13 December 2017

Information requested

Your request:

1. Please can you provide me with a complete cost breakdown of how much funding each successful contractor will receive for their involvement in FSS?

This breakdown should include the amount that each individual bidder will receive, per local authority, rather than the lump sum given to each local authority.

This breakdown should also include the amount that each individual delivery partner/sub contractor will receive, per local authority.

2. Please can you provide me, in detail, the responsibilities of each contractor, sub-contractor/partner in each local authority?

3. Can you also provide detail as to what measurable targets and deliverables are expected of each successful bidder, contractor, and sub-contractor/delivery partner?

4. Please can you also tell me why each contractor, sub-contractor/partner was chosen for each role?

Response

The answer to your question 1 is:

The total value of each Contract awarded to each successful contractor can be found in the Contract Award Notices at V.2.4 of Section V:

Lots 1- 8: (available here)

Lot 9: (available here)

An exemption under section 33(1)(b) of FOISA (commercial interests) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies to the requests for the complete cost breakdown of each successful contractor because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of each successful Contractor. Disclosure of this information would be likely to give the Contractors' competitors an advantage in future similar tendering exercises, which would substantially prejudice the successful Fair Start Scotland Contractors' ability to submit competitive tenders and so could significantly harm their commercial business.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of applying the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of companies which enter into Scottish Government contracts, to ensure that we are always able to obtain the best value for public money.

The answer to your question 2 is:

Fair Start Scotland contracts were awarded across 9 geographical Lots in Scotland. Whilst Lots follow Local Authority boundaries, contracts were awarded at Lot level, and therefore delivery responsibilities do not drill down to individual Local Authority level.

Please see Employment Support 2018 for the make up of the 9 Lots along with details of the lead Service Provider are their intended sub-contractor/ partners.

The answer to your question 3 is:

Lead Service Providers are currently confirming and concluding their own contractual arrangements with sub-contractors/ delivery partners, so currently The Scottish Government only hold information on target deliverables at Lead Service Provider level and not if/how these will be shared by the lead contractor with the wider supply chain/ partners.

Lead Service Providers wil be expected however to ensure delivery across the following Key Performance Indicators:

  • Job Outcomes: Must be for a minimum of 16 hours per week paid at National Minimum Wage, which has lasted 13 weeks in a 16 week period.

  • Sustained Job Outcomes (26 weeks)': Must be for a minimum of 16 hours per week paid at National Minimum Wage. Employment must have lasted 26 weeks out of 30 weeks.

  • Sustained Job Outcomes (52 weeks): Must be for a minimum of 16 hours per week paid at National Minimum Wage. Employment must have lasted 52 weeks out of 60 weeks.

In addition, the Scottish Government expect all Lead Service Providers and their supply chain/ delivery partners to deliver against a series of qualitative Key Delivery Indicators:

1. Start Date and Service Induction: Start/Induction Interview to be completed face to face within 5 Working Days from receipt of the referral.

2. Start Date and Service Induction: For any Participant whose Start/Induction interview is not completed within the 5 Working Days timeline as outlined in Ref.1 above, the Start/Induction Interview must be completed within 10 Working Day from receipt of the referral.

3. Start Date and Service Induction: Service Provider must immediately notify the Participant and JCP in writing of the date and time of their Start Date/Induction Interview after the warm handover process.

4. Start Date and Service Induction: 48 hours prior to the Start Date/Induction Interview a courtesy telephone call to be made by the Service Provider to the Participant to alleviate any Participant concerns.

5. Start Date and Service Induction: At the Induction Interview, the Service Provider must provide each Participant with an Induction Pack.

6. Intervention / Participant Engagement: At every weekly face to face intervention, a Participant personalised Action Plan will be reviewed and updated to reflect progress and agreement of future activities and actions.

7. Intervention / Participant Engagement: Face to face formal monthly review between the Key Worker and the Participant to take place.

8. Segmentation Tool: Segmentation Tool must be completed by Participant prior to start on the Programme.

9. Segmentation Tool: Service strand to be confirmed by end of week 3 commencing from Participant starting on Programme.

10. In Work Support Plan: A detailed In Work Support (IWS) Plan to be agreed with the Participant within 10 Working Days of job start.

11. Procedure for Disengagement by Participant: The Service Provider must contact the Participant within 1 Working Day to establish circumstances surrounding disengagement from being notified by the Participant that they will not continue with the Programme.

12. Procedure for Disengagement by Participant: If the Service Provider is unable to engage the Participant within 5 Working Days of either i) failing to attend service provision they must contact JCP or ii) failing to establish circumstances surrounding disengagement as outlined in 11 above.

13. Participant Programme Exit and Leaver Plan: The Service Provider must produce a detailed Leavers Plan for each Participant returning to JCP, within 10 Working Days of Participant end date.

14. Complaints: The Service Provider must acknowledge receipt of complaints/concerns within 2 Working Days of receipt.

15. Complaints: Service Provider must provide a formal response to Participant within 5 Working Days (copied to the Scottish Government) of the complaint being raised.

16. Specialist Support: Service Provider must facilitate immediate referrals and access to specialist support to address health problems, including professional help to manage mental/physical health conditions and well-being interventions.

The answer to your question 4 is:

The nine contracts were awarded following a rigorous, open and competitive procurement process to ensure we achieve the best possible value for public money. All tenders received were evaluated against a series of Selection and Award criteria which were included in the Scottish Government's Invitation to Tender published via Public Contracts Scotland and the Official Journal of the European

Union on the 9th March 2017. The Award Criteria were based upon a Best Price Quality Ratio of 70/30 in favour of quality.

Following evaluation of all tender received, each successful tenderer was selected on the basis that they and their supply chain represented the most economically advantageous tender for that lot. The only exception to this was for Lot 1: Glasgow, where the Contract was awarded to the Supplier deemed the second most economically advantageous tender. This was due to the Scottish Government applying Lot limiting under Regulation 47 sections 3-5 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 at the award stage. The purposes of lot limiting was to limit the number of Lots any one tenderer could win based upon the share of potential customer volumes. This was to maximise interest in delivery across Scotland and encourage SMEs and integration with local partnerships as part of the supply solution.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Back to top