Tender Ref: UKHCA CS31

Invitation to Tender
Insurance Services

Tender Ref: UKHCA CS31

November 2011

1.Introduction

United Kingdom Homecare Association Ltd (UKHCA) is the professional association of home care providers from the independent, voluntary, not-for-profit and statutory sectors. UKHCA helps organisations that provide social care, which may include nursing services, to people in their own homes, promoting high standards of care and providing representation with national and regional policy-makers and regulators. The Association represents over 1,950 members across the United Kingdom, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The estimated value of gross premiums currently collected is £2.2m this being linked to a commission payable to the Association.

Objective
An insurance offer specifically designed for the activities of nursing and domiciliary care agencies, UK wide, to include provision of day care centres, meals on wheels and supported living facilities (other activities can be considered).

Key covers and features to include:

Employers’ liability
Public liability including medical malpractice and abuse cover
Personal accident
Professional indemnity
Buildings

Legal expenses
Safeguarding
Loss of money
Theft by employee
All risks cover on office contents and computers
Business interruption
Directors’ and officers’ personal liability
Free 24 hour legal helpline for all UKHCA members

The standard package to include employers’ and public liability including medical malpractice, errors and omissions, professional indemnity (with high levels of indemnity to conform to local authority requirements) and legal expenses for employment disputes.

Optional covers to be arranged including material damage with business interruption, professional indemnity for consultancy work and directors’ and officers’ insurance.

Policy features to be clearly stated and defined. For example there is a clear definition that identifies exactly which categories of abuse are covered (e.g. mental anguish). The development of an insurance package aimed at Personal Assistants (PA’s) will be a distinct advantage.

3.Duration

UKHCA invites tenders from suitably experienced insurance brokers of social care provision for the delivery of insurance brokerage services and relevant appropriate insurance premia for a period of three (3) years with an option of a further two (2) years at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, and based on satisfactory performance. The anticipated start date is May 2012

4.Contact details

For further information or clarification please contact Peter Randall, Corporate Services Director, telephone 020 8288 1335 or email

5.Deadline

The deadline for responses to this tender is noon on 6th January 2012. The tender reference should be clearly identifiable on all correspondence (including envelopes and emails) to ensure no tenders are opened prior to the deadline and should be sent to:

By Post / Electronically
United Kingdom Homecare Association
Group House, 2nd Floor
52 Sutton Court Road
Sutton
Surrey
SM1 4SL
Attn: Peter Randall / Peter Randall

6.Assessment of Tenders

Tenders will be scored on the following basis:

Brokerage charge25%
Evidence of experience with social care15%
Service response time15%
Claims procedure15%
Flexibility/clarity of insurance package15%
Level of advice and support services10%
Benefits to the Association 5%

Tenders which pass the initial phase will be examined by a sub-committee of Board members. Senior representatives of successful companies will be invited to give a presentation of their proposal early January 2012. Once appointed the organisation will be given a preferred partner status.

To be completed by Supplier

Background Information

Name of organisation
Address for all correspondence
Contact name and position
Telephone number
Fax Number
Email address
Website address
Address of registered office
If a member of a group of companies, please give name and address of parent company
Has the organisation had a contract similar in nature to that being sought in this submission, terminated prematurely in the last 3 years? If yes please provide details

Environment and Quality

Please confirm whether any of the following criteria applies to your organisation / Please Tick
Does your organisation have an Environmental Policy? If yes please give details / Yes
No
Does the organisation have IS014001 accreditation / Yes
No
Does the organisation hold any Quality Assurance Certificates? If yes please give details / Yes
No

8.Conditions of Tendering

8.1 Applicability

In submitting your tender, you do so on the conditions specified or referred to herein, and on the following conditions which shall be paramount, and in the event of breach thereof, the Association shall be entitled to determine any contract made pursuant to such tender and claim damages from you.

8.2Information Provided

The information provided in this ITT has been prepared in good faith by the Association but is provided for guidance only and no warranty is given by the Association as to the accuracy of the information. A Bidder shall be deemed for all purposes connected with the Form of Invitation to Tender and the contract to have satisfied themselves as to the nature, extent and character of the goods and service to be provided

8.3Tendering

8.3.1Bidders must submit complete tenders, providing all the information (including documents and other evidence) requested in this Invitation to Tender and following all the instructions in this Invitation to Tender. Incomplete tenders may be disqualified.

8.3.2Tenders must be submitted by the date and time specified by the Association. The Association may reject any tender which is late or does not fully comply with the stipulated requirements. Circumstances must be exceptional for an extension to be granted to the Tender closing date, in which case the Association will grant an extension to all bidders.

8.3.3Tenders, which must be signed (or sent in the case of e-mail) by an authorised representative of the bidder, must be received by the Association no later than the date and time shown and to the person indicated in the covering letter. The complete tender must be provided in a common electronic format (such as PDF, Word or Excel). The tender must comprise the documents stated in the attached ‘form of tender’ letter.

8.4Tender Validity

Each tender shall remain open for acceptance by the Association for a period of 6 months from the date specified for its return and be capable of introduction by the starting date specified.

8.5Tender Acceptance

8.5.1The Association is not bound to accept the lowest priced tender and reserves the right to accept or award the contract in whole, in part, or not at all.

8.5.2Any contract that arises from this Invitation to Tender shall be based on the condition that the Supplier’s goods or services will meet in all material respects the requirements specified in this ITT, which shall prevail in any conflict of interpretation or inconsistency.

8.6Deed of Guarantee

8.6.1Where appropriate the Association will, at its discretion, request a parent company guarantee.

8.6.2If It is agreed such a document is required to form a contract with the successful bidder, the Guarantor shall not be discharged or released from such a Guarantee by any arrangement made between the successful bidder and the Association without the assent of the Association, or by any alteration in the obligations undertaken by the successful bidder or by any forbearance whether as to payment, time, performance or otherwise.

8.6.3If the successful bidder (unless relieved from the performance by any terms of the said Contract (or of any other them) or by statute or by the decision of a tribunal of competent jurisdiction) shall in respect fail to execute the said Contract (or any of them) or shall commit any breach of any of the Supplier’s obligations thereunder, the Guarantor will upon demand indemnify the Association against all losses, damages, costs and expenses which may be incurred by the Association or by reason of any default on the part of the Supplier in performing and observing the provisions of the said Contract (or of any of them).

8.6.4You are required to state the name and registered address of such a guarantor within the ‘company information questionnaire’ section of this tender document.

8.6.5The successful bidder is not permitted to assign any part of the Contract without the prior written permission of the Association. Any such request will not be unreasonably withheld.

8.7Confidentiality of Tender Documents

All material provided by the Association must be regarded as confidential and only disclosed to a third party to the extent necessary to complete your tender. The Association requires thatall working papers and electronic data must be immediately destroyed by bidders if they are notified they have beenunsuccessful. Any material of a confidential nature submitted by abidder should be clearly marked as such. The Association assures confidentiality except where it is obliged to release information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

8.8Integrity

The Association has a strong belief in propriety and ethics:

8.8.1Your tender shall be a “bona fide” tender and shall not be fixed or adjusted by, or under, or in accordance with any agreements or arrangements with any other person. You shall keep your tender confidential and not divulge to anyone,even approximately, what your tender price is or will be or any of its terms or conditions, with the sole exception of information you may have to give, for example, to your insurance broker, in order to compile your tender. You must stress to them that such information is given in strictest confidence.

8.8.2You shall not enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person that such other person shall refrain from tendering, or between you agree as to the amount of anyother tender submitted, or of its terms and conditions.

8.8.3You shall not try to obtain any information about someoneelse’s tender or proposed tender. You may however, obtain necessary sub-contract quotations.

8.8.4You shall not offer to pay or give, or agree to pay or give, anysum of money or valuable consideration directly to any person for doing, or having done, or causing, or having caused to be done, in relation to the tender any act of a nature described inthe preceding conditions.

8.8.5Neither this ITT northe submission of a tender entitles any bidder to enter the Association premises. If you want to visit the Association to facilitate the preparation of your tender, you must first contact Peter Randall, and adhere to the specific instructions provided by that person.

8.8.6The Association reserves the right at its sole discretion to issue a formal general communication to all bidders drawing their attention to any relevant matter arising during the tender procedure as a result of a request for clarification from any bidder or otherwise amending any part(s) of the tender.

8.9Costs

Under no circumstances whatsoever will the Association be liable for or pay any expenses or costs which may be incurred (whether directly or indirectly) by the bidder in the preparation or submission of their tender proposal unless stated in the tender specification.

8.10Decision not to tender

8.10.1If a potential bidder elects not to submit a tender then that bidder is requested to destroy all tender documentation and confirm in writing that it does not wish to submit a tender proposal and has not retained or copied any of the documentation.

8.10.2Any qualification to this offer (made in this ITT) that the bidder wishes to make must be set out in writing but the tender form must NOT be amended in any way. Failure to comply with this provision may prejudice consideration of the tender.

8.11Amendment of Tender

8.11.1If a bidder finds it necessary to make an amendment after submitting a tender but before the tender closing date, the envelope must be addressed ‘Tender for Insurance Services (AMENDMENT)’ and sent to the address listed above to arrive by the closing date for receipt of tenders.

8.11.2 No amendments to the Tender will be permitted after the tender closing date unless requested by the Association.

8.12Variant Bids

The bidders may provide variant bids. These must be accompanied by a new ‘Form of Tender’‘submitted marked, ‘Variant Bid’. For each variant bid the bidder must submit a complete and separate bid.

8.13Terms & Conditions

8.13.1The Association’s Conditions of Contract shall apply to a contract or contracts arising from this ITT.

8.13.2 The Association is prepared to contract with the preferred bidder on its conditions of contract on the conditions that (1) the requirements, terms and conditions in this ITT take precedence over all other terms and conditions, and (2) that an acceptable version of contract conditions can be agreed. If an acceptable version cannot be agreed, the Association shall have the right to terminate discussions with the preferred bidder and declare the next placed bidder as the new preferred bidder, and so on.

8.14General

8.14.1The Association welcomes innovation from bidders that will cut whole life cycle cost or improve efficiency or provide enhanced benefits to UKHCA and/or its members. Any such proposal should be clearly indicated in the appropriate part of the tender. If the proposal is significantly different from the standard tender, the bidder should consider submitting a separate and additional tender under the process described as ‘Variant Bids’.

8.14.2Bidders should demonstrate their capability to address the whole package of requirements in their responses. However, the Association may let a contract for only some of the requirement if in its economic interests.

8.14.3Any aspects of your proposal which are essential to the delivery of the service will be incorporated into the specification.

Tender Document

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS or typescript.

Company Details
Full Name:
Full Address:
Post Code:
Telephone No:
Fax No:
E-mail:
Date your company was formed:
Type of company:
Other (Please specify):
Who are your major customers? May we seek references?
Business Activities
1. / Describe briefly the basic range of policies supplied by your company:
2. / Please describe additional policies that may be of interest and how these supplement the basic product:
3. / Give brief details of claim experiences:
4. / Give brief details of the disciplines in which your company specialises:
5. / How would you provide support to the Association?
6. / What are your expectations from the Association?
7. / Does your organisation have a nationally recognised quality monitoring system in place? If so, please provide details:
Experience
1. / Which other associations have you supplied goods/services to, and when?
2. / What has been your involvement with social care?
Signed for the Company:
Name (Block capitals):
Position:
Date: