Flexible Employee Benefits, Personal Vehicle Leasing & Financial Wellbeing 2022

Location

Edgbaston

Description

HealthTrust Europe established a framework agreement for the supply of services allowing access to a wide range of employee benefits with particular focus on those that can be accessed through salary sacrifice, which can be used by employers for the NHS, registered charities, wider public sector, and additional bodies as detailed within the Contract Notice to enhance their offering to employees within wider staff retention strategies. The scope of this framework agreement includes the provision of a comprehensive range of flexible employment benefits including salary sacrifice schemes either as a managed service solution under Lot 1a, or as a suite of specific employee benefit schemes (one or more employment benefits) under Lot 1b. The framework also includes the provision of a salary sacrifice scheme for Personal Vehicle Leasing (with access to environmentally friendly vehicle options such as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) under Lot 2 and Financial Wellbeing schemes, services, and solutions under Lot 3.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 79631000 - Personnel and payroll services

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

This modification is made in reliance on Regulation 72(1)(e) (non substantial modification) and Regulation 72(1)(c) (modification due to unforeseen circumstances) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The modification consists solely of a further extension of the existing framework agreement for a period of 6 months. The extension does not alter the overall nature of the framework, the scope of services, the commercial structure, or the contractual terms and conditions applicable to suppliers. There is no material change to the economic balance of the framework in favour of suppliers, nor any expansion of scope or value beyond that originally established. The modification therefore constitutes a non substantial modification within the meaning of Regulation 72(1)(e). The further extension is required as a consequence of unforeseen operational and market circumstances which could not reasonably have been anticipated at the time the framework was originally established. In particular, the extension is necessary to ensure continuity and stability of supply while the renewal procurement for the framework is being completed. Without a further 6 month extension, contracting authorities would face a material risk of disruption to ongoing procurement activity and a lack of readily available compliant procurement routes during the transition to the renewed framework. A change of contractor, or the cessation of the framework without a further short extension, would result in significant inconvenience and duplication of cost. Contracting authorities would be required to implement alternative interim arrangements, increasing administrative burden and cost and potentially impacting service continuity. Suppliers would similarly incur avoidable costs and inefficiencies, with a risk of market distortion arising from fragmented or stop gap procurement activity. The further extension is therefore necessary and proportionate to ensure continuity, stability, and compliance for contracting authorities while the renewal framework is finalised and maintains supplier access to the market on unchanged terms and conditions. The extension is limited to 6 months, confers no new commercial advantage, introduces no new suppliers, and does not circumvent or distort competition. Accordingly, the modification is justified under Regulation 72(1)(e) and Regulation 72(1)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and has been published transparently by way of this modification notice.