Soft Market Testing for Out of Hours Call Centre Re- Procurement

Ealing Council has worked with its partners to deliver quality and value in the context of its long standing outsourced framework for the provision of a high quality and value for money out of hours call handling shared service. High levels of quality are important for the current users of the framework and will be equally important for any potential new joiners. The Council would like to explore with suppliers the following aspects of this significant and imminent procurement:- Affordability thresholds Technical Innovation Procurement route Contract structure o Risk partition Performance monitoring and enhancement Optimal contract term Expansion of client base Expansion of the service base o Potential day time service Technology renewal with time Mobilisation and service set up o How much time do you need to mobilise?

The current framework is hosted by the London Borough of Ealing and is used by Ealing, Barnet, Tower Hamlets, Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey, Havering, Enfield and Waltham Forest Councils and Peabody Housing, Wandle Housing, and Homes for Haringey. These bodies are the “Participating Organisations”. As the Participating Organisations come to the end of a successful period of 6 years of working together they are looking to renew the arrangement and to offer the opportunity for other public bodies to join it. In order to maximise the efficiency of the arrangement the new supplier may be required to undertake integration of the call centre service with the back office function of each individual Participating Organisation.