HCC Jan 2024 - PPME for the Procurement of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Contract

Hertfordshire County Council (the 'Council') is carrying out Pre-Procurement Market Engagement ('PPME') in relation to the Procurement of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Contract.

The Council will consider the feedback received to help inform the Council's options and further decision making. For the avoidance of doubt, this stage of the project is not part of a formal procurement process and the Council is not committing, at this stage, to carrying out such a process.

Participation or non-participation in the PPME shall not prevent any supplier participating in a potential future procurement, nor is it intended that any information supplied as part of the PPME shall place any supplier at an advantage in a potential procurement process.

Participation in the PPME will be at each organisation's own cost. No expense in responding to this PPME will be reimbursed by the Council.

Further details are in the PPME document.

Additional information: To access this opportunity please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : Yes

Hertfordshire County Council currently has a Contract for the provision of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Services. This Contract is due to expire on 31st March 2025 and has been in place since April 2019. The Council also has an Occupational Health (OH) Contract that is also due to end March 2025. This PPME will predominantly explore the EAP market but will also make consideration for re-tender models for OH and EAP should the Council wish to procure together. The purpose of this pre-procurement market engagement is to understand the current EAP market including the developments in this market since the Council last procured and the current market value of the service/s. The Council will be aiming to continue on the current journey of continuous development while offering value for money.The current value of the EAP Contract is an estimated £40,000 per annum based on an average headcount of approx. 9,500. The Contract provides EAP services to Council departments and wholly owned trading companies. To give consideration for future arrangements for the Employee Assistance Programme, with the potential to align this with other wellbeing contracts such as the Occupational Health Contract. This includes the provider/s working together on wellbeing interventions and events and where suitable referring employees within the services to ensure they get the support they require.It is envisaged that the length of the new agreement will be 3 years with the option to extend for a further period of up to 5 years if necessary, start date being 1st April 2025. The successful contractor(s) will need to ensure a smooth handover with the current contractors as per the existing Contract prior to the start of the new Contract with the flexibility to extend. It is the intention to allow a 6 month implementation timeframe and this is included in the initial procurement timetable, however this may be reduced depending on the outcome of this pre procurement market engagement.The Council will be aiming to go out to tender in Spring 2024.Following PPME the Council may look to hold supplier meetings and should these go ahead these would be held in early 2024. Further details are in the PPME document.