Out of Business Hours (OOH) Call Handling Service Contract

As part of its service delivery, Reading Borough Council (RBC) is required to provide an Out of Hours (OOH) Call Handling Service for when its Call Centre, switchboard, Civic Offices and satellite offices are closed. The OOH service is required for both members of the public and the Council’s internal departments.

The Council currently has in place arrangements for the provision of an Out of Hours Call Handling Service, however this is due to come to an end in January 2017. The contractor will provide an Out of Hours Call Handling telephone response service on behalf of tenants and residents of Reading Borough Council; Affinity Housing Association and Catalyst Housing Association.

The service to be available 365 days per year with coverage from 17:00 to 09:00 hours Monday to Friday and from 17:00 hours Friday to 09:00 Monday (weekend coverage). The purpose of the service is to respond to emergency calls, but which good practice standards indicate should be responded to before the next working day and where delay could be detrimental to the individual caller or the physical integrity or security of RBC’s leased and owned buildings, including the Civic Offices building, and equipment, facilities and services.

Additional information: The services are to be procured under an open procedure and organisations interested in expressing an interest should download the procurement documents which are available on the Council's e-tendering system at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/Home (Project Reference No. RBC 00000162), and complete as instructed. The Portal is free of charge - to register please follow the supplier registration guidance which is available on the Portal.

The deadline for return of the XXX is XXXXXX 12.00 hours. Please note: you must register your interest via the Council`s e-tendering portal if you intend to submit a tender.

Interested parties must log onto the Council`s e-tendering portal at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc, to express an interest and download the procurement documents. All communications regarding this procurement exercise will be conducted through the Council`s e-tendering portal including requests for clarifications or general enquiries.

The procurement documents will be available for download up until the closing time and date for tender submissions, it is the organisation`s responsibility to ensure that they download the documents in ample time to ensure that they can be completed and returned electronically, along with supporting documents, prior to the closing time and date stipulated. Before completing the tender, potential providers/suppliers should ensure that the e-mail address that has been used to register their organisation will be checked regularly as the Council`s e-tendering system will generate automatic notifications to this e-mail address when there are updates, changes or messages sent relating to the project.

Potential bidders should also check that their organisation`s details are correct and kept up to date. Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/