Childcare Voucher Scheme

Tender description

The Council has contacted with Fideliti Limited for the provision of Childcare vouchers since 1st December 2012. The contract was as a result of tender process carried out in that year. The contract was originally for a 3 year term with the options to extend the contract by 2 further one year periods. A waiver to extend the contract for 3 further years was put in place in 2017 as the proposals around the central government changes to the voucher schemes was taking place at this time. These changes took place on 4th October 2018 and this meant that no new entrants to the voucher scheme could be admitted after this date. A declining uptake and the costs of sourcing a new provider were the reasons given in the waiver. A further 4 year waiver / direct award was approved in 2020. Since the introduction of the new national scheme there has been a natural reduction in uptake of the vouchers, as the children of staff using the scheme have become older and due to staff turnover etc. There is no market for providers of the scheme and so a direct award for the continuation of the scheme to be administered by Fideliti was awarded from 2nd March 2024 to 1st March 2027