Questions & Answers
Overview
What is points4Life?
points4Life has been created by Manchester City Council and NHS Manchester. It is a new loyalty programme which will encourage people to be healthier. It will take knowledge, learning and technology from the private sector, where many loyalty programmes run very successfully, and apply them to the public sector. Through the use of government, local authority and private sector funding points4life will encourage Mancunians to be healthier in a range of ways including what they eat and how they exercise.
How will points4life work?
It will work in the same way as many of the well-known loyalty schemes in the market today – ‘Points make Prizes’. Members of the public will join the scheme and will use their loyalty card to collect points. They will then be able to redeem those points for “healthy” products and services.
When does it start?
The scheme will be launched to the public January 2011.
Why do we need it?
Britain is in the grip of an epidemic. Almost two thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese, and work by the Government Office for Science’s Foresight programme suggests that, without action, these figures will rise to almost nine in ten adults and two thirds of children by 2050. The City Council and NHS Manchester have recognised that this could cause major health problems for Mancunians and thus have created this innovative programme to try to encourage more people to be healthy through both what they eat and exercise.
What sort of things will I get points for?
There will be a broad range of products and services available through the scheme. Food, Drink and Exercise related products and services are obvious, but there will be hundreds of opportunities to collect points from the public sector and potentially the private sector.
Procurement Process
I want to be considered for supplying the required services, how do I do this?
Please read the Memorandum of Information under the Procurement Process tab within this website. This will explain how the procurement process will be carried out. If you are still interested in supplying the required services please visit the Registration tab, where you will be given instructions on how to register your interest in the procurement process. This will require you to express your interest by completing a Pre-qualification Questionnaire ("PQQ") and submitting your response before the deadline specified in the Official Journal ("OJEU") contract notice.
I’d like to take part in the procurement but I can’t provide all of the different segments of work. Can I still become involved?
This will depend on whether you are able to join up with other potentially interested organisations which, as a whole, can provide for all of the required services. In order to facilitate this, you will find a questionnaire at https://gmcbs.bravosolution.com/web/login.shtml (guidance is also available within the registration tab in this website) which would enable you to make details of your organisation available to other potentially interested parties with a view to being contacted by them. You should note that the facility provided through the questionnaire does not form part of the formal procurement process; that its use is entirely voluntary; and that the Authority will assume a passive role and will not involve itself in effecting any particular introductions. Further, it is of course open to you to form a consortium or proposed sub-contractual relationship through any other means. Finally, it is important to note that completion of the questionnaire “Expression of Interest Form – Work Segments” (within BravoSolutions) does not in any way constitute a formal expression of interest in response to the Official Journal ("OJEU") notice.
If a ‘whole proposal’ is not submitted, will it still be considered?
No. The procurement is not being split into Lots and a single comprehensive solution covering all of the Authority's requirements is required.
Where do I find out about other organisations that I may want to team up with?
One possibility is to visit the segment tabs within this website. When you register your interest in the procurement, you will be asked to declare which segments of work you have an interest in being considered for, along with the opportunity of providing a short statement outlining your capability in those areas. You will also be given the option of openly declaring this interest to other organisations. Should you wish to declare this interest, your details will be published on the relevant segment tabs of the website, which will be updated on a regular basis. The website will list all of the organisations which agree to publicise their details, along with contact details, areas of work that they have an interest in and capability statements. Organisations are then free to contact each other as they see fit in order to form consortia, lead contractor / sub-contractor arrangements etc.
I don’t want my interest in this procurement being made public at this stage . Can I still become involved?
Yes. When you register your interest in the procurement there is an option for you not to publicise your interest to other potentially interested organisations. If you cannot supply all segments of work you will still need to ‘fill in’ these gaps for your proposal to be considered since the Authority requires a single comprehensive solution covering all of the required services, whether that is to be provided by a prime contractor or a consortium (and in either case whether or not entailing the use of sub-contractors).
Are multiple bids allowed e.g. with different partners?
Potentially yes , provided that any potential conflicts of interest can be properly managed and that probity in the procurement process is not in any way jeopardised. It will be for individual companies to manage this process, including any confidentiality issues.
What’s the Bidders’ Conference about?
The Bidders’ Conference on 16th February 2009 will give suppliers the opportunity to meet the points4life team, to understand more about the project and the procurement process, to ask questions and of course to network with other organisations with which you may wish to partner.
How do I register for the Bidders’ Conference?
All parties that register their interest in the procurement will be contacted in early February 2009 and given details of the conference, including registration details. It is probable that demand might be such that spaces will be limited to one or two representatives per supplier. Clarification will follow in early February.
Can we meet with the points4life team prior to submitting our Pre-Qualification Questionnaire?
Unfortunately it will not be practical to offer meetings to every potentially interested organisation, and therefore we are unable to offer individual meetings at this point. Meetings will however be an integral part of the subsequent Competitive Dialogue process. The Bidders’ Conference will be a valuable process in terms of answering questions.
Other
Will I be penalised by my local NHS for not being a member of points4life?
No, certainly not.
What sort of rewards are on offer, and what will it take to earn them?
The rewards on offer will range from free swimming pool access and use of sports centres to sports equipment from a catalogue of goods.
I live in Warrington. Will I be eligible to join?
If you work in Manchester or travel into Manchester often then it would make sense for you to join the scheme; positive health choices are encouraged for everyone.
Will points4life be launching in other areas of the country?
As Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health has stated, points4life will initially be launched in Manchester. Once its effectiveness is proven then other areas may choose to launch similar programmes.
Where will I be able to earn points?
Many City Council and NHS Manchester activities will allow you to earn points and it is planned that there will also be private sector retailers involved in the programme where you could earn points on the purchase of healthy goods such as fruit and vegetables. As the scheme develops there will be more and more partners joining the scheme that are both local and national organisations.
What is the plan for introducing the scheme (process activities, timetable)?
Information will soon be made available through the press, and various channels including the points4life website detailing the process that private sector businesses should follow to join the scheme. These processes will be kept simple. It is envisaged that merchants will be invited to join the scheme from Spring / Summer 2009 onwards.
Who decides what businesses qualify?
Details of how this will work are still being defined and will be announced in due course.
How do I become involved?
Visit the website and follow the online instructions from the spring of 2009.
What will be the key benefits to me as a business?
Consumers will actively look to shop in your store in order to earn points.
What are the technical requirements for me to take part?
More information on this will be available in due course but we will be making it as easy as possible.
Will I be able to obtain exclusivity for my industry?
No, any qualifying business will be able to take part.
I understand Manchester has been designated as a HealthyTown, what does this mean?
View the Department of Health's Healthy Community Challenge Fund which gives full details of what the Healthy Towns initiative is all about and the process that has been conducted. Manchester’s proposal was successful and as such Manchester will now be known as a “Healthy Town”.
Is points4life connected with the government programme Change4Life?
Yes, points4life is connected to Change4Life. points4life is formally a sub-brand of Change4Life and as such the look and feel will be very similar. points4life has been granted permission to utilise the sub-brand because the goals of the two programmes are very similar; that is to eat well, move more and to live longer. For more information on Change4Life please view the Change4Life frequently asked questions.
