Purpose

Request to approve the contract extension for the provision of the Employee Benefits Scheme from 1st of April 2026 to 31st of March 2027.

The Employee Benefits agreement was initiated to centralise the employee benefits scheme into a single managed service. The service provides employees with access to a range of suitably qualified and experienced service providers, offering a variety of staff benefit schemes

The current service provider is SME HCI Limited and all Group Companies, trading as Vivup. All processes and systems are fully managed by Vivup, who also provide structured communication and marketing schemes. The benefits are offered at a competitive rate and provide reasonable value for money to employees and the county council.

Due to the supplier providing a good level of service, it was recommended that the contract is extended for further 12 months, utilizing the second possible extension period.

Decision

Jacquie McGeachie, Director of People, took a decision to approve to extend the contract for the employee benefits scheme with Vivup for 12 months from the 1st April 2026 to the 31st March 2027.