FOI request (FOIR-450509471)

Bacs Payments

Requested Fri 09 September 2022
Responded  Tue 01 November 2022

If you could provide the below information I would be really grateful.

1. Who provides the organisations Bacs payments and Direct Debit collection software?

2. How you came to the decision to choose these companies?

3. Do you use a Tender process or do you contact suppliers directly?

4. If you go out to tender, are you able to tell us your process for applying?

5. Please provide your current expenditure for your Bacs payment processing and Direct Debit collection.

6. When does your current contract(s) with Bacs payment and direct debit collection software expire?

7. What is the total value of your current Bacs payment and Direct Debit collection software contract(s) and over what period?

8. Does the organisation, acting as a Bureau, provide Bacs processing on behalf on any other organisation?

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1. Bottomline Technologies

2. Lowest quote at the time

3. No tender process followed as beneath our threshold, we would contact suppliers direct

4. N/A

5. Please see below Notice of Refusal

6. 20/02/23

7. Please see below Notice of Refusal

8. No

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

Parts of the information you have requested regarding expenditure and value is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercially Sensitive Information.

Information prejudicing commercial interests - commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the 'public interest test'. When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define 'in the public interest', there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest. In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public. Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a) accountability of public spending

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves. In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a) ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b) damage to reputation and/or financial interests

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.