Provision of BACs Processing System

The Council is exploring the market for BACS‑approved, cloud‑based solutions and is seeking feedback on how suppliers can support
The Council is seeking a BACS‑approved, cloud‑based (SaaS) BACS payment and Direct Debit processing solution to support its high‑volume, mission‑critical payment operations. The solution must enable secure access to BACS for both inbound and outbound transactions, including the receipt of payments via BACS Direct Credits, payroll processing, outbound supplier and beneficiary payments, and Direct Debit collections.
The BACS system must be implemented and operational by 17 July 2027.
The following describes the Council’s current assumptions and initial view of its needs. Suppliers are encouraged to challenge these assumptions and propose alternative approaches where appropriate.
We are interested in understanding how supplier solutions support:
The solution should support:
Core Capabilities
All standard BACs payment types, including payroll, payments (Direct Credits), and Direct Debits
Submission of AUDDIS files
Sterling payments to and from UK bank accounts
24/7 browser-based access, allowing multiple authorised users to operate concurrently
Reporting and audit access, including historical transaction and user activity data
Processing of Payments for 10 independent business areas/External Systems
Scalability and configurable
Security and Risk Management
Key security and control features to include:
Multi-factor authentication, including options for smartcard-based (allowing digital signing of payment files), and/or smartcard‑free access
Granular user permissions and authorisation levels, supporting segregation of duties
Confirmation of Payee and payer name verification, to reduce misdirected payments and fraud risk
Validation of bank account numbers, sort codes and payment dates, including bank holiday awareness
These controls must be designed to support compliance, reduce failed payments and minimise operational...