Opportunity

The Provision of NIHR Journals Library: Production Services

  • UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

F02: Contract notice

Notice reference: 2022/S 000-000785

Published 11 January 2022, 4:03pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

BUILDING 37, HIGHFIELD CAMPUS,UNIVERSITY ROAD

SOUTHAMPTON

SO171BJ

Contact

Emma Raddon

Email

procurement@soton.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 2380598000

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKJ32 - Southampton

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.southampton.ac.uk

Buyer's address

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

The Provision of NIHR Journals Library: Production Services

Reference number

2021UoS-0341

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 22121000 - Technical publications

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The NIHR Journals Library (NJL) currently comprises a suite of five, Open Access, monograph-format journals providing an important and permanent archive of research funded by the NIHR. The ability to ensure a robust editorial and production process in which the NIHR's research programmes and the Department of Health and Social Care have full confidence is an essential requirement of this contract.

A production services supplier will be required by the NJL from July 2022 to provide publishing production services on delivered manuscripts of funded research which will include: project management; full copyediting: typesetting (XML-first); proofreading; artwork - illustration re draw; infographic design; publishing technology support; indexing: PID and metadata management of each issue. The contractor will have an agreed Service Level Agreement and will have access to and maintain relationships with authors, editors and the NETSCC Editorial Office.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £6,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79822000 - Composition services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ32 - Southampton

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The University is seeking to engage a supplier with a strong track record of successfully delivering publishing production services within scholarly communications field. During 2022, the NIHR Journal Library (NJL) plans to transition to a new publishing model - a "threaded-publication" format. Instead of publishing a monograph the NJL will publish a series of shorter research articles during the course of the research, that will report on the different elements of the commissioned work - then threading the articles and a synopsis document together online to provide complete publication of the commissioned research.

To achieve this, the following activities summarise what is considered within scope of this procurement:

• Editorial and production management of NJL peer-reviewed and accepted manuscripts through to delivery of files that meet NJL publishing model and web platform specification

• To include copy-edit, artwork redraw, Typesetting XML-First, proofing, metadata management, Indexing.

• Journal development - there will be variations to the contract during the contracting period relating to an increase to the numbers of expected manuscripts

• The provision or management of the NJL website is excluded from the scope of this project.

Total and complete publication of research findings is part of the NIHR's commitment to the principles of open access and adding value to all stages of research, ensuring best use of public money to benefit the health and wealth of the nation. 

The NIHR was the world's first health and care research funder to publish comprehensive accounts of its commissioned research within its own publicly and permanently available online journal series. The NIHR Journals Library currently comprises a suite of five open access peer-reviewed journals reporting results from a range of health and care research areas.

They are: 

• Health Technology Assessment  

• Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation 

• Health and Social Care Delivery Research 

• Public Health Research 

• Programme Grants for Applied Research 

A sixth journal, Global Health Research, is in development and will be added to the suite of journals during the proposed contract term.

Procurement Process:

This procurement process is being conducted using the Competitive Dialogue procedure; consisting of the selection stage, dialogues and Invitation to Tender stages.

Contract Period:

The University proposes to enter into a Contract for five years - this will be the maximum contract period, including any potential extensions with the successful tenderer(s).

This will comprise of an initial contract period of two years with an option to extend by a further two years subject to satisfactory performance and at the discretion of the University.

Contract Value:

It is estimated that the total value of this contract including any optional extension periods will be between £4,000,000 and £6,000,000 GBP (excluding VAT).

TUPE: The University envisages that TUPE will apply to this procurement. Further details will be provided to short-listed bidders following the selection stage.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

60

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.14) Additional information

Lots: This contract is NOT suitable for splitting into lots. The risk of dividing the requirement into Lots would render the execution of the contract excessively technically difficult, not cost effective and would undermine proper execution of the contract.


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Competitive dialogue

four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2021/S 000-020947

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

10 February 2022

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

21 February 2022

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.2) Information about electronic workflows

Electronic ordering will be used

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

six.3) Additional information

E-Tendering Portal: The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool, In-Tend (https://intendhost.co.uk/ universityofsouthampton) to manage this procurement and to communicate with potential suppliers and/or tenderers (as appropriate).

All documentation in relation to this tender can be downloaded from In-Tend.

Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued and all communications with the University, including the submission of Selection Stage and/or Invitation to Tender responses will be conducted via In-Tend.

Regular monitoring of the portal is the responsibility of the potential supplier/tenderer.

If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the procurement documentation.

Once you have logged in as a supplier: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your organisation against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'.

Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that formal expressions of interest in the project must be by way of completion and return of the relevant documents via In-Tend.

Further instructions for the submission of responses are below:

To submit your return:

1. Log in

2. Click 'Tenders'

3. Locate the relevant project

4. View details

5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g. 'Invitation to Tender')

6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return.

7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the 'My Tender Return' panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return.

8. Click the red 'Submit Return' button.

Please note, to preserve the integrity of the procurement, all communications with the University must be made via the correspondence function within In-Tend.

Publication of Award Details: In accordance with Regulation 50, paragraph (2) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and subject to Article 5 and Annex 5, Part D (13) of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (if applicable), the University intends to publish the value of any resulting contract at the award stage, and reserves the right to do so. By submitting a response, potential suppliers/tenderers are consenting to publication of this information unless otherwise agreed in advance with the University.

Costs and Expenses: Potential suppliers/tenderers are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of responses and participation in this and all future stages of this procurement. Under no circumstances will the University be liable for any costs or expenses borne by potential suppliers/tenderers or any of their supply chain, partners or advisers in this procurement process.

The University is not liable for any costs in the event of the cancellation of this procurement process.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

University of Southampton

Southampton

Country

United Kingdom