Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Communities
Causeway Exchange,1-7 Bedford Street
BELFAST
BT2 7EG
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ID3065154 NICS Written Translation and Transcription Services Irish Language
Reference number
ID3065154
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) on behalf of Department for Communities (DfC) and wider Northern Ireland Public sector, invites appropriate Contractors to tender for the provision of Written Translation and Transcription Services. The requirement will be for Irish language. It is envisaged that a maximum of three Suppliers will be allocated to the framework on a ranked basis.. All Tenderers are invited to attend an information session which will be held at 12.30pm on 12 February 2021. With the current restrictions due to Covid-19, a Webex-based online meeting will be used. This session will provide information on how to register on eTendersNI (If you have not already done so) information about the Central Translation Hub, Irish translation required and evaluation model. Ideally any questions should be submitted prior to the session so they can be addressed. To register your attendance at this session, please provide the names of attendees and email addresses via the messaging facility on eTendersNI by no later than 3pm 10 February 2021. If you are not registered on eTendersNI the message should be directed to SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk and contain the tender reference i.e. ID3065154
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) on behalf of Department for Communities (DfC) and wider Northern Ireland Public sector, invites appropriate Contractors to tender for the provision of Written Translation and Transcription Services. The requirement will be for Irish language. It is envisaged that a maximum of three Suppliers will be allocated to the framework on a ranked basis.. All Tenderers are invited to attend an information session which will be held at 12.30pm on 12 February 2021. With the current restrictions due to Covid-19, a Webex-based online meeting will be used. This session will provide information on how to register on eTendersNI (If you have not already done so) information about the Central Translation Hub, Irish translation required and evaluation model. Ideally any questions should be submitted prior to the session so they can be addressed. To register your attendance at this session, please provide the names of attendees and email addresses via the messaging facility on eTendersNI by no later than 3pm 10 February 2021. If you are not registered on eTendersNI the message should be directed to SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk and contain the tender reference i.e. ID3065154
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework Agreement will run for an initial period of two years, with two options to extend of one year each.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
As per Tender documentation
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
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 3
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
3 March 2021
Local time
3:00pm
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
Tender must be valid until: 1 June 2021
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
3 March 2021
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 2024
six.3) Additional information
All bodies listed in Annex A of the specification document may avail of the Framework Agreement for their requirements. There is no guarantee or commitment as to the usage, volume, or value of services required under this Framework Agreement or indeed that any subsequent call offs will be made by the agencies under Annex A. NI Public Bodies are not obliged to use the framework. . .. . . . The successful Contractor’s performance on this Framework will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 - Contract Management - Procedures and Principles). Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. . . If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance and this Contract may be terminated. A central register of such Notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website.. . Any contractor in receipt of a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of three years from the date of issue of the Notice. It may also result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy..
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015As amended
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of Framework is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.