Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Invest Northern Ireland
BELFAST
ssdadmin.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ID 5448866 INVEST NI - PROVISION OF GROW BEYOND (EARLY STAGE EXPORTERS) PROGRAMME IN GREAT BRITAIN AND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2024-2029
Reference number
ID 5448866
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79413000 - Marketing management consultancy services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Invest NI is now seeking to appoint a Contractor for the delivery and management of “The Grow Beyond Programme” for a five-year period from 2024-2029, with an anticipated launch date in financial quarter 4 2024/25. The Grow Beyond Programme (Grow Beyond) is an export capability development service aimed at Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) who are either • selling outside Northern Ireland into the RoI and/or GB for the first time or • growing export sales in RoI and GB from a limited base.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £485,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
- 79310000 - Market research services
- 80532000 - Management training services
- 73210000 - Research consultancy services
- 73220000 - Development consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
- UKN0 - Northern Ireland
Main site or place of performance
Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Invest NI is now seeking to appoint a Contractor for the delivery and management of “The Grow Beyond Programme” for a five-year period from 2024-2029, with an anticipated launch date in financial quarter 4 2024/25. The Grow Beyond Programme (Grow Beyond) is an export capability development service aimed at Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) who are either • selling outside Northern Ireland into the RoI and/or GB for the first time or • growing export sales in RoI and GB from a limited base.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Nominated Lead Trainers Training Experience / Weighting: 21
Quality criterion - Name: Nominated Lead Mentors Mentoring Experience / Weighting: 33
Quality criterion - Name: Learning Objectives, Content Methodology / Weighting: 10.5
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10.5
Cost criterion - Name: Cost Criteria / Weighting: 25
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The contract will run for an initial period of 24 months from the date of appointment with an option to extend for one further period of 24 months First Extension Period and one final option to extend for 12 months Final Extension Period, subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary provision. Costs shall be fixed for the initial contract period.
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 four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
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: 2024/S 000-036624
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Title
Contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
28 January 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
CORE CONSULTING BUSINESS GROWTH ADVISORS LTD
39a Main Street
Bangor
BT20 5AF
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £540,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £485,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Contract monitoring the successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. 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 construction and procurement delivery. (CPD) for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, this may be considered grounds for termination of the contract at your expense as provided for in the Conditions of Contract. In lieu... of termination, CPD may issue a Notice of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance. A supplier in receipt of multiple... Notices of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance may, in accordance with The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended), be excluded from future public procurement competitions for a period of up to three years..
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD complied with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and incorporated a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract was. communicated to tenderers. That notification provided full information on the award decision. This provided time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract was entered into.