Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Ballymiscaw
BELFAST
BT4 3SB
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
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
ID 3628970 – DAERA - The Northern Ireland Countryside Survey
Reference number
ID 3628970
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90000000 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £3,160,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 90700000 - Environmental services
- 90721700 - Endangered species protection services
- 90720000 - Environmental protection
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
- 90714100 - Environmental information systems
- 90722000 - Environmental rehabilitation
- 90710000 - Environmental management
- 90721100 - Landscape protection services
- 71355000 - Surveying services
- 79311000 - Survey services
- 79311100 - Survey design services
- 79311300 - Survey analysis services
- 79330000 - Statistical services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
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: £3,160,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
72
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Contract is anticipated to commence in April 2022, for an initial period of 6 years with an optional extension period of 2 years following the end of the initial period.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The Contract is anticipated to commence in April 2022, for an initial period of 6 years with an optional extension period of 2 years following the end of the initial period.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: Yes
Identification of the project
Rural Development Programme
two.2.14) Additional information
The figure in II.2.6 is the estimated contract value
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per tender documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per tender documents
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
21 March 2022
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: 19 June 2022
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
21 March 2022
Local time
3:30pm
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
Only CPD Procurement Staff with access to the project on eTendersNI
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored in line with PGN 01/12. 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 Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance will 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 for a period of twelve months from the date of issue of the certificate.” . . "The Authority expressly reserves the rights:. . (I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;. (II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition;. (III). to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the [services] covered by this notice; and. (IV). to award contract(s) in stages.. . and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.".
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 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 contract 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.