Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute NI
Newforge Lane
BELFAST
BT9 5PX
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.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
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
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
AFBI - Provision of Field Surveyors
Reference number
4625366
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 77000000 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DAERA (Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) have commissioned a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey. Standard protocols will be followed, in line with the GB Countryside Survey, across a sample set of quarter kilometre (25ha) grid squares located throughout NI. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in GB are leading the study, partnered by AFBI and QUB. The NI Countryside Survey provides a consistent long-term dataset for analysis of the effects of countryside, agricultural and other policies and pressures as drivers of change. The survey will be a repeat of the previous survey, commissioned in 2007, and will include a large soils component. AFBI wishes to establish a framework to engage a number of surveyors to complete vegetation and accompanying soil sampling for the DAERA NI Countryside Survey field surveys in 2023. Companies / consultants can provide more than one surveyor, or sole traders can apply independently. Please note that all proposed surveyors will be assessed independently.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £200,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 77000000 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
Main site or place of performance
Various sites in Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DAERA (Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) have commissioned a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey. Standard protocols will be followed, in line with the GB Countryside Survey, across a sample set of quarter kilometre (25ha) grid squares located throughout NI. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in GB are leading the study, partnered by AFBI and QUB. The NI Countryside Survey provides a consistent long-term dataset for analysis of the effects of countryside, agricultural and other policies and pressures as drivers of change. The survey will be a repeat of the previous survey, commissioned in 2007, and will include a large soils component. AFBI wishes to establish a framework to engage a number of surveyors to complete vegetation and accompanying soil sampling for the DAERA NI Countryside Survey field surveys in 2023. Companies / consultants can provide more than one surveyor, or sole traders can apply independently. Please note that all proposed surveyors will be assessed independently.
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: £200,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
6
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: Yes
Description of options
The Authority may extend the framework for a further period of up to 12 months.
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.1.3) 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: 12
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
17 April 2023
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: 16 July 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
17 April 2023
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
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 their place. on the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Notice 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 Notice..
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.