Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Justice NI
c/o Construction and Procurement Delivery, Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
BELFAST
BT3 9ED
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.1) Name and addresses
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Brooklyn
Belfast
BT5 6LE
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
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
DOJ - Advocacy Support Service for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse
Reference number
ID2934500
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85312310 - Guidance services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DoJ, in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), wishes to appoint a service provider to deliver a new Northern Ireland-wide advocacy service to support qualifying victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse (including those reporting to the police, or those who are subject to Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) or report to the Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)). The overall purpose of the new service is to provide co-ordinated and tailored support, responsive to individual need, in partnership with established services. It will mean victims are well-informed and listened to and that they are referred on to specialist services, as may be required, for further support and care. The service is intended to help victims feel safe and to help ensure that the risk of any further harm, especially serious harm, is greatly reduced or eliminated. This contract involves the provision and management of a new advocacy service on behalf of DoJ and PSNI - “the Clients”. Tackling domestic and sexual violence and abuse is a key priority for the Justice Minister, as well as for the PSNI Chief Constable, and much work has already been taken forward, and continues to be taken forward to try to address this issue - at a strategic, as well as an operational, level and in partnership with the other Departments within the Executive and statutory and voluntary sector bodies. The primary aim of the new service is to provide victims of domestic and/or sexual violence and abuse with access to a high quality and streamlined support service tailored to individual need. This can have positive outcomes for victims accessing the service. For some, this may be in terms of helping to keep them safe and reduce or eliminate risk of any further harm, especially serious harm. For others, an advocate could be considered a lynchpin to ensuring they remain engaged in the criminal justice system. The ability to provide a more positive experience for the victim could potentially lead to enhanced confidence in the system more generally. The primary objectives of the advocacy service will be to: • act as a first point of contact for victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse to enable them to better cope with the aftermath of that crime; • assess individual need and risk and develop a safety support plan tailored to individual need; • offer accurate, timely, non-judgemental and impartial support and signposting information in relation to domestic and sexual violence and abuse on a range of issues and encouraging victims to report crimes/incidents to PSNI; • provide guidance and information, referring victims on to other statutory and non-statutory agencies for specialist support as appropriate; • help maintain and encourage engagement of victims experiencing domestic and sexual violence and/or abuse within the criminal justice system; and • work pro-actively with PSNI and SARC colleagues to support them, including attending and providing relevant briefings and meetings as required and including providing reports to help advise and inform police officers/SARC staff on related issues.
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: £9,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85312310 - Guidance services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
Main site or place of performance
A wide range of locations, as stated in the specification.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DoJ, in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), wishes to appoint a service provider to deliver a new Northern Ireland-wide advocacy service to support qualifying victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse (including those reporting to the police, or those who are subject to Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) or report to the Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)). The overall purpose of the new service is to provide co-ordinated and tailored support, responsive to individual need, in partnership with established services. It will mean victims are well-informed and listened to and that they are referred on to specialist services, as may be required, for further support and care. The service is intended to help victims feel safe and to help ensure that the risk of any further harm, especially serious harm, is greatly reduced or eliminated. This contract involves the provision and management of a new advocacy service on behalf of DoJ and PSNI - “the Clients”. Tackling domestic and sexual violence and abuse is a key priority for the Justice Minister, as well as for the PSNI Chief Constable, and much work has already been taken forward, and continues to be taken forward to try to address this issue - at a strategic, as well as an operational, level and in partnership with the other Departments within the Executive and statutory and voluntary sector bodies. The primary aim of the new service is to provide victims of domestic and/or sexual violence and abuse with access to a high quality and streamlined support service tailored to individual need. This can have positive outcomes for victims accessing the service. For some, this may be in terms of helping to keep them safe and reduce or eliminate risk of any further harm, especially serious harm. For others, an advocate could be considered a lynchpin to ensuring they remain engaged in the criminal justice system. The ability to provide a more positive experience for the victim could potentially lead to enhanced confidence in the system more generally. The primary objectives of the advocacy service will be to: • act as a first point of contact for victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse to enable them to better cope with the aftermath of that crime; • assess individual need and risk and develop a safety support plan tailored to individual need; • offer accurate, timely, non-judgemental and impartial support and signposting information in relation to domestic and sexual violence and abuse on a range of issues and encouraging victims to report crimes/incidents to PSNI; • provide guidance and information, referring victims on to other statutory and non-statutory agencies for specialist support as appropriate; • help maintain and encourage engagement of victims experiencing domestic and sexual violence and/or abuse within the criminal justice system; and • work pro-actively with PSNI and SARC colleagues to support them, including attending and providing relevant briefings and meetings as required and including providing reports to help advise and inform police officers/SARC staff on related issues.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: AC1 Service Delivery Model and Partnership Working / Weighting: 40
Quality criterion - Name: AC2 Promotion of Advocacy Service / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: AC3 Contract Management / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: AC4 Data Handling and Maintenance / Weighting: 10
Cost criterion - Name: AC5 Total Contract Price / Weighting: 30
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Initial period - 3 years2 options to extend, each of 2 years
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: 2020/S 248-619179
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Title
DOJ — Advocacy Support Service for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
7 April 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 2
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: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Information withheld for security reasons
Information withheld for security reasons
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Information withheld for security reasons
Information withheld for security reasons
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKN0 - Northern Ireland
Internet address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Information withheld for security reasons
Information withheld for security reasons
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
Internet address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
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: £9,000,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £9,000,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only and includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand and to future proof for additional potential users. There is no guarantee of any level of business under this contract. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a contractor should the actual demand be less than that stated.. . The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 Contract Management: https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/ files/publications/dfp/PGN-01012-Contract-Management-Principles-Procedures-25-Sept-2017.PDF). 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 written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated.The issue of a notice of written warning and 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 up to 3 years from the date of issue of the notice.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
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 Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
Country
United Kingdom