Contract

DFE – The Provision of Expert Mine Engineering Advice

  • Department for the Economy

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-007820

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04b448 (view related notices)

Published 4 March 2025, 11:58am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department for the Economy

39/49 Adelaide Street

BELFAST

BT2 8FD

Contact

SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk

Email

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

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

DFE – The Provision of Expert Mine Engineering Advice

Reference number

5552793

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Department for the Economy (DfE), the Department’s Agencies and dependent bodies require a Contractor to provide advice and expertise in all aspects of mine engineering. The Contractor will provide advice on the safety and remediation options for abandoned mines throughout Northern Ireland, thereby assisting the Department to carry out its functions under the Mineral Development Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. In addition, the Contractor will be required to review operational and planned underground mining activities including the Kilroot Salt Mine, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim (owned and operated by the Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Co Ltd (“ISME”).

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: £170,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 71310000 - Consultative engineering and construction services
  • 71332000 - Geotechnical engineering services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Department for the Economy (DfE), the Department’s Agencies and dependent bodies require a Contractor to provide advice and expertise in all aspects of mine engineering. The Contractor will provide advice on the safety and remediation options for abandoned mines throughout Northern Ireland, thereby assisting the Department to carry out its functions under the Mineral Development Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. In addition, the Contractor will be required to review operational and planned underground mining activities including the Kilroot Salt Mine, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim (owned and operated by the Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Co Ltd (“ISME”).

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Chief Mining Expert Substitute Chief Mining Expert / Weighting: 35

Quality criterion - Name: Proposed team / Weighting: 21

Quality criterion - Name: Contract Management / Weighting: 3.5

Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10.5

Cost criterion - Name: Total Contract Price / Weighting: 30

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

option to extend for up to and including 2 periods of 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 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 000-035908


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

1

Title

DFE – The Provision of Expert Mine Engineering Advice

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

28 February 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 3

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0

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

WARDELL ARMSTRONG LLP

SIR HENRY DOULTON HOUSE FORGE LANE

STOKE-ON-TRENT

ST1 5BD

Email

jdavies@wardell-armstrong.com

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Internet address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £170,000

Total value of the contract/lot: £170,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The successful Contractor’s performance will be managed as per the specification and 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 CPD for further action. If this.. occurs and your performance does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period this can 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 special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. Any challenges are dealt with by the High Court Commercial Division to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the Public Contracts Regulation

uk

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.