Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Defra Network eTendering Portal
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Buyer's address
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Monitoring+Maintenance of a Remote Temperature + Environmental Monitoring System
Reference number
C23748
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that Defra (on behalf of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)) intends to enter into a contract with Checkit Europe Ltd for cloud and sensor monitoring, onsite planned maintenance and UKAS-accredited onsite calibration of the existing (Checkit) remote temperature and environmental monitoring system.
Defra intends to award this contract following the expiry of a voluntary standstill period, 10 days from the date of publication of this notice.
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: £687,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Addlestone, Surrey (+ various other APHA locations).
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that Defra (on behalf of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)) intends to enter into a contract with Checkit Europe Ltd for cloud and sensor monitoring, onsite planned maintenance and UKAS-accredited onsite calibration of the existing (Checkit) remote temperature and environmental monitoring system.
Defra intends to award this contract following the expiry of a voluntary standstill period, 10 days from the date of publication of this notice.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100
Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
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
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
Explanation:
Based on the information detailed below, the conclusion is that Checkit Europe Ltd is the only supplier able to provide these Services (and replacement equipment) to APHA. To the best of our knowledge and investigations it is concluded that, given the Supplier’s exclusive rights (IPR) to the equipment, and therefore the Services, only the incumbent Supplier can maintain the existing Remote Temperature and Environmental Monitoring (RTEM) system within APHA.
- Checkit has confirmed that they own IP in the equipment and software provided to / accessed by APHA under the current contract. Further investigation by APHA has confirmed that there are no re-sellers of CAM+ Equipment providing related temperature monitoring services (so a restricted competition amongst current distributors would not be a valid route to market).
- To enable connection between the equipment and Supplier software, it would appear that a new supplier would have to install their own equipment to APHA laboratories, which links to their own software package. This would involve replacing approximately 824 items of Equipment across the APHA estate. To unnecessarily remove and replace functioning Equipment would not only be a considerable expense and have a negative sustainability impact but would also, critically, have a significant and unacceptably disruptive effect on business-as-usual APHA scientific activities across the whole laboratory estate. (This would include containment facilities that can only be accessed by maintenance personnel during planned shutdowns, which only happen once per year.)
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract/concession
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
13 March 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Checkit Europe Ltd.
Broers Building, 21 J J Thomson Ave., Cambridge,
Cambridge
CB3 0FA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH1 - East Anglia
National registration number
9343487
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £687,000
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £687,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Defra Network eTendering Portal
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Public Procurement Review Body
N/A
N/A
N/A
publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit