Tender

Tender for the provision of Legal Services

  • University of South Wales
  • Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
  • Merthyr Tydfil College

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-009593

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-032c14

Published 11 April 2022, 11:36am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

University of South Wales

University of South Wales, Finance Dept, Llantwit Road

Pontypridd

CF37 1DL

Contact

Catherine Lund

Email

Procurement@southwales.ac.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKL - Wales

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.southwales.ac.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0315

one.1) Name and addresses

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Castle Grounds, Cathay's Park

Cardiff

CF10 3ER

Email

gareth.tottle@rwcmd.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 2920391381

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKL22 - Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA1108

one.1) Name and addresses

Merthyr Tydfil College

Merthyr Tydfil College, University of Glamorgan, Ynysfach

Merthyr Tydfil

CF48 1AR

Email

Sara.fowler@merthyr.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 1685726000

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKL15 - Central Valleys

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.merthyr.ac.uk/

Buyer's address

https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA1033

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract involves joint procurement

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales

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

http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Tender for the provision of Legal Services

Reference number

1738

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79100000 - Legal services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Provision of legal services to the University of South Wales Group, to include:

Commercial Services (including contracts, partnership, collaborations, public procurement, IP & franchise);

Dispute Resolution (including student matters);

Human Resources (including employment law, dispute resolution & tribunals, recruitment, employment procedures);

Property and Estates;

International Law (including immigration);

Governance, compliance and company law;

Grants and Funding;

Competition Law and Subsidy Control;

Loan Agreements;

Charity Law;

Data Protection Law;

Marketing, sponsorship and events management;

Consumer Law, and laws impacting students;

Corporate Law (including advice on and assistance with the structuring of commercial transactions);

Health & safety, and

UK Law – specifically changes in legislation and the resulting changes required in University legal documentation e.g. terms and conditions etc.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services
  • 79111000 - Legal advisory services
  • 79112000 - Legal representation services
  • 79130000 - Legal documentation and certification services
  • 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKL15 - Central Valleys
  • UKL22 - Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The availability of competent legal advice forms an obvious and key requirement for universities. The very nature of higher education requires the provision of legal advice across a broad spectrum of subjects.

Although this broad spectrum can occasionally mean legal advice being sought from a law firm with specialist subject expertise (that would probably fall outside the scope of this tender), the majority of the legal advice required falls within the following core areas:

-Commercial Services (including contracts, partnership, collaborations, public procurement, IP & franchise)

-Dispute Resolution (including student matters)

-Human Resources (including employment law, dispute resolution & tribunals, recruitment, employment procedures)

-Property and Estates

-International Law (including immigration)

-Governance, compliance and company law

-Grants and Funding

-Competition Law and Subsidy Control

-Loan Agreements

-Charity Law

-Data Protection Law;

-Marketing, sponsorship and events management

-Consumer Law, and laws impacting students;

-Corporate Law (including advice on and assistance with the structuring of commercial transactions)

-Health & safety, and

-UK Law – specifically changes in legislation and the resulting changes required in University legal documentation e.g. terms and conditions etc.

In 2021 the University conducted a strategic review of external legal costs and use of the advice provided. As a result, the University appointed in-house counsel in May 2021 providing advice in some of these core areas, together with a core duty of legal oversight.

For a large higher education institution the volume, scope and complexity of legal advice requirements across these core areas as well as a range of specialists subjects, is regularly beyond the capacity and/or expertise of our in-house services team and forms the basis of this tender. For example, under the direction of the University Legal Services team, key stakeholders including estates and facilities, human resources, procurement and student casework often require external legal advice.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Service Delivery / Weighting: 30

Quality criterion - Name: Relationship Management / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Management Information / Weighting: 5

Quality criterion - Name: Additional Services / Weighting: 5

Quality criterion - Name: Community Benefits / Weighting: 5

Price - Weighting: 35

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

36

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

Option for 2 x 12 month renewals, subject to performance.

two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited

Envisaged minimum number: 3

Maximum number: 6

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

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

two.2.14) Additional information

All Questions and Answers must be submitted via the Sell2Wales portal.

Requests to attend the Supplier Engagement meeting should be made by emailing procurement@southwales.ac.uk.


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.1) Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession

Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision

Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales to practice law in the jurisdiction of England and Wales.

three.2.2) Contract performance conditions

Please see the ITT for contract related conditions.

three.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Competitive procedure with negotiation

four.1.5) Information about negotiation

The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations

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

16 May 2022

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

13 June 2022

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English, Welsh

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.2) Information about electronic workflows

Electronic ordering will be used

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

six.3) Additional information

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=120299.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:

Please refer to the quality assessment criteria in the ITT document.

(WA Ref:120299)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court

Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand

London

WC2A 2LL

Telephone

+44 2079477501

Country

United Kingdom