Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House, Russell Road
IPSWICH
IP1 2BX
Contact
Martin Jennings
martin.jennings@suffolk.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 1473260450
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH14 - Suffolk
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
The Supply of Natural Gas and Associated Services
Reference number
CD1283-2
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 09123000 - Natural gas
- BA09 - Gas
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
We require a flexible risk managed natural gas contract for 2 years with the option to extend for up to a further two years, for the initial period 1.10.2023 to 30.9.2025. Operating as an aggregated portfolio of natural gas consumption for daily metered (DM), metered and non-daily metered meters (NDM) forming part of a combined portfolio. We will operate a rolling two year purchasing strategy for multiple customers, where gas will be purchased and sold on the traded wholesale energy market via OFGEM licenced suppliers. The portfolio may be split into purchasing in advance of year and purchasing within year. Natural gas is to be priced to the customers on a fixed cost basis for a fixed term period which will have been purchased in advance of delivery and may be greater than 1 year and as short as 1 month. The supplier will execute trades via a shared set strategy and customers will be aligned to a common contract start date.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £12,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 09123000 - Natural gas
- BA09 - Gas
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Suffolk and the East of England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This procurement exercise is being carried out by Suffolk County Council and the resulting contract will be in Suffolk County Council's name. Suffolk County Council has appointed Vertas Group Ltd to undertake the tender evaluation and subsequent contract management as part of their duties to Suffolk County Council. Vertas is a limited company wholly owned by Suffolk County Council. The contract portfolio has around 500 sites with an annual consumption of 79 GWh.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 October 2023
End date
30 September 2025
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The contract may be extended for up to a further two (2) years giving a maximum end date of 30th September 2027.
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
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
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.6) Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction will be used
Additional information about electronic auction
The electronic auction shall take place week commencing 22nd May 2023 and shall be a transformational reverse auction following the assessment of the quality submissions. Those companies who meet the tender and quality requirements shall be invited to participate in the e-auction and provided with training/user guides in advance of the event.
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
5 May 2023
Local time
12:00pm
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: 30 September 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
5 May 2023
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Estimated timing for further notices to be published: The Council will consider if to re-procure the contract in October 2024. If the contract is extended the consideration will be made in October 2025 and/or October 2026 if the decision is made to not extend additional notices will likely be published at these times
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
The contract may be extended for up to a further two (2) years giving a maximum end date of 30th September 2027.In the event that the Council only receives one tender submission or following the Assessment of the Minimum Standards and/or the Technical Quality Evaluation only one acceptable Tenderer remains the Council may proceed to award without carrying out the eAuction event, so long as the Council is content with the prices submitted initially and are fully transparent and inline with market expectations.Suffolk County Council reserves the right to procure repeat requirements of a similar nature without a further call for competition pursuant to Regulation 32 of the public contracts Regulations 2015.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
London
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
Suffolk County Council incorporates a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period from the point at which information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the contracting authority before the contract is entered into. If an appeal regarding the award of contract has not been successfully resolved: The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or at risk of harm by a breach of the rules, to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly.