Awarded contract

1. VEAT Notice Intention to award a public services contract for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year, with the option to cover the 2025/26 & 2026/27 academic years, at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS").

  • UNIVERSITY OF KEELE

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice reference: 2024/S 000-011352

Published 9 April 2024, 1:36am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

UNIVERSITY OF KEELE

Keele Campus

NEWCASTLE

ST55BG

Contact

Darren Pearce

Email

d.pearce@keele.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 1782734124

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKG24 - Staffordshire CC

Companies House

RC000655

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.keele.ac.uk

Buyer's address

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofkeele/aspx/Home

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

1. VEAT Notice Intention to award a public services contract for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year, with the option to cover the 2025/26 & 2026/27 academic years, at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS").

Reference number

KU/625/DP/MJ/2024

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

1. VEAT Notice Intention to award a public services contract for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year, with the option to cover the 2025/26 & 2026/27 academic years, at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS")

2. The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication is being followed and is justified under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015").

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: £530,028.59

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance

1. Harper and Keele Veterinary School - Bachelor of Veterinary

School, Keele University, Keele, Newcastle ST5 5NS, United

Kingdom.

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

1. The University is proposing to appoint VET CT Specialist Ltd for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS").

2. The contract particulars and scope of teaching services (virtual & in-person), including all the front loaded workstreams to support the Platform As A Service (PaaS) virtual provision, has been the subject of an extensive collaboration between the HKVS and VET CT Specialist Ltd since Jan 2024.

3. The cumulative contract value for the academic years 2024/25, 2025/26 & 2026/27 is £530,028.59 (excluding VAT), and it should be noted that the contract proposal covering the 36 months period was extensively negotiated to achieve an optimum outcome to support the teaching provision within the scope of the outsourced teaching services and PaaS provision as a proprietary service to support the University's Year 4 & Year 5 students in meeting the RCVS Day One Competences and developing a wider range of professional attributes for the undergraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS).

4. VET CT Specialist Ltd is the only outsourced teaching services provider capable of supporting an integrated online diagnostic imaging course as part of a virtual & in-person teaching services within the scope for the RCVS Day One Competences, which is inclusive of all the front loaded proprietary workstreams as part of the Platform As A Service (PaaS) virtual provision to support our Year 4 & Year 5 students in developing a wider range of professional attributes for the undergraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS)curriculum.

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

1. VEAT Notice Intention to award a public services contract for the provision of an outsourced diagnostic imaging teaching and technology related services to support our Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) Year 4 & 5 students for the 2024/25 academic year, with the option to cover the 2025/26 & 2026/27 academic years, at Harper and Keele Veterinary School HKVS ("HKVS").

2. The initial 12-month period pertaining to the service provision is made pursuant to the committed fee schedule of £146,327.50 to support the Year 4 & 5 curriculum for the 2024/25 academic year.

3. The University reserves the right to extend the agreement to support the teaching provision for the academic years 2025/26 & 2026/27, respectively.


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:

1. This VEAT notice is hereby made pursuant of our intention and the prescribed justification set out therein to award a public services contract using the Negotiated Procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32 (2) (b) (iii)). A subsequent award notice will be published in due course.

2. It is the intention of the University pursuant to its obligations under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, that a contract for services will be awarded to the stated provider on the basis that:

3. Harper and Keele Veterinary School, which is operating as a joint venture between the University of Keele and Harper Adams University; and VetCT Specialists Ltd have both agreed the contract terms, hereinafter will seek to execute the legal contract following the successful completion of the 10 days Standstill period.

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

Contract No

KU/625/DP/MJ/2024

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

9 April 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

VetCT Specialists Ltd

St. Johns Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS

Cambridge

CB4 0WS

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Companies House

06955449

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £530,028.59


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

1. Diagnostic imaging (or radiology - covers x-ray, MRI, CT, etc) is a core curriculum subject for veterinary undergraduate courses and a core requirement for students to meet RCVS Day One Competences and for the Harper and Keele Veterinary School to gain RCVS Accreditation.

2. Curriculum development and delivery requires inputs from imaging specialists holding the highest qualification as Diplomates of the European or American Colleges.

3. In recent years, due to technological developments with the digitisation of diagnostic imaging, most specialists have transition to work for telemedicine companies which provide remote image interpretation services, which has led to the emergence of a specialist imaging company.

4. VetCT Specialists Ltd provides a unique blend of right-minded innovation and VET.CT kindness embraced by University leaders, clinicians, students and residents alike supporting an immersive teaching experience with the opportunity to connect with teaching radiologists who are practising veterinarians and additionally hold board certifications with experience as professors.

5. VetCT Specialists Ltd optimises the student learning experience who are emotionally involved, time-poor and have high intrinsic and extrinsic expectations for the highest standards of care in practice through real-time connectivity, with empathetic veterinary specialists dedicated to supporting their learning and case management.

6. VetCT Specialists Ltd supports active learning techniques to provide mobile, on-demand, succinct learning opportunities. Real-time clinical support accessible through mobile devices provides reassurance, helps to build confidence and promotes clinical skills development.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court of England and Wales

Royal Courts of Justice, Strand

London

WCA2 2LL

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

www.justice.gov.uk