Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
Queens House, 14 Queen Street
BELFAST
BT1 6ED
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
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
ID4435678 UREGNI - Legal Services Framework 2023
Reference number
ID4435678
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79100000 - Legal services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (Utility Regulator, also referred to as UR) is seeking to put in place a framework for legal advice to support the in-house team. The framework will comprise of two lots. • Lot 1 (UK wide): Energy/Water/Utilities Specialist Legal Expertise. General utilities law expertise (covers covering major utilities law specialisms – covering finance/regulatory law, European law, public law, and competition law as key examples) • Lot 2 (Northern Ireland): Northern Ireland specific related areas of law to include but not limited to property law, employment law, litigation (to include pre action protocol matters). Tenderers may bid for admission to one or both of the lots depending on their own specialism. It is currently the intention that a maximum of three Contractors will be appointed under each lot on a ranked basis. Tenderers should refer to the document titled “ID 4435678 Specification” for more details on the services required.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 1 - UK Wide
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services
- 79112000 - Legal representation services
- 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (Utility Regulator, also referred to as UR) is seeking to put in place a framework for legal advice to support the in-house team. The framework will comprise of two lots. • Lot 1 (UK wide): Energy/Water/Utilities Specialist Legal Expertise. General utilities law expertise (covers covering major utilities law specialisms – covering finance/regulatory law, European law, public law, and competition law as key examples) • Lot 2 (Northern Ireland): Northern Ireland specific related areas of law to include but not limited to property law, employment law, litigation (to include pre action protocol matters). Tenderers may bid for admission to one or both of the lots depending on their own specialism. It is currently the intention that a maximum of three Contractors will be appointed under each lot on a ranked basis. Tenderers should refer to the document titled “ID 4435678 Specification” for more details on the services required.
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) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 2 - Northern Ireland
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services
- 79112000 - Legal representation services
- 79140000 - Legal advisory and information services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (Utility Regulator, also referred to as UR) is seeking to put in place a framework for legal advice to support the in-house team. The framework will comprise of two lots. • Lot 1 (UK wide): Energy/Water/Utilities Specialist Legal Expertise. General utilities law expertise (covers covering major utilities law specialisms – covering finance/regulatory law, European law, public law, and competition law as key examples) • Lot 2 (Northern Ireland): Northern Ireland specific related areas of law to include but not limited to property law, employment law, litigation (to include pre action protocol matters). Tenderers may bid for admission to one or both of the lots depending on their own specialism. It is currently the intention that a maximum of three Contractors will be appointed under each lot on a ranked basis. Tenderers should refer to the document titled “ID 4435678 Specification” for more details on the services required.
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) Form of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2023/S 000-003461
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Lot No
1
Title
Lot 1 - UK Wide
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20 April 2023
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: 2
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Gowling WLG UK LLP
4 More London Riverside
London
SE1 2AU
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Addleshaw Goddard Llp
Milton Gate
LONDON
EC1Y 4AG
bdtenders@addleshawgoddard.com
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £2,400,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £2,400,000
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
2
Lot No
2
Title
Lot 2 - Northern Ireland
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20 April 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
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
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
MILLS SELIG LTD
21 Arthur Street
BELFAST
BT1 4GA
glenn.watterson@millsselig.com
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £600,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £600,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Contract monitoring: the successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be 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 construction and procurement delivery (CPD) for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, this may 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 such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 (as amended).
Belfast
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 framework 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 framework agreement was entered into.