Award

VEAT NOTICE: Accommodation and IT costs for the South West Regional Coastal Monitoring team at the University of Plymouth

  • Teignbridge District Council

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-012715

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03c61f

Published 3 May 2023, 5:28pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Teignbridge District Council

Forde House, Brunel Road

Newton Abbot

TQ12 4XX

Contact

Miss Rosanna Wilson

Email

rosanna.wilson@teignbridge.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1626215120

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKK4 - Devon

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.teignbridge.gov.uk

Buyer's address

www.teignbridge.gov.uk

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

VEAT NOTICE: Accommodation and IT costs for the South West Regional Coastal Monitoring team at the University of Plymouth

Reference number

DN668793

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 98340000 - Accommodation and office services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Teignbridge District Council are acting as the lead authority for the South West Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme (SWRCMP) which is 100% funded by the Environment Agency (EA).

This programme is the largest of the National Coastal Monitoring Programme regions, encompassing 2450 km of coast between Portland Bill in Dorset and Beachley Point on the border with Wales. It was established in 2006 and is in its 4th phase of EA funding (2006-2011, 2011-2016, 2016-2021, 2021-2027). The funding for this phase is over £9.5m.

The programme collects different types of coastal monitoring data, including topographic beach survey data, bathymetric data, LiDAR, aerial photography and habitat mapping. The Programme also has a network of 13 directional wave buoys and tide gauges around the South West coast. This data feeds into a long term dataset showing changes to the beaches and coastline of the South West. It allows us, working with Risk Management Authorities, to better understand the processes affecting our coast ensuring that coastal defence schemes are designed based on reliable information.

Our data is made available via our coastal website which is the show case for our monitoring programme. Home - SWRCMP (coastalmonitoring.org)

Since 2006 the coastal monitoring team (known as Plymouth Coastal Observatory, PCO) have been based at the University of Plymouth renting two rooms, one as an office and one for their surveying equipment. The Programme’s large data archives, currently around 30Tb, are stored on the University’s system.

The Programme is funded in phases, with this phase from 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2023. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have not yet signed the contract for them to host PCO from 01 April 2021 so, although this waiver is including all costs for this phase, theoretically the first two years are already owed to the University. Money has been set aside in the Programme’s budget for this.

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: £202,041

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKK4 - Devon

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

VEAT NOTICE:

Option 1 – Stay at the University of Plymouth

The Programme has a long standing relationship with the University built over 16 years of collaborative working and have always been based at the University. The PCO team occupy an office in the Marine Building which is one of the marine research hubs of the University. They use IT leased university equipment which comes with all cyber/virus security, support (particularly useful during the decamp for remote working during C-19), backups and safe storage for their large data archive. It also includes free access to a global portfolio of scientific journals for which individual access to a portion of this would cost >£1500 per annum. PCO have access to academic and technical staff who provide time and advice willingly. The information exchange and ability for PCO to participate in discussion forums, including the highly active Coastal Process Research Group and COAST - Coastal, Ocean And Sediment Transport team, provides them access to up-to-date research and gives additional credibility to our work. The workshop/equipment store comes with access to the university’s tools and technical assistance – this was used to design and build the CoastSnap stands at cost price. The team’s survey area covers South Devon and South Cornwall so being based in Plymouth facilities that.

Option 2 – Move to another site in Plymouth

Cheaper rentals are available in Plymouth, however few come with the IT infrastructure, storage and IT servicing solutions and the team would lose access to the academic network they so greatly benefit from.

Option 3 – Move back to Forde House, Newton Abbot

This option would not only take the team away from their survey area, but it would also move their key place of work, which is stated as Plymouth in their contracts. The team would also lose the access to technical software that they need which is available on their University computers. They would not be able to access all the academic papers they need without significant costs, and it would adversely affect their ability to access and influence research.

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

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

  • The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations

Explanation:

SEE ABOVE

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

3 May 2023

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

University of Plymouth

Plymouth

PL4 8AA

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKK4 - Devon
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: £202,041


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Teignbridge District Council

Forde House

Newton Abbot

TQ12 4XX

Country

United Kingdom