Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Northern Ireland Assembly Commission
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Contact
Procurement Office
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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
Other type
Devolved Legislature
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Legislature
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - Provision of Tests and Assessment Exercises for Recruitment Competitions
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79600000 - Recruitment services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The NI Assembly Commission wishes to appoint a Contractor to conduct assessments and tests supporting the recruitment and selection of permanent staff. This may include but not be limited to, verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgement tests and assessments, which include written or oral exercises, in-tray exercises and presentations. Bespoke tests and assessments are not required to be designed or offered and the NI Assembly is content to use Contractor’s existing assessments and tests which must be relevant to the post being recruited for and map to the Essential Criteria and/or Assembly Skills and Behaviours for the role. The assessments and tests must be equality assessed to ensure they do not have any adverse impact on equality grounds including community background, gender, age or disability one group over another. The Contractor will also be required to offer professional advice and expertise in relation to the suitability of tests for recruitment competitions.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £140,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79630000 - Personnel services except placement and supply services
- 79635000 - Assessment centre services for recruitment
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN06 - Belfast
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The NI Assembly Commission wishes to appoint a Contractor to conduct assessments and tests supporting the recruitment and selection of permanent staff. This may include but not be limited to, verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgement tests and assessments, which include written or oral exercises, in-tray exercises and presentations. Bespoke tests and assessments are not required to be designed or offered and the NI Assembly is content to use Contractor’s existing assessments and tests which must be relevant to the post being recruited for and map to the Essential Criteria and/or Assembly Skills and Behaviours for the role. The assessments and tests must be equality assessed to ensure they do not have any adverse impact on equality grounds including community background, gender, age or disability one group over another. The Contractor will also be required to offer professional advice and expertise in relation to the suitability of tests for recruitment competitions.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £140,000
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
The contract is anticipated to be renewed on expiry of the final contract period and prior to July 2028.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
After the initial 3 year contract period, there are two options to extend for up to and including a further 12 months each.
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.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
Previous Relevant Experience
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The Contractor’s performance will be monitored periodically by the Human Resources Recruitment Team's Contract Manager and measured at the end of each recruitment competition against the agreed Key Performance Indicators as detailed in the Schedule 5 Specification.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
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 June 2023
Local time
3:00pm
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: 3 September 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
5 June 2023
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 3 months prior to the expiry of this contract, anticipated to be April 2028.
six.3) Additional information
If the Contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of performance they will be requested to provide and implement an Improvement plan and be given a specified time in which to improve. The time will be dependent on the associated risks and the Assembly Commission’s business needs at that time. If after the specified timeframe for improvement, the performance still fails to meet satisfactory performance levels, the matter will be escalated to the Senior Management Team at the Assembly Commission for action as required.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. Instead, any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR2015 as amended.
As above
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission will comply with the Public. Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.