Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Communities, Employer Services Branch
Level 3, Castle Court, Royal Avenue
BELFAST
BT1 1DD
Contact
SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS 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 electronically via
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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
ID 3481046 - DfC - Provision of a Virtual Recruitment Platform
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DfC wish to procure the services of a provider of a virtual recruitment platform to deliver recruitment events of varying sizes, over an initial period of 2 years (with the option to extend the contract subject to satisfactory performance, demand for service, and budgetary provision for a further 1 year). Virtual recruitment events will be an alternative to face to face events when those are unfeasible due to Covid-19 restrictions, but will complement the face to face Departmental offer when Covid-19 restrictions are eased. Please see the document entitled “ID 3481046 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £242,377
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72210000 - Programming services of packaged software products
- 72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services
- 72260000 - Software-related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DfC wish to procure the services of a provider of a virtual recruitment platform to deliver recruitment events of varying sizes, over an initial period of 2 years (with the option to extend the contract subject to satisfactory performance, demand for service, and budgetary provision for a further 1 year). Virtual recruitment events will be an alternative to face to face events when those are unfeasible due to Covid-19 restrictions, but will complement the face to face Departmental offer when Covid-19 restrictions are eased. Please see the document entitled “ID 3481046 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Qualitative Criteria / Weighting: 75
Price - Weighting: 25
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £242,377
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
This contract will be potentially be due to be re-procured after 2-3 years
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 contract period of 2 years there is one optional extension period of 1 year.
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
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
21 July 2021
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: 19 October 2021
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
21 July 2021
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see.. Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 — Contract Management — Procedures and Principles). 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 CPD for further action. If this occurs and their.. performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional.. misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. A central register.. of such notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website. Any contractor in receipt of a.. notice of unsatisfactory performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of 3 years from the date of.. issue of the notice. It may also result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres.. of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy. The authority expressly reserves.. the rights:. . (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;. . (ii) to make.. whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition;. . (iii) to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any.. part(s) of the (services) covered by this notice; and. . (iv) to award contract(s) in stages and in no circumstances will the authority be liable.. for any costs incurred by candidates.
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 PCR 2015
United Kingdom
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 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..