Scope
Reference
NEPO535
Description
NEPO seeks to establish a Closed Framework which will operate as a Neutral Vendor Managed Service; NEPRO x Innovation. The objective of this procurement is to provide Contracting Authorities with access to a single Supplier (the Delivery Partner) who will provide a managed service for the delivery of services, goods, works and technology.
NEPRO x Innovation is a new Framework for NEPO. As a strategic procurement solution, the Framework will fall under NEPO's 'NEPRO' brand. NEPRO provides outcomes-based frameworks offering an end-to-end procurement solution for the public sector.
The Delivery Partner will adopt a Managed Service for the delivery of projects in the following areas:
• Goods
• Works
• Services
• Technology
A single project may include more than one of the above. The Delivery Partner will be able to flexibly deliver projects incorporating all areas, to suit Contracting Authorities' bespoke requirements.
NEPO expects the typical value of projects being delivered under the Framework, will be at £25k and above. There will be no maximum project value.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Delivery Partner will not provide services, goods, works and technology in its own right, but rather will deliver a Managed Service that allows Contracting Authorities to procure these elements.
The Delivery Partner is to bring together the bespoke requirements of Contracting Authorities and a perpetual Supply Chain capable of meeting those requirements. Equal importance is to be placed on the service provided to Contracting
Authorities and the management of the Supply Chain delivering the requirements.
Through market-led, Outcome-based pricing, the Delivery Partner will provide a 'one stop shop' for all in scope goods, services, technology and works and will have a positive impact at every stage of the delivery. The Delivery Partner will act as a single point interface between the Contracting Authority and the Supply Chain.
The Delivery Partner will be required to accommodate the bespoke needs of each Contracting Authority in each project. This will require the ability to flexibly deliver goods, works, services and technology contracts and offer innovative and/or bespoke procurement processes.
Commercial tool
Establishes a framework
Total value (estimated)
- £20,000,000,000 excluding VAT
- £24,000,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2029
- Possible extension to 30 September 2033
- 8 years
Description of possible extension:
The Framework is for a period of 48 months with the options to extend for up to a further 2 x 24-month periods. Justification for the longer framework term is provided under section 6 of this Notice.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 03000000 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
- 09000000 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy
- 14000000 - Mining, basic metals and related products
- 15000000 - Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
- 16000000 - Agricultural machinery
- 18000000 - Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories
- 19000000 - Leather and textile fabrics, plastic and rubber materials
- 22000000 - Printed matter and related products
- 24000000 - Chemical products
- 30000000 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages
- 31000000 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting
- 32000000 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 33000000 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- 34000000 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 35000000 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment
- 37000000 - Musical instruments, sport goods, games, toys, handicraft, art materials and accessories
- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 39000000 - Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products
- 41000000 - Collected and purified water
- 42000000 - Industrial machinery
- 43000000 - Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment
- 44000000 - Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
- 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
- 55000000 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services
- 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
- 63000000 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services
- 64000000 - Postal and telecommunications services
- 65000000 - Public utilities
- 66000000 - Financial and insurance services
- 70000000 - Real estate services
- 71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 75000000 - Administration, defence and social security services
- 76000000 - Services related to the oil and gas industry
- 77000000 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 90000000 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
- 92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
- GG - Guernsey
- IM - Isle of Man
- JE - Jersey
Framework
Maximum number of suppliers
1
Maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers
1%
Further information about fees
Under the Framework, the Delivery Partner will provide a Managed Service. The Managed Service Fee will be the fee charged by the Delivery Partner for all projects under the Framework. The Managed Service Fee will be based on the total Project cost approved and accepted by the Contracting Authority for any given Project and corresponding Work Order and Sub-Contract. The fee will be in accordance with that which is tendered, however should not exceed 5%. Further information regarding NEPO's intended approach to the Managed Service Fee is provided in the Invitation to Participate Documents.
NEPO operates a contract rebate arrangement whereby Suppliers are asked to repay NEPO a set percentage of each invoice in respect of orders placed by NEPO or any Contracting Authority accessing the Framework. NEPO proposes this will be one fifth (20%) of the Managed Service Fee. Therefore, the maximum rebate taken by NEPO against the value of awarded contracts will not exceed 1%.
Justification for framework term over 4 years
The Framework term may exceed 4 years up to a further 2 x 24-month periods. In accordance with section 47(2) of the Procurement Act, NEPO considers that the nature of the services, goods, works and technology provided under the Framework requires a solution that will operate for a longer duration. NEPO considers the longer term is necessary due to the following:
• Complexity of the Framework
• Resource required to procure the Framework
• Complexity and value of projects procured under the Framework, which may span numerous years.
• The investment required from the Delivery Partner to implement the Framework including developing and implementing terms and conditions, mobilising a supply chain, developing innovative procurement processes and documentation and mobilising a technology platform.
Prior to exercising any extension, NEPO will ensure the Delivery Partner has achieved pre-agreed targets, which will be determined and fixed prior to contract commencement.
Framework operation description
The successful tenderer will enter into a Framework Contract (NEPRO x Innovation) with NEPO. The Framework will be accessible to Contracting Authorities through a Call-Off Contract. NEPO will establish overarching Framework terms and conditions which will govern the relationship between NEPO and the Delivery Partner, stipulating the core terms encapsulating the Managed Service. NEPO will also establish a Call-Off Contract which will govern the relationship between the Contracting Authority and the Delivery Partner, focusing on the Managed Service provided by the Delivery Partner.
The Delivery Partner will be responsible for managing a perpetual supply chain of Providers, capable of delivering projects covering goods, works, services and technology. The Delivery Partner will manage access to its supply chain via a Supplier Agreement.
When a Contracting Authority with an active Call-Off identifies a need that can be fulfilled through the Framework, they will enter into a Work Order with the Delivery Partner. The Work Order will include Core Terms, established at Framework level governing common elements in every project and specifying the Delivery Partner's role in ensuring the successful delivery of the project. Project-specific terms and conditions will thereafter be incorporated by the Delivery Partner, in agreement with the Contracting Authority. The Delivery Partner will be responsible for ensuring that the appropriate terms and conditions are incorporated to sufficiently protect the Contracting Authority based on their bespoke requirements. The Delivery Partner will provide these terms and conditions at their own cost.
Following the Award Process, the Delivery Partner will be responsible for flowing down the key terms of the Work Order, to a Sub-Contract. The Sub-Contract will be entered into by the Neutral Vendor and the Project Provider(s).
Award method when using the framework
Without competition
Contracting authorities that may use the framework
NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities.
The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-members
NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023).
A list of permissible users available at: http://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users
Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org
Further and full information regarding Contracting Authorities that may use the agreement can be found in the Procurement Documents.
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Legal and financial conditions of participation are included in this procurement. Full information on legal and financial conditions of participation can be found in the associated Procurement Documents.
Technical ability conditions of participation
Technical ability conditions of participation are included in this procurement. Full information on technical ability conditions of participation can be found in the associated Procurement Documents.
Submission
Enquiry deadline
11 April 2025, 12:00pm
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
28 April 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
The opportunity can be accessed via the NEPO eTender system, Open. Suppliers wishing to be considered for this Framework Agreement must register their expression of interest and submit the Tender Questionnaire (PSQ) through the Open eTendering System. If not already registered, suppliers should register on the NEPO eTendering System at https://www.open-uk.org/
Tender questionnaire (PSQ) responses must be submitted using the link above. Responses submitted via postal or email methods will not be accepted.
If you need technical assistance from the Open Support team, this can be requested via
PLEASE NOTE: Open is accessible 24/7 however, technical support is available Monday - Thursday 8:30 - 5pm and Friday 8.30 - 4.30pm
For guidance on how to submit your response through Open, please visit: https://www.openhub.org/training (https://www.open-hub.org/training) (https://www.open-hub.org/training (https://www.openhub.org/training)) to access the available Training Guides.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Suppliers to be invited to tender
Maximum 5 suppliers
Selection criteria:
Suppliers will be required to satisfy the Conditions of Participation, as detailed in the Procurement Documents.
Award decision date (estimated)
1 August 2025
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Criteria will be refined later (see Competitive flexible procedure description) |
Quality | 80% |
| Pricing | Criteria will be refined later (see Competitive flexible procedure description) |
Price | 20% |
Other information
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
This Procurement is being run under a multi-stage stage competitive procedure ("Competitive Flexible procedure") pursuant to section 20 of the Procurement Act 2023 ('the Act'). As such, this Notice provides further details of the Procurement and process for submitting Tenders.
Suppliers' attention is drawn to the instructions set out in the Procurement Documents, which set out requirements which apply to all Suppliers participating in the Procurement. Suppliers should review the Procurement Documents, including the instructions, carefully before submitting a Tender, as failure to comply may lead to your Tender being excluded.
The Framework is a Single Supplier Framework, therefore is not divided into Lots.
NEPO intends to follow the process set out below in this Procurement:
Invitation to Participate in the Competitive Flexible Procedure
The first stage of this Competitive Flexible Procedure is the submission of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) which can be accessed in the Procurement Documents.
The evaluation criteria and methodology which will be applied to assess the PSQ submission are set out in the Scoring Matrix, also accessed in the Procurement Documents.
The PSQ Scoring Matrix clearly sets out which sections are scored on a 'Pass / Fail' basis to identify where Suppliers can be removed from the process.
Following submission of the PSQ, NEPO will review each Supplier's Conditions of Participation response to determine whether the Conditions of Participation are satisfied. Where NEPO has determined that one or more Conditions of Participation are not met, NEPO reserves the right to exclude that organisation from further participation in the Procurement. NEPO expects to evaluate the PSQ submissions which have been submitted in accordance with the Invitation to Participate and Associated Procurement Documents to determine which suppliers satisfy the Conditions of Participation. Through this stage, NEPO will shortlist a maximum of five (5) suppliers who will be Invited to Continue in the process. Following this, NEPO expects to invite Suppliers to submit an Initial Tender, conduct dialogue (if required) and finally invite Final Tenders.
In order to successfully satisfy the Conditions of Participation of this procurement, Suppliers must:
• Provide all requested information.
• Meet all mandatory requirements pass/fail questions.
• Respond to all discretionary requirements.
• Pass / Meet an overall minimum score of [2] for each of the assessed elements. This comprises Part 3D (Technical and Professional Ability) and covers questions 3D.1-3D.6.
Further details regarding the Conditions of Participation and how these will be evaluated by NEPO can be found in Paragraphs 32 (Conditions of Participation) and 34 (The Assessment Process and Award Criteria) of the Invitation to Participate Document, accessed in the Procurement Documents.
Following the evaluation of PSQ submissions, NEPO will issue a notification detailing its intent to issue an Invitation to Continue to a maximum of 5 shortlisted Suppliers. Debriefing information will be provided to unsuccessful Suppliers. At this stage, NEPO will enter into a voluntary standstill period of at least 8 working days (beginning with the date of dispatch of the aforementioned notifications).
Invitation to Continue in the Competitive Flexible Procedure
At this stage NEPO will issue an Invitation to Continue (ITC) that sets out the requirements for the Initial Tender submissions. This phase may include dialogue with shortlisted Suppliers on any element of the procurement. As part of this dialogue, NEPO may refine its Procurement Documents to ensure their suitability. Such refinement will depend on Supplier feedback and as such cannot be specified at this stage. NEPO may also refine its award criteria at this stage. Any refinement of award criteria will be complete before NEPO invites final tenders.
Following the conclusion of any dialogue, NEPO will declare the dialogue stage to be concluded and issue an Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT) to Suppliers.
NEPO reserves the right to refine the evaluation criteria that will apply to the final tenders and these will be specified in the ISFT.
Further Procurement Documents will be provided to the Tenderers following issue of the Invitation to Continue (ITC).
Invitation to Submit Final Tenders
Final Tenders should be based on the solution(s) presented and specified at the close of the dialogue stage, contain all elements required for the performance of the Framework and should meet all of NEPO's requirements.
Tenderers should note that the evaluation of Final Tenders will include a System Demonstration from each Tenderer. Further details regarding the System Demonstration can be found in Paragraph 36 (Platform Demonstration) of the Invitation to Participate Document accessed in the Procurement Documents. Full details regarding System Demonstrations will be provided in the ISFT.
Final Tenders are expected to be final, as there is limited opportunity to vary tenders after submission. However, NEPO may request Tenderers to clarify, specify or optimise their Final Tenders. Such clarification, specification or optimisation, or any additional information, may not involve changes to the essential aspects of the Final Tender or the requirements of the Procurement, where such variations are likely to distort the competition or give the Tenderer an unfair advantage.
NEPO reserves the right to seek further information pursuant to the Procurement Act 2023 in order to determine whether NEPO considers a Final Tender to be abnormally low for the performance of the Framework.
Following submission of Final Tenders, NEPO expects to undertake an evaluation process to identify which Tenderer has submitted the Most Advantageous Tender. Further information on the evaluation process can be found in Paragraph 34 (The Assessment Process and Award Criteria) of the Invitation to Participate Document accessed in the Procurement Documents. Full and additional information regarding the evaluation process for Final Tenders will be provided in the ISFT.
NEPO reserves the right to vary the procedure and timeframes of the Procurement as set out in this Notice and associated Procurement Documents. Reasons for this may include, but are not limited to, supporting continued competition, avoiding unnecessary bidding cost and adhering to subsequent technical or legal guidance.
The opportunity can be accessed via the NEPO eTendering system. Suppliers wishing to be considered for this Framework must register their expression of interest and submit the Tender Questionnaire (PSQ) and subsequent tender response(s) through the Open eTendering System. Responses submitted via postal or email methods will not be accepted.
If not already registered, suppliers should register on the NEPO eTendering System at https://www.open-uk.org/ (https://www.open-uk.org/) (https://www.open-uk.org/ (https://www.open-uk.org/))
If you need technical assistance from the Open Support team, this can be requested via open.support@nepo.org
PLEASE NOTE: Open is accessible 24/7 however, technical support is available Monday - Thursday 8:30 - 5pm and Friday 8.30 - 4.30pm
For guidance on how to submit your response through Open, please visit: https://www.openhub.org/training (https://www.open-hub.org/training) (https://www.open-hub.org/training (https://www.openhub.org/training)) to access the available Training Guides.
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://www.open-uk.org/
All Procurement Documents can be accessed on NEPO's eTendering platform, Open. If not already registered, suppliers should register on the NEPO eTendering System at https://www.open-uk.org/
Documents to be provided after the tender notice
All documents relating to the Invitation To Participate (PSQ) stage can be accessed following the instructions above. NEPO does not envisage it will publish further documentation relating to the Invitation To Participate stage.
Further documentation will be provided as part of the Invitation To Continue, to those suppliers that are successful in the Invitation To Participate (PSQ) stage. These documents will be accessed following the instructions above.
Full details on the procurement process can be found in the Procurement Documents.
Technical specifications to be met
https://www.open-uk.org/
Technical specification(s) will be provided as part of the Invitation to Continue. These may be refined as part of the potential dialogue stage following the Invitation to Continue in the Competitive Flexible Procedure.
Contracting authority
THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED
- Companies House: 05014821
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYVX-2132-JNMM
Northern Design Centre
Gateshead
NE8 3DF
United Kingdom
Contact name: Ruth Long
Telephone: 0191 638 0040
Email: cdpnepoteam@nepo.org
Website: http://www.nepo.org
Region: UKC22 - Tyneside
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government