Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Ballymiscaw
BELFAST
BT4 3SB
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.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 3628970 – DAERA - The Northern Ireland Countryside Survey
Reference number
ID 3628970
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90000000 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
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: £3,160,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 90700000 - Environmental services
- 90721700 - Endangered species protection services
- 90720000 - Environmental protection
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
- 90714100 - Environmental information systems
- 90722000 - Environmental rehabilitation
- 90710000 - Environmental management
- 90721100 - Landscape protection services
- 71355000 - Surveying services
- 79311000 - Survey services
- 79311100 - Survey design services
- 79311300 - Survey analysis services
- 79330000 - Statistical services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: AC1 Programme Manager Experience / Weighting: 5.6
Quality criterion - Name: AC2 Key Personnel Experience - Work Packages 1 3 / Weighting: 15.4
Quality criterion - Name: AC3 Key Personnel Experience – Work Package 2 / Weighting: 7
Quality criterion - Name: AC4 Field Surveyors – Work Package 1 – Resourcing Methodology / Weighting: 7
Quality criterion - Name: AC5 Proposed Methodology - WP1 - Development of Field/Technical Manuals, Strategies and Fieldwork Plans / Weighting: 7
Quality criterion - Name: AC6 Proposed Methodology – WP1 - Field Survey, data analysis and reports / Weighting: 8.75
Quality criterion - Name: AC7 Proposed Methodology – WP2 / Weighting: 7
Quality criterion - Name: AC8 Proposed Methodology – WP3 / Weighting: 5.25
Quality criterion - Name: AC9 Contract Management, Implementation and Contingency / Weighting: 7
Cost criterion - Name: AC10 Total Contract Price / Weighting: 30
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The Contract commenced in June 2022, for an initial period of 6 years with an optional extension period of 2 years following the end of the initial period.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: Yes
Identification of the project
Rural Development Programme
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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2022/S 035-091745
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Title
Contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
29 June 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
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: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
UK Centre For Ecology Hydrology
UKCEH, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
OX10 8BB
Telephone
+44 1491838800
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £3,160,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £3,160,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored in line with PGN 01/12. 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 Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance will 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 for a period of twelve months from the date of issue of the certificate. 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. 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 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 contract 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 contract was entered into.