Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The Department Of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Dundonald House
BELFAST
BT4 3SB
Contact
StrategicDelivery.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
StrategicDelivery.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.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
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
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ID 3058959 DAERA - Information System for Laboratories in AFBI, NIEA and DAERA (ISLAND)
Reference number
ID 3058959
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72500000 - Computer-related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This procurement is for a public Cloud Hosted, Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for DAERA. This project will replace aging and disparate laboratory IT systems with a single, modern, joined up LIMS in 10 key laboratory areas. The solution will replace existing LIMS in 8 laboratory areas and provide new LIMS in a further 2 laboratory areas. The implementation period is to last no longer than 4 years. Implementation will involve a phased rollout of approximately 2 lab areas every 6 months. Prioritisation of rollout will be agreed with the Authority based on impact several factors, including business as usual and availability of laboratory areas. Implementation will include assisting in business transformation and design, training and the migration of minimum required LIMS data in an organised and secure manner for successful ‘day 1’ business operation. This includes ensuring the safety, accuracy (e.g. avoiding rounding) and integrity of the migrated data, formulating a migration plan and carrying out the migration in collaboration with the Authority. The Supplier may be required to assist the Authority to cleanse the data as part of the migration exercise. A Laboratory Science Data Enterprise solution will be developed in-house and is not covered by the scope of this project.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £24,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This procurement is for a public Cloud Hosted, Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for DAERA. This project will replace aging and disparate laboratory IT systems with a single, modern, joined up LIMS in 10 key laboratory areas. The solution will replace existing LIMS in 8 laboratory areas and provide new LIMS in a further 2 laboratory areas. The implementation period is to last no longer than 4 years. Implementation will involve a phased rollout of approximately 2 lab areas every 6 months. Prioritisation of rollout will be agreed with the Authority based on impact several factors, including business as usual and availability of laboratory areas. Implementation will include assisting in business transformation and design, training and the migration of minimum required LIMS data in an organised and secure manner for successful ‘day 1’ business operation. This includes ensuring the safety, accuracy (e.g. avoiding rounding) and integrity of the migrated data, formulating a migration plan and carrying out the migration in collaboration with the Authority. The Supplier may be required to assist the Authority to cleanse the data as part of the migration exercise. A Laboratory Science Data Enterprise solution will be developed in-house and is not covered by the scope of this project.
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: £24,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
84
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The contract will have an option to extend (subject to the terms of the contract and the performance of the successful Economic Operator) for 3 years followed by a further 2 optional extension periods of up to 2 years each i.e. 3+2+2.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The contract will have an option to extend (subject to the terms of the contract and the performance of the successful Economic Operator) for 3 years followed by a further 2 optional extension periods of up to 2 years each i.e. 3+2+2.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
The Contracting Authority reserves the right to award the Contract following submission of Initial Tender Responses and the right to down-select Economic Operators following each round of negotiations.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Regulation 58 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 as set out in the Information Memorandum and Selection Questionnaire. A selection process will also be used to identify. economic operators, who having submitted a response to the Selection Questionnaire, sufficiently demonstrate to the Department’s satisfaction the appropriate technical and professional ability, economic, financial and legal standing to meet the requirements of the contract.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The appointment to the contract will be subject to the preferred supplier demonstrating that the minimum requirements specified in the selection questionnaire continue to be met and that there being no material adverse. change to the standing of the supplier. The appointment will also be subject to all other necessary due diligence being carried out by the Authority. Contract performance will be subject to the conditions specified in the contract, which may include social and environmental clauses in order to promote equality of opportunity and sustainable development. Further details are set out at Section VI.3 below and furthermore in the Information Memorandum..
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
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
17 September 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: 16 December 2021
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
The Contracting Authority reserves the right: to hold additional rounds of negotiations with Economic Operators; to require the. submission of any further or additional information or tender submissions; to award the Contract following the submission of initial. tenders; to award the Contract following conclusion of the first round of negotiation sessions; and/or to down-select Economic Operators following each round of negotiations. For the avoidance of doubt, final tenders will not be subject to any negotiation with the Contracting Authority (however, they may be subject to clarification, if required, at the Contracting Authority’s absolute discretion). The Contracting Authority reserves the right: to reject any or all SQ or tender responses and to cancel or withdraw the procurement process at any stage; to award a contract without prior notice; to change the basis of, the procedure and the timescales set out or referred to in the procurement documents; to require an Economic Operator to clarify its SQ or tender response in writing and/or provide additional information; to terminate the procurement process; and/or to amend the terms and conditions of the SQ or tender evaluation process or negotiation process. •The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. •Economic Operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Economic Operator in connection with taking part in this procurement process, regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and an Economic Operator shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority. Economic Operators should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them. The figure indicated in II.1.5 represents an estimated contract value £24m. This is a maximum figure that reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. The pricing strategy applied and the setting of cost/profit margins are a commercial decision for economic operators when submitting a bid for this competition. In addition, neither CPD nor the Contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. 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 the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Notice 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 Notice. This contract will not be awarded in Lots as a single supplier is 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 PCR 2015
Belfast
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.