Opportunity

ID 3151653 Banking Services for the NICS and Public Sector Bodies

  • Department of Finance

F02: Contract notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-023863

Published 24 September 2021, 4:55pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department of Finance

303 Airport Road West

BELFAST

BT3 9ED

Contact

Collaboration.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk

Email

Collaboration.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

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address

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 3151653 Banking Services for the NICS and Public Sector Bodies

Reference number

ID 3151653

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 66110000 - Banking services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) intends to establish a collaborative Framework Agreement (Framework) for the provision of Banking Services within Northern Ireland on behalf of Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Departments, Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies and other Participating Bodies (Contracting Clients), see Annex A for a list of these bodies. CPD will set up a 5 year single supplier Framework Agreement, commencing from 1 April 2022, which will allow public sector bodies to establish Contracts with the successful Supplier to provide their banking services. For the purpose of this Framework “Banking Services” will entail the servicing of a range of bank account types, varying payment and receipt methods, local banking facilities and access to an internet banking system. The main details of the banking requirements are described in the Specification.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £35,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 66120000 - Investment banking services and related services
  • 66100000 - Banking and investment services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) intends to establish a collaborative Framework Agreement (Framework) for the provision of Banking Services within Northern Ireland on behalf of Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Departments, Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies and other Participating Bodies (Contracting Clients), see Annex A for a list of these bodies. CPD will set up a 5 year single supplier Framework Agreement, commencing from 1 April 2022, which will allow public sector bodies to establish Contracts with the successful Supplier to provide their banking services. For the purpose of this Framework “Banking Services” will entail the servicing of a range of bank account types, varying payment and receipt methods, local banking facilities and access to an internet banking system. The main details of the banking requirements are described in the Specification.

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: £35,000,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

60

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

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 Framework following submission of Initial Tender Responses and the right to down-select Economic Operators following each round of negotiations.. . Please note the list in Annex A has been compiled of all users who have been engaged with to ascertain estimated usage and values. The potential value of the Framework has been devised through engagement with the beneficiaries and best endeavours have been made to include all users who have indicated they anticipate spending through this Framework during its lifetime. Throughout the lifetime of the contract CPD reserves the right to add participating bodies for example were a new body is formed / renaming of an existing body, new legislation requires an existing body to commence collecting fund not know at the inception of the Framework or indeed where duties are transferred between bodies.


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 framework.

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 framework 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, 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.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with a single operator

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

25 October 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: 23 February 2022


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 Framework following the submission of initial tenders; to award the Framework 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 Framework 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 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 participating bodies can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The successful contractor’s performance 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 Framework 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 the Framework 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 Framework is entered into.