Tender

Provision of Assessment and Certification Services to the QMS Whole Chain Assurance Programme

  • QUALITY MEAT SCOTLAND

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-024012

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02e53c

Published 28 September 2021, 9:05am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

QUALITY MEAT SCOTLAND

The Rural Centre - West Mains

NEWBRIDGE

EH28 8NZ

Contact

Debbie Phillips

Email

dphillips@qmscotland.co.uk

Telephone

+44 1315107923

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.qmscotland.co.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA13202

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

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

Provision of Assessment and Certification Services to the QMS Whole Chain Assurance Programme

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79132000 - Certification services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Provision of Assessment and Certification Services to the QMS Whole Chain Assurance Programme

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £6,500,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 77100000 - Agricultural services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM - Scotland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

QMS seeks to appoint a third party Certification Body (CB) contractor, to provide independent assessment and certification services to its

whole chain assurance programme. The programme provides reassurance to consumers that meat has been produced under stringent

standards of food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and good farming practice.

The QMS Assurance Scheme Standards (available here www.qmscotland.co.uk/whole-chain-assurance) must be strictly and consistently

enforced and certified by an independent CB contractor. The scope of this contract includes all relevant activities related to the assessment

and certification of the schemes including assessment of any new and existing assurance scheme members and continuous development of

the six quality assurance schemes within the whole chain assurance programme, all as more specifically set out in the Specification of

Requirements and the Terms and Conditions of Contract.

The schemes relevant for these services are:

- Cattle & Sheep Assurance Scheme

- Pigs Assurance Scheme

- Feeds Assurance Scheme

- Haulage Assurance Scheme

- Auction Market and Collection Centres Assurance Scheme

- Processor Assurance Scheme

The contract will not be split into lots for reasons of operational and management efficiency.

The contract is for a period of 5 years commencing 1 April 2022 and has the ability to break after year 3 and year 4.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 80

Price - Weighting: 20

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £6,500,000

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

Start date

1 April 2022

End date

31 March 2027

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

Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any one of the situations referred to in regulation 58 (1) of the

Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015


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

This section refers to SPD Section 4 Part A. Statement for 4A.2 of the SPD: Where it is required, within a bidder's country of

establishment they must confirm which authorisation or memberships of the relevant organisation(s) are required in order to perform this

service. Bidders must confirm if they hold the particular authorisation or memberships.

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria

This section refers to SPD Section 4 Part B. Statement for 4B.2.1 of the SPD

Bidders will be required to have a minimum yearly ("specific") turnover of 1,000,000 the last 3 years in the business area covered by the

contract (ie the provision of certification and assessment services).

This section refers to SPD Section 4 Part B. Statement for 4B.3 of the SPD

Where turnover information is not available for the time period requested, the bidder will be required to state the date which they were set

up or started trading.

This section refers to SPD Section 4 Part B. Statement for 4B.5.1 of the SPD

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required

It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded

contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:-

Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance - 5,000,000

Public Liability Insurance - 10,000,000

Professional Indemnity Insurance - 5,000,000

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

List and brief description of selection criteria

This section refers to SPD Section 4 Part D. Statement for 4D.1 of the SPD

The bidder must hold or be in the application process of a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent third party certificate of compliance in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065, the international standard for product conformity certification, or equivalent. This accreditation status must be maintained

throughout the duration of the contract.

Please provide details of the application status.

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.2) Contract performance conditions

The contract will be subject to performance review with KPIs linked to contractual penalties. The authority will have the right to terminate

the contract if the services are performed to an unsatisfactory standard.

The contract will also include regular contract review meetings.

Please see the Invitation to Tender for more details.


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

29 October 2021

Local time

12:00pm

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: 28 December 2021

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

29 October 2021

Local time

12:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Subject to the authority's discretion as to whether or not to exercise either break option in 2025 or 2026. The latest date for re-procuring this contract will be 2027.

six.3) Additional information

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=668394.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

Community Benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see:

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2361

(SC Ref:668394)

Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=668394

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Edinburght Sheriff Court

Edinburgh

Country

United Kingdom