Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Gloucester
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKK13 - Gloucestershire
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Defence
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Repatriation Services
Reference number
703293450
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 98371000 - Funeral services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Ministry of Defence has a requirement for worldwide repatriation services for deceased Armed Forces and other entitled personnel, including the provision of specialist services in the event of a major incident resulting in mass fatalities. Any resultant contract will be a framework agreement with a single operator, which will not be open to other purchasers, and will be for an initial contract period of 24 months including an option for the Authority to extend for up to a further 24 months.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £4,900,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKK13 - Gloucestershire
Main site or place of performance
Gloucester
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Contractor will be required to provide worldwide repatriation services, on an individual or multiple basis, for deceased Armed Forces and other entitled personnel. These services may include the provision of specialist services in the event of a major incident resulting in mass fatalities where the Authority is either required to lead the response to the incident or provide assistance. Due to the nature of the requirement, it is not possible to predict how frequently the contractor will be called upon to provide the services.
The Contractor must provide a 365 day/24 hour worldwide repatriation service. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring the services carried out conform to medical and legal requirements; the preparation of the body including embalming; facial reconstruction and dressing; provision of coffins and shrouds; and preparation and marking of the coffin for movement and arrangement of transport (note: Civil flights will only be used where RAF flights are not available). The Contractor will be required to send staff into theatres of military operations in order to effect repatriations where there is no local funeral infrastructure and, in the event of a major incident, be able to provide suitable personnel and be responsible for their security in any operational/conflict zone worldwide, overseas location or, exceptionally, in the UK. The Contractor may be required to provide a Mortuary Assistant for an in-Theatre Mortuary.
In the event of a major incident, the Contractor may be required to provide any or all of the following emergency services: deploy a Major Incident Specialist to JCCC to assist in planning; provide Incident Management at the scene; recovery of remains; establish, operate and maintain an incident mortuary (which may include identification and processing of remains) or a body holding provision; assist the Services / local authorities with handling personal effects at the scene under Service supervision; liaise with all agencies; crisis intervention services and critical incident stress management; recovery of deceased bodies or remains; supply, transportation and support maintenance of suitable body storage units in theatre with appropriate mortuary assistants; deal with contaminated/infectious and Bio Hazard issues which need careful handling in order to comply with current and future health and safety regulations; body/body part identification which could include (though not be limited to) providing a Forensic Pathologist, Forensic Odontologist, Forensic Print Specialist, Forensic Photographer, Mortuary Assistant and Embalmer. The Contractor may also be requested to assist the appointed Pathologist in identification.
This list is not exhaustive and other situations can arise, which may require special handling.
The Contractor must be a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors or equivalent.
There have been on average 16 repatriations to the UK or country of origin per year over the last four years; however, due to the nature of the requirement, exact numbers are unknown and could be higher or lower in the future. The figure for the past four years is provided for guidance purposes only and there have been occasions where 150 repatriations have occurred in a one year period. To date, specialist services due to a major incident have not been required, although this is no indication of potential future requirements.
The contractor will be requested to undertake tasks as required on a call off basis. No business whatsoever is guaranteed under any resulting framework agreement or contract indeed there is no guarantee that any framework agreement or contract will be put in place in relation to this notice. No compensation etc. will be paid if a tender or resulting framework agreement is withdrawn for any reason. Bidders should take part in this process only on the basis that they fully understand and accept this position.
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: £4,900,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
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: Yes
Description of options
An option will be included for the Authority at its discretion to extend beyond the 2 year contract in monthly or annual increments up to an additional 24 months.
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
All procurement documents can be accessed free of charge on the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) https://contracts.mod.uk using Project number 703293450. Details of how to register on the DSP can be found at https://contracts.mod.uk/web/user-guide.html. Suppliers wishing to Tender for this requirement should submit their Tender on the DSP in accordance with the Invitation to Tender.
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
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
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
Any resultant contract will be subject to the conditions detailed in the 703293450 Contract Terms and Conditions, using MOD Standardised Contracting Template SC2.
It also contains conditions relating to TUPE – It is the supplier’s responsibility to consider whether or not TUPE applies to this re-let and to tender accordingly. Notwithstanding this, supplier’s may wish to note that it is the Authority’s view that TUPE is unlikely to be applicable as the contractor currently undertaking this task, Albin International Repatriation Ltd, has informed the Authority that no employees are in scope for transfer. The Authority shall not be liable for this opinion and it remains the supplier’s responsibility to ensure that their tender takes full account of all the relevant circumstances of this contract re-let.
Electronic trading – Potential suppliers must note the mandatory requirement for electronic trading using the Contracting, purchasing and finance (CP&F) electronic procurement tool.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
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.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
10 October 2022
Local time
10:00am
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: 8 January 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
10 October 2022
Local time
10:00am
Place
Defence Sourcing Portal
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
The MOD Electronic Tendering Process will apply
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
All documents associated with this procurement can be accessed free of charge on the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) https://contracts.mod.uk using Project number 703293450. Details of how to register on the DSP can be found at https://contracts.mod.uk/web/user-guide.html. Suppliers wishing to Tender for this requirement should submit their Tender on the DSP in accordance with the instructions contained within Invitation to Tender documentation.
Suppliers should also complete the Suitability Assessment Questions (SAQ) which are contained in the Qualification Envelope of project 703293450 on the DSP. These questions contain all the mandatory economic and financial grounds for rejection and the minimum levels of capacity and capability that are required to perform the contract. The SAQ is a pass/fail test for suitability and minimum levels of capability and capacity and suppliers who do not meet these minimum capability and capacity criteria will not pass to the Tender evaluation stage.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Head Office Commercial Business Partner 4
Innsworth House, Imjin Barracks
Gloucester
GL3 1HW
Country
United Kingdom