Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
DoJ Forensic Science Northern Ireland
c/o Construction Procurement Delivery, Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKN0F - Mid and East Antrim
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/topics/forensic-science/forensic-science-northern-ireland
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
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 Helium BiPS
Reference number
DOJ DAC 10/24
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 44612100 - Gas cylinders
- LA21 - For laboratory use
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
This Direct Award Contract is to cover expenditure for the supply of cylinders of helium gas with a Built In Purification System (BIPS) for use with an instrumentation set up in a number of labs across FSNI which demands high purity helium in order to avoid unnecessary maintenance, repair and down time.
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: £180,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN0F - Mid and East Antrim
Main site or place of performance
Forensic Science Northern Ireland, Seapark, Carrickfergus, County Antrim
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This Direct Award Contract is to cover expenditure for the supply of cylinders of helium gas with a Built In Purification System (BIPS) for use with an instrumentation set up in a number of labs across FSNI which demands high purity
helium in order to avoid unnecessary maintenance, repair and down time.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
Explanation:
FSNI tested the market for Helium with BIPS in 2013 when they tendered for the Supply & Delivery of Gases, this product had to be removed from the tender specification as no other supplier was permitted to supply Helium BIPS which only the appointed contractor can supply. Horizon scanning has continued since then to understand whether there may be an alternative in provision that could provide the same level of purity required and recent market sounding has confirmed that there remains no alternative to the patented product offered by the appointed contractor. BIPS cylinders are exclusive to the appointed contractor, who developed and own the Built In Purification System. The appointed contractor have this system patented, therefore no other supplier can offer the same or similar products in UK or Ireland. Further research (2023/24) in the market has confirmed that the appointed contractor remains the only provider capable of providing high purity helium.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
DOJ DAC 10/24
Title
Provision of Helium BiPS
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
9 August 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
As per Regulation 50(6)(a) - information withheld for security reasons
As per Regulation 50(6)(a) - information withheld for security reasons
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Companies House
As per Regulation 50(6)(a) - information withheld for security reasons
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £180,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Please note that information relating to contractors engaged by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice,and associated bodies, is not published in any publicly accessible forum or publication. This is to protect such contractors, whose security and safety could be
threatened by dissident terrorist organisations still active in Northern Ireland if their details became known. This is consistent with Regulation 50(6)(a).
The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only and includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand and to future proof. There is no guarantee of any level of business under
this contract. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a contractor should the
actual demand be less than that stated.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
See VI.4.3 / Review procedure
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
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 Public Contracts Regulations 2015.