Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Invest Northern Ireland
Bedford Square, 1 Bedford St
BELFAST
BT2 7ES
Contact
SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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 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 5121238 - DfE - Invest NI - Invest NI Framework Agreement for Patent Appraisal Services 2023-2027
Reference number
ID 5121238
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79120000 - Patent and copyright consultancy services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Invest NI wishes to establish a framework list of Contractors to undertake Patent Appraisals /Reviews of PoC proposals. Other Divisions from within Invest NI may, on occasions, use the Framework for similar proposals. The programme is not sector specific, but applications generally fall into the following sectors: Life Sciences , ICT, Engineering. The appointed Contractors will carry out patent appraisals on each of the PoC project proposals and provide a comprehensive report (circa 15-20 pages) for each.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £220,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 79100000 - Legal services
- 79121000 - Copyright consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Invest NI wishes to establish a framework list of Contractors to undertake Patent Appraisals /Reviews of PoC proposals. Other Divisions from within Invest NI may, on occasions, use the Framework for similar proposals. The programme is not sector specific, but applications generally fall into the following sectors: Life Sciences , ICT, Engineering. The appointed Contractors will carry out patent appraisals on each of the PoC project proposals and provide a comprehensive report (circa 15-20 pages) for each.
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: £220,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework Agreement will run for an initial period of 2 years and with the option to extend for 2 further periods of up to and included 12 months each.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The Framework Agreement will run for an initial period of 2 years and with the option to extend for 2 further periods of up to and included 12 months each.
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
Contract Value. The figure indicated in Section II 1.5 represents an estimated Framework value. This value reflects the potential scale of the Framework and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation. Neither CPD nor the Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this Framework. 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.
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 several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 3
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
11 September 2024
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: 10 December 2024
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
11 September 2024
Local time
3:30pm
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
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 the 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 their place on 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.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. 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 as amended
UK
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.