Contract

Bespoke soil sampling equipment for England Ecosystem Survey

  • DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-026879

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-049315

Published 22 August 2024, 3:10pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Contact

Judith Gyamfi

Email

dgc.ncea.commercial@defra.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3450103503

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

Buyer's address

https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

National or federal Agency/Office

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Bespoke soil sampling equipment for England Ecosystem Survey

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Provision of bespoke soil sampling equipment that were jointly developed by Natural England, Van Walt (supplier in England) and AMS (manufacturer in the USA). The equipment is required for England Ecosystem Survey soil sampling and assessment surveys.

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: £165,430.25

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Single Tender Action

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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


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 procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations

Explanation:

Single Tender Action with Van Walt UK under the Public Contract Regulations 2015: Regulation 32 (2) (b) (ii) – the negotiated procedure without prior publication may be used for public words contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts in any of the following cases: - (b) where the works, suppliers or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator for any of the following reasons: - (ii) competition is absent for technical reasons.

Van Walt are the sole supplier of bespoke equipment produced by AMS (a US company). There is no option to source alternative equipment that could maintain consistency with scientific protocols and methodologies undertaken to date.

). The equipment was used in year 1 of the survey. 24 sets of equipment were purchased previously with the value exceeding £200k. They will be used together with new sets as the number of survey teams will be double compared to 2023/24 survey season.
This STA relates to the procurement of some additional pieces of this equipment, required to fulfil this year’s survey scope and the three future years, should funding be available. Switching to different equipment would render data collected so far incomparable with new data.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

22 July 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Van Walt Ltd

Prestwick Lane Grayswood

Grayswood

GU27 2DU

Email

ikky@vanwalt.com

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ25 - West Surrey
National registration number

1607564

The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £165,430.25

Lowest offer: £165,430.25 / Highest offer: £165,430.25 taken into consideration


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Public Procurement Review Body

N/A

N/A

N/A

Email

publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit

six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained

Public Procurement Review Body

N/A

N/A

N/A

Email

publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit