Contract

Natural England Bat Advice Service

  • Defra Network eTendering Portal

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-028490

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-040423

Published 27 September 2023, 11:54am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Defra Network eTendering Portal

17 Nobel House

London

SW1P 3JR

Contact

Alan Green

Email

alan.green@defra.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 2080261641

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.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Natural England Bat Advice Service

Reference number

C20968

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73210000 - Research consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Bat Advice Service

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: £513,940.60

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Bat Advice Service will provide specialist advice, primarily to householders, through a telephone, email, and website service and, when necessary, through visits carried out by Natural England’s network of licensed Volunteer Bat Roost Visitors (VBRVs).
The main purpose of visits is to protect bats by reassuring people affected (or distressed) by them, to advise on timing (avoidance) and methods for building maintenance works (such as timber treatment, replacement of missing roof slates/tiles but not development) and to reduce the likelihood of exclusions (and consequent threat to bat conservation and licence requirements). However, there will be a small number of cases where exclusion is justified, and a licensing route is available for these cases.

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 services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

Only supplier with technical resources to meet requirement. This is a continuation of a requirement that commenced more than ten years ago. An open procedure tender was used for this service in 2019 to test supplier market for alternative suppliers, despite 25 suppliers accessing the tender documents only one bid received, from same supplier to Natural England Bat Advice Service contract.

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

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

18 September 2023

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

Bat Conservation Trust

Studio 15 Cloisters House Cloisters Business Centre 8 Battersea Park Road London

London

SW8 4BG

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
National registration number

2712823

Internet address

www.bats.org.uk

The contractor is an SME

Yes

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £650,000

Total value of the contract/lot: £513,940.60


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