Tender

The Provision of Sign Language Interpreters

  • City of Glasgow College

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-028989

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03a5a2

Published 2 October 2023, 2:55pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

City of Glasgow College

190 Cathedral Street

Glasgow

G4 0RF

Email

amie.mccrudden@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

Telephone

+44 1413755316

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM82 - Glasgow City

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk/

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00453

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

The Provision of Sign Language Interpreters

Reference number

CS/CoGC/23/25

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79540000 - Interpretation services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

City of Glasgow College will be seeking a supplier for the provision British Sign Language Interpreters for all BSL users within the College. This is inclusive of day, weekend and evening students.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £1,296,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79540000 - Interpretation services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM82 - Glasgow City

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

All service users who use British Sign Language (BSL) at City of Glasgow College will require Sign Language Interpreters (SLI) to access the curriculum and converse with their lecturers, students, colleagues and peers in a learning environment.

City of Glasgow College may have a requirement, in certain years, for speech to text reporters (also referred to as Electronic Note Takers (ENT)). This requirement may vary from each academic year depending on service user’s needs. Over the past four years, the requirement for Speech to Text Reporters has varied from zero (0) to three (3) service users per year.

Further detailed information will be contained within the tender documentation upon release.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Linguist Vetting and Selection / Weighting: 10

Quality criterion - Name: Linguist Competency and Quality / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Administration and Management / Weighting: 10

Quality criterion - Name: Monitoring and Reviewing Performance / Weighting: 10

Quality criterion - Name: Fair Work Practices / Weighting: 3

Quality criterion - Name: Business Continuity Planning / Weighting: 3

Quality criterion - Name: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion / Weighting: 2

Quality criterion - Name: Global Climate & Ecological Emergency / Weighting: 2

Price - Weighting: 40

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

48

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

12 months extension option. A new contract will be put in place at the end of the contract.

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

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 three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria

Please refer to Part 4 B Economic and Financial Standing of the SPD

The College will use the following ratios to evaluate a bidder's financial status.

Bidders must confirm within their response to the relevant question within the 'Qualification envelope' that as a minimum, 2 out of the 3 ratios can be met and what the value of each ratio is.

The 3 ratios to be evaluated are:

Profitability - this is taken as profit after tax but before dividends and minority interests. If a company makes a profit then it is a pass for this ratio;

Liquidity - this is calculated as current assets less stock and work in progress, divided by current liabilities. If the answer is greater than or equal to 'one' then it is a pass for this ratio;

Gearing - this is calculated as the total external secured borrowing (short term and long term) divided by shareholder funds expressed as a percentage. If the answer is less than or equal to 100% it is considered a pass for this ratio.

Where 2 out of the 3 ratios cannot be met, the College may take the undernoted into consideration when assessing financial viability and the risk to the College, providing that the Bidder can supply evidence to substantiate any of the mitigating criteria. This list is not exhaustive and other criteria may be considered where proposed by a bidder as mitigating factors:

Would the bidder have passed the checks if prior year accounts had been used?

Were any of the poor appraisal outcomes 'marginal'?

Does the bidder operate in a market which, traditionally, requires lower liquidity or higher debt finance?

Does the bidder have sufficient reserves to sustain losses for a number of years?

Does the bidder have a healthy cash-flow?

Is the bidder profitable enough to finance the interest on its debt?

Is most of the bidder's debt owed to group companies?

Is the bidder's debt due to be repaid over a number of years, and affordable?

Have the bidder's results been adversely affected by ‘one off costs’ and / or ‘one off accounting treatments’?

Do the bidder's auditors (where applicable) consider it to be a ‘going concern’?

Will the bidder provide a Parent Company Guarantee?

Is the bidder the single supplier/source of the Goods/Works/Services in the marketplace?

The College will obtain an Equifax Report or similar financial verification systems to validate the information provided.

Please refer to Part 4 B

Bidders must confirm they can provide the following supporting evidence prior to award:

Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = 5,000,000 GBP

Product Liability Insurance = 5,000,000 GBP

Public Liability Insurance = 10,000,000 GBP

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.1) Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession

Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision

The Successful Bidder must hold be registered with either The National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD); and/or The Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI)or equivalent.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2023/S 000-004555

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

30 October 2023

Local time

12:00pm

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

Duration in months: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

30 October 2023

Local time

12:00pm

Place

Glasgow


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: This contract will be reviewed six months prior to the contract ending.

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

In an open tendering procedure prior to any award being made the successful bidder must provide the undernoted certificates, declarations and/or completed questionnaires to evidence their compliance with the relevant questions within the Qualification Questionnaire.

All certificates, declarations and questionnaires can be found within the Attachment area of PCS-T.

Appendix A – Form of Tender;

Appendix B – Freedom of Information;

Appendix C – SUSTAIN Supply Chain Code of Conduct;

Appendix E – PECOS Supplier Adoption Form;

Appendix G - GDPR Assurance Assessment (Processor)

Appendix N – Declaration of Conflict of Interest;

Appendix O – Declaration of Non-Involvement of Human Trafficking;

Appendix P – Declaration of Non-Involvement of Serious Organised Crime;

Appendix Q – Prompt Payment Certificate;

In the case of an open tender this information will not be required to be uploaded and submitted with the bid, but will instead be requested by the College following the conclusion of the evaluation of the Qualification, Technical and Commercial Questionnaires and prior to the award of the tender.

Failure to provide this information or in the event that the information provided does not support or evidence the statements made within the Qualification Questionnaire, will invalidate any bid. In this scenario the College will seek to obtain the relevant information and evidence from the second highest scoring bidder and so on, and upon verification will award the contract to this bidder instead.

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is project_25287

For more information see:

https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 25287. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

City of Glasgow College is fully committed to incorporating Community Benefits through this procurement. Considerations to be given to how the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Glasgow could be improved both during the process and on an on-going basis.

To this end, the Successful Bidder is encouraged to implement a range of initiatives to achieve the relevant improvements to include, but not limited to:

Local employment, training and apprenticeships

Bidders will make proposals around these as part of their tender submission and once agreed by City of Glasgow College, will become a contractual obligation for the Successful Bidder.

(SC Ref:746312)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Glasgow Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court

1 Carlton Place

Glasgow

G5 9DA

Country

United Kingdom