Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for the Economy
Adelaide House , 39-49 Adelaide Street
BELFAST
BT2 8FD
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.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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
DfE - Project Gigabit Consultancy
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 71316000 - Telecommunication consultancy services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The UK Gigabit Programme is the UK Government’s £5bn programme to deliver ‘lighting fast, reliable broadband to all premises in the UK’. The UK Government has set a target to deliver gigabit capable infrastructure to a minimum of 85 percent of premises by 2025, and all premises ‘as soon as possible’. Northern Ireland is well placed to lead the rest of the UK in terms of access to gigabit capable broadband, building on momentum created by considerable commercial and public investment in broadband infrastructure. The purpose of this consultancy assignment is: • Outline Business Case (OBC) – develop an OBC for Project Gigabit in line with the Better Business Cases NI Five Case Model. The OBC will undertake a detailed assessment of value for money, affordability and achievability including a full economic appraisal and other key management information. The OBC will be used to inform any investment decision and provide evidence if the project can proceed to procurement. • Pre-procurement - support the development of the procurement process including advice on draft contract documents and ITT documentation. The Contractor will provide the necessary and appropriate technical, financial and economic support and advice to assist DfE in the development of the technical and financial specification requirements for this project. • Procurement - advise on evaluation of bids. The Contractor will be required to assist with the evaluation of the technical and financial aspects of submitted bids against the technical and financial specification and criteria. • Full Business Case (FBC) - the Contractor will be required to provide the necessary economic support to develop and complete the Full Business Case for the project in line with the Better Business Cases NI Five Case Model, leading to contract award. • Implementation phase of broadband contract - provide specialist technical and financial advice during the implementation of a contract.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £500,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 71621000 - Technical analysis or consultancy services
- 72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services
- 72100000 - Hardware consultancy services
- 72600000 - Computer support and consultancy services
- 79411000 - General management consultancy services
- 73220000 - Development consultancy services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 73210000 - Research consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN0 - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The UK Gigabit Programme is the UK Government’s £5bn programme to deliver ‘lighting fast, reliable broadband to all premises in the UK’. The UK Government has set a target to deliver gigabit capable infrastructure to a minimum of 85 percent of premises by 2025, and all premises ‘as soon as possible’. Northern Ireland is well placed to lead the rest of the UK in terms of access to gigabit capable broadband, building on momentum created by considerable commercial and public investment in broadband infrastructure. The purpose of this consultancy assignment is: • Outline Business Case (OBC) – develop an OBC for Project Gigabit in line with the Better Business Cases NI Five Case Model. The OBC will undertake a detailed assessment of value for money, affordability and achievability including a full economic appraisal and other key management information. The OBC will be used to inform any investment decision and provide evidence if the project can proceed to procurement. • Pre-procurement - support the development of the procurement process including advice on draft contract documents and ITT documentation. The Contractor will provide the necessary and appropriate technical, financial and economic support and advice to assist DfE in the development of the technical and financial specification requirements for this project. • Procurement - advise on evaluation of bids. The Contractor will be required to assist with the evaluation of the technical and financial aspects of submitted bids against the technical and financial specification and criteria. • Full Business Case (FBC) - the Contractor will be required to provide the necessary economic support to develop and complete the Full Business Case for the project in line with the Better Business Cases NI Five Case Model, leading to contract award. • Implementation phase of broadband contract - provide specialist technical and financial advice during the implementation of a contract.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Qualitative Criteria / Weighting: 70
Cost criterion - Name: Quantitative Criterion / Weighting: 30
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £500,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
60
This contract is subject to renewal
No
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
.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
12 December 2022
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: 12 March 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
12 December 2022
Local time
3:30pm
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
Construction and Procurement Delivery Authorised Personnel
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
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. The figure indicated in II.1.5 represents an estimated contract value £500,000 and may increase during the life of the contract to accommodate changes. Any increases/modifications will be managed in accordance with the relevant public procurement regulations. The pricing strategy applied and the setting of cost/profit margins are a commercial decision for Economic Operators when submitting a bid for this competition. In addition, neither CPD nor the Contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. 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 their. 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 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 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 PCR 2015 as amended
United Kingdom
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.