Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
DfE: The Renewable Electricity Team RET
Adelaide House, 39-49 Adelaide Street
BELFAST
BT2 8FD
Contact
SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-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.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 - Renewable Electricity Team - Renewable Electricity Support Scheme Design
Reference number
ID: 4917719
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
DfE - Renewable Electricity Team wishes to appoint a “Contractor” who will be responsible for delivering the three key outcomes set out in the specification in order to support DfE in meeting its Energy Strategy Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 ambitions. The 3 outcomes include developing a high-level support scheme design, Conducting quantitative modelling exercises and a financial impact assessment. It is anticipated this contract will commence early October 2023 and initially run for 12 months. The Accelerated Open Procedure has been chosen as there is an urgent requirement for the service to be set up. The Executive’s new Energy Strategy - Path to Net Zero Energy was published in December 2021, followed by the Energy Strategy Action Plan in March 2023. Action point 7 of the plan commits the Department for the Economy to publishing the final design of renewable electricity support by the end of the year, along with a pathway and timeline for the support being in place. Delivery of the support scheme design for Northern Ireland cannot occur without a solid evidence base to support policy decisions. There is therefore a need for timely and relevant expert advice in order to shape an incentive scheme to meet current and anticipated levels of demand in Northern Ireland in this new decade and beyond. In order to meet the target set by the 2023 Energy Strategy Action Plan the Renewable Electricity Team requires urgent consultancy support to be completed by early December 2023 at the latest.
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: £174,989
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 73220000 - Development consultancy services
- 73210000 - Research consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
DfE - Renewable Electricity Team wishes to appoint a “Contractor” who will be responsible for delivering the three key outcomes set out in the specification in order to support DfE in meeting its Energy Strategy Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 ambitions. The 3 outcomes include developing a high-level support scheme design, Conducting quantitative modelling exercises and a financial impact assessment. It is anticipated this contract will commence early October 2023 and initially run for 12 months. The Accelerated Open Procedure has been chosen as there is an urgent requirement for the service to be set up. The Executive’s new Energy Strategy - Path to Net Zero Energy was published in December 2021, followed by the Energy Strategy Action Plan in March 2023. Action point 7 of the plan commits the Department for the Economy to publishing the final design of renewable electricity support by the end of the year, along with a pathway and timeline for the support being in place. Delivery of the support scheme design for Northern Ireland cannot occur without a solid evidence base to support policy decisions. There is therefore a need for timely and relevant expert advice in order to shape an incentive scheme to meet current and anticipated levels of demand in Northern Ireland in this new decade and beyond. In order to meet the target set by the 2023 Energy Strategy Action Plan the Renewable Electricity Team requires urgent consultancy support to be completed by early December 2023 at the latest.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Outcome 1: Develop the high-level support scheme design / Weighting: 17.5
Quality criterion - Name: Outcome 2: Modelling / Weighting: 11.2
Quality criterion - Name: Outcome 3 Financial Impact Assessment / Weighting: 11.2
Quality criterion - Name: Key Personnel Experience / Weighting: 11.2
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value: Supporting Health Wellbeing / Weighting: 10.5
Quality criterion - Name: Contract Management / Weighting: 8.4
Cost criterion - Name: Total Contract Price / Weighting: 30
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
one optional extension of any period up to and including 6 months
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
Open procedure
Accelerated procedure
Justification:
The Accelerated Open Procedure was chosen as there is an urgent requirement for the service to be set up in order to meet the target set by the 2023 Energy Strategy Action Plan. The Renewable Electricity Team requires urgent consultancy support to be completed by early December 2023 at the latest.
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 000-026283
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Title
Contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
31 October 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 5
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 5
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Aurora Energy Research
2-3 Cambridge Terrace
Oxford
OX1 1TP
Telephone
+44 1865952700
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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: £174,989
Total value of the contract/lot: £174,989
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
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 Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance and the. contract may be terminated. The issue of a Certificate 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 certificate.
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.
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD complied with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and incorporated a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract was communicated to tenderers. That notification provided full information on the award decision. This provided time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract was entered into