Section one: Contracting entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Phoenix Energy Group Ltd (formerly Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd)
197 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
Contact
Chris Losty
christopher.losty@phoenixenergyni.com
Telephone
+44 2890555817
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKN - Northern Ireland
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://e-sourcingni.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://e-sourcingni.bravosolution.co.uk
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.6) Main activity
Production, transport and distribution of gas and heat
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Emergency Contact Services (ECS) '24 for receipt of publicly reported gas escape calls and subsequent engineer dispatch.
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79512000 - Call centre
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Phoenix Energy Group Ltd (formerly Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd) own and operate a gas distribution network system in the Greater Belfast Area of Northern Ireland. It is a condition of the associated License to operate, that Phoenix provides a contact number - publicly available - in order that gas-related incidents may be reported on a 24/ 365 basis. Such reports may require the dispatch of an Engineer to the location in question, the response time to which is also determined by the Operator License referred to previously. Phoenix requires to appoint a suitably experienced and resourced Service Provider capable of delivering the full emergency service - from receipt of call through to Engineer dispatch and ultimately satisfactory delivery of a safe and robust service. N.B. Under the conditions of the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997, Phoenix must provide the 24-hour gas escape telephone number - 0800 002 001 - and make this accessible to any member of the public and any other Entity that operates a gas distribution network within the Northern Ireland region. To this end, it is a condition of this tender process that any Service Provider appointed by Phoenix Energy, must afford the same services, at commensurate commercial terms, to any other Northern Ireland Gas Network Operator.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £6,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
Main site or place of performance
Northern Ireland.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Emergency Call Centre requires to provide a dedicated resource capable of receiving and processing around 3,500 calls in any given month - on a 24/ 365 basis. This number could significantly escalate in the event of a critical incident. The ultimate objective of the appointed Service Provider will be to help safe-guard life and property. Note, the appointed Service Provider will be required to provide a facility that operates within the same time zone as the Northern Ireland Gas Network Operators - i.e. GMT.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
96
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Maximum number: 6
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
The relevant criteria is stated in the Pre-qualification Questionnaire.
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
two.2.14) Additional information
Organisations wishing to participate in the tender process must first complete and submit (before the due date) the Pre-qualification Questionnaire, the purpose of which will be to establish the relevant experience of the Applicant Party in relation to the required Services to be delivered.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
No more than the top six scoring Applicants that demonstrate the most appropriate and relevant experience in relation to the Services required shall be invited to proceed to the tender stage. However, the number invited to tender may be less than six should a minimum score level not be exceeded. Further details of this stage of the tender process are contained within the PQQ document.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
As stated in the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and subsequent tender documentation.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
The Applicant must be able to demonstrate an annual turnover in excess of £50 million (or equivalent) in each of the 3 years stated for which accounts are submitted..
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
As stated in the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and subsequent tender documentation.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
The levels of experience required are further detailed in the Pre-qualification Questionnaire.
three.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
List and brief description of rules and criteria
As stated in the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and subsequent tender documentation.
three.1.6) Deposits and guarantees required
Not applicable.
three.1.7) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them
As stated in the tender documentation.
three.1.8) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded
As stated in the tender documentation.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
As stated in the tender documentation.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated procedure with prior call for competition
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with a single operator
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 8 years:
The duration of the Framework Agreement shall initially be four years with an extension provision that may take the term up to a maximum of eight years.
four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
15 December 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
12 January 2024
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: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
A draft version of the Scope of Services section of the Invitation to Tender document is made available to all interested Parties through the eSourcingNI website. This is for reference purposes only. There should be no attempt to the address this document until invited to do so. The purpose of making this available, in draft form, at this stage is to further inform those potential Applicants about the nature of the Services to be completed and the standards under which they require to be delivered.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland
Royal Courts of Justice, Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 3JF
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
Phoenix will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to all participating entities. The standstill period provides time for unsuccessful participating entities to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into. The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (as amended) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (Northern Ireland).