Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Defra Network eTendering Portal
17 Nobel House
London
SW1P 3JR
Telephone
+44 2072385921
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
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
NEIRF Evaluation Execution CCN
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 77231500 - Forest monitoring or evaluation services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Defra is designing a Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (hereafter
referred to as the NEIRF); a grant programme to address market failures,
develop capacity and support investment in natural environment projects which
enable the outcomes contained in Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (25
YEP) and the Green Finance Strategy.
Initially, this commission is for a policy evaluation across the first year of the
NEIRF scheme but will continue for a further two years subject to annual review.
The role of evaluation is to assess evidence on the process, impact and value for
money of NEIRF grant-funded projects. Through the evaluation we will want to
know the extent to which NEIRF aims and objectives have been achieved, to
recommend adjustments to ongoing and future projects, capture and disseminate
policy learning and evidence on developing private sector investment to deliver
environmental outcomes and make recommendations on, and arrangements for,
long term achievement of scheme outcomes.
The change to the contract is to include the HIVE initiative and case studies that were not in existence or applicable at original formulation of the project.
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: £302,582
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Ecorys is carrying out an independent evaluation of the NEIRF as set out in
Specification 1 of this contract. The role of evaluation is to assess evidence on the
process, impact and value for money of NEIRF grant-funded projects. Through the
evaluation we will establish the extent to which NEIRF aims and objectives have been
achieved, to recommend adjustments to ongoing and future projects, capture and
disseminate policy learning and evidence on developing private sector investment to
deliver environmental outcomes and make recommendations on, and arrangements
for, long term achievement of scheme outcomes.
a) Evaluation of the Defra funded elements of GFI HIVE3 initiative, which will continue
the provision of support for nature projects that are seeking private sector funding,
and the facilitation of those relationships; and
b) The production of standalone case studies of NEIRF projects, which can be
disseminated to a wide audience, developed to the specification of the Coalition for
Private Investment into Conservation.
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 procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The justification for using Ecory’s is for the work to build upon what they have already undertaken as part of the original contract.
Justification: this will be a straightforward extension to the NEIRF evaluation which looks at the NEIRF community of practice. Therefore, we expect this extension to present the most Value for Money as data collection procedures are already being designed which can apply to the Hive initiative. Therefore, there are overwhelming efficiency gains to be secured by using Ecorys for this work, in particular:
• Interviews will be merged with those carried out for NEIRF stakeholder interviews, and so the resources needed to design and conduct this exercise are reduced;
• The NEIRF survey will be the basis for the additional survey work carried out for the Hive, and so a large degree of the preparation works, and execution methods already undertaken will benefit the Hive survey
Ecory’s will have built up necessary knowledge of the Green Finance Institute’s initiatives, for example they have attended a number of the NEIRF events already as observers and will have the capability to discharge this additional ask without any significant onboarding or induction.
a) Expanding case study work: create stand alone and public facing case studies of the projects supported by the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), developed to the specification of the Coalition for Private Investment into Conservation.
Justification: Ecory’s will already be producing case studies by way of box texts in their annual reports, and they have also produced project profiles as an annex of their reports, which are being developed using information collected through their existing data collection and analysis processes, however as the contract has progressed, we have identified a need to produce stand-alone case studies for public consumption which follow the blueprint guidance offered by the Coalition of Private Investment into Conservation. This guidance was not in existence at the inception of the existing contract. The extension involves:
• developing set templates of various levels of detail from a short (bronze) three-page study to a seven-page case study (silver plus) including more in depth information;
• fact checking on the outcomes of NEIRF funded projects and, for the more in-depth studies (silver plus), visiting projects to interview teams and collect additional data and reflections on project work – not otherwise available from other data collection methods;
• working with a graphic designer to produce 64 accessible public facing and standalone case studies, which are visually stimulating and impactful;
• developing, with a graphic designer, a half page summary infographic for 71 projects funded by the NEIRF, which will increase accessibility, for a wider audience, to the outputs and outcomes projects are seeking to deliver.
Delivery of the above can be achieved through building on the existing supplier’s workplan and utilising the contract resource that has been put in place during the existing 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
Contract No
62175
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
6 December 2022
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
Ecory's UK Ltd
Birmingham
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £302,582
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
SMITH SQUARE
LONDON
SW1P 3JR
Country
United Kingdom