Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Northern Regional College
Union Street
BELFAST
BT52 1QA
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.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
ID 5314168 - DfE - NRC - Provision of Public Relations, Media Relations and Communications Services for NRC
Reference number
5314168
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NRC require a Supplier to assist the organisation in the following ways; strategic support, media relations, community relations and public consultation, event support, and performance management and reporting. The Supplier will be appointed for two years, with an option to extend for three further periods of up to 12 months each. The total maximum contract duration is therefore five years.
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: £250,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
- 79416000 - Public relations services
- 79416100 - Public relations management services
- 79416200 - Public relations consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
NRC require a Supplier to assist the organisation in the following ways; strategic support, media relations, community relations and public consultation, event support, and performance management and reporting. The Supplier will be appointed for two years, with an option to extend for three further periods of up to 12 months each. The total maximum contract duration is therefore five years.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: AC1 Key Personnel Experience / Weighting: 25.8
Quality criterion - Name: AC2 Service Delivery -Crisis Communication / Weighting: 8.4
Quality criterion - Name: AC3 Service Delivery - Press Material / Weighting: 8.4
Quality criterion - Name: AC4 Contract Management and Contingency / Weighting: 7.2
Quality criterion - Name: AC5 Social Value / Weighting: 10.2
Cost criterion - Name: AC6 Cost / Weighting: 40
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
An option to extend for three further periods of up to 12 months each.
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
An option to extend for three further periods of up to 12 months each.
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: 2024/S 000-027773
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
1
Title
ID 5314168 - DfE - NRC - Provision of Public Relations, Media Relations and Communication Services
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
22 November 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 4
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: 4
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Rumour Mill Creative Communications
23 Market Place
Lisburn
BT28 1AN
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: £250,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £250,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring. The successful Supplier’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored in line with the tender documentation. Supplier's not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a Supplier ails 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 can result in the Supplier 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 three years from the date of issue..
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.
UK
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD complied with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 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.