Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Welsh Government
Corporate Procurement Services, Rhydycar Business Park
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ
UK
Telephone: +44 3000603300
E-mail: CPSProcurementAdvice@wales.gsi.gov.uk
NUTS: UKL
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://wales.gov.uk/?skip=1&lang=en
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0007
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
www.etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
www.etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk
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:
www.etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
European Social Fund Participants Survey
Reference number: C241/2015/2016
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79311000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
A 2+1 year quarterly rolling, Welsh and English language bilingual survey (primarily telephone with some face to face interviews) of up to 24,000 individuals assisted by the ESF Programme in Wales.
NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=41235
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
600 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73000000
73110000
79311000
79311100
79311200
79311210
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL
Main site or place of performance:
Wales
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The aim of the contract is to provide WEFO and its partner organisations with timely, robust information on the outcomes of the European Social Fund for people across Wales. The information must be provided in an accessible format which can be shared and analysed by a wide range of stakeholders at programme, priority, specific objective, operation ‘type’ and individual operation level using a variety of evaluation methods.
The aims of the contract will be achieved through conducting the ESF Participants Survey on a quarterly rolling basis with randomly selected individuals supported by ESF and recorded as ESF participants through the WEFO participant databases.
The main objectives are:
- to achieve a minimum combined sample size (including both telephone and face-to-face interviews) of 6,000 ESF respondents annually (16-17, 17-18,18-19).
- to achieve an additional 4,000 respondents in the first survey year. This should cover participants from the last years of the 2007-13 programmes and participants from the first year of the 2014-20 programmes
- to achieve a sufficient number of responses from each operation within the sample to allow sub-group analysis at operation level. This will be required by end 2017 for some operations.
- to ensure that the telephone and face to face survey data are collected in a way that means the results can be incorporated into a single dataset, minimising any mode effects.
- to design the survey in such a way that will allow ‘boosts’ to the number of participants surveyed or additional questions for particular operations (where the design of that operation’s outcome evaluation will require a larger quantity of data and / or questions not covered by the main survey).
- to achieve a representative sample at investment priority level (which is an EC requirement) and ideally at operation level (to allow robust operation evaluations), for each of the key indicators across multiple variables (those related to gender, employment status, age, level of education and household situation - also including specific disadvantages and geographical location where relevant).
- as well as providing annual estimates, for the survey to be sufficiently representative within quarters to support estimates based on each quarter of fieldwork.
- to collect high-quality data and to achieve a response rate which is equal to or exceeds those obtained for surveys with similar designs (previous ESF surveys have achieved a response rate of 40% to 50%).
- for the survey to be based on the questionnaire used in the 2007-13 programme, but in a modular format, capable of collecting different modules of data from different groups of participants.
- to be flexible and responsive to changing policy priorities through the potential adaptation / addition of survey modules between quarterly surveys.
- to deliver final, bilingual, weighted datasets and data summaries at operation, specific objective, investment priority, priority axis and programme level within six weeks of the completion of each 4 week fieldwork period. Data summaries will be presented for responses achieved in that quarter and cumulatively for the fieldwork year.
- for the data to collected, handled and delivered in a manner which meets all requirements of the Welsh Government data sharing and data security protocols.
- for all aspects of the survey and survey outputs to meet the Welsh Language Standards, treating the Welsh Language on the basis of equality with the English Language.
The contract for the survey will be managed by the Research. Monitoring and Evaluation Team within WEFO, referred to throughout this Invitation to Tender (ITT) as ‘the Client’.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Understanding of the Programme, Research Aims and Requirements
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Proposed Research Design and Methodology
/ Weighting: 30
Quality criterion: Expertise and Capacity of Project Team
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Robustness of Approaches
/ Weighting: 20
Cost criterion: Cost
/ Weighting: 30
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
600 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 28
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
There is also an optional 12 months contract extension, the estimated cost is including the cost for the optional contract extension. the optional 12 months extension is in addition to the 28 months initial contract term.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
Yes
Identification of the project:
2014-2020 ESF programmes aim to promote sustainable employment, increase skills levels in the workforce and ensure young people have the best start in life.
II.2.14) Additional information
The indicative budget for the initial contract term and also the optional 12 month extension is between 400,000 and 600,000 GBP.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
10/05/2016
Local time: 14:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
CY
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
10/05/2016
Local time: 14:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
3 years if applicable
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
The indicative total budget for this contract is 400,000 to 600,000 GBP, which includes the cost the optional 12 month extension if applicable.
E-TENDER INFORMATION:
https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk
- The first person from your Organisation to use the Platform will be required to register on behalf of the Organisation.
- Registration involves accepting a User Agreement, and providing basic information about your Organisation and about the User performing the Registration.
- The User who performs the Registration becomes the Super User for the Organisation.
- On registering on the Platform the Super User will select a Username and will receive a password.
- The Password will be sent by e-mail to the email address that was specified in the User Details section of the Registration page.
- In order to log-in to the Platform please enter your Username and Password.
- Note: If you forget your Password then visit the homepage and click “Forgot your password?”
- Registration should only be performed once for each Organisation.
- If you think that someone in your Organisation may have already registered on this Platform then you must not register again.
- Please contact the person who Registered (i.e. the Super User) in order to arrange access to the Platform.
- Contact the Helpdesk immediately if you are unable to contact the Super User (for example if they have left your Organisation).
- Note: If your Organisation is already registered on the Platform then you must not make any additional registration.
Please contact the Helpdesk to gain access to the Platform.
- Tenders must be uploaded to the BravoSolution portal by 2pm
HOW TO FIND THE ITT:
- Once logged in you must click on ‘ITT’s Open to all Suppliers’
- The etender references for this contract are: project_32671 and itt_52683.
- Click on the title to access summary details of the contract. If you are still interested in submitting a tender, click the ‘Express an Interest button’. This will move the ITT from the ‘Open to all Suppliers’ area to the ‘My ITT’s’ on the home page.
- You will then see the full details of the ITT in the qualification and technical envelopes along with any relevant documents in the ‘Attachments’ area.
- Should you have any questions on the ITT, please use the ‘Messages’ area to contact the buyer directly – Please do not contact the named person at the top of this notice.
(WA Ref:41235)
Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:
The Client is actively seeking community benefits within all contracts that it lets. These should be economic or social benefits that positively impact upon the citizens of Wales and can include apprenticeships, work experience, training, linking to local schools and colleges etc., to name but a few.
Bidders will be required to provide a Community Benefits plan. This is not scored but is a mandatory requirement, in line with Welsh Government policy.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Welsh Government
Corporate Procurement Services, Rhydycar Business Park
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ
UK
Telephone: +44 3000603300
Internet address(es)
URL: http://wales.gov.uk/?skip=1&lang=en
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
30/03/2016