Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
University of South Wales
University of South Wales, Finance Dept, Llantwit Road
Pontypridd
CF37 1DL
UK
Contact person: Catherine Lund
E-mail: Procurement@southwales.ac.uk
NUTS: UKL
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.southwales.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0315
I.1) Name and addresses
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Castle Grounds, Cathay's Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ER
UK
Telephone: +44 2920391381
E-mail: gareth.tottle@rwcmd.ac.uk
NUTS: UKL22
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.rwcmd.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA1108
I.1) Name and addresses
Merthyr Tydfil College
Merthyr Tydfil College, University of Glamorgan, Ynysfach
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1AR
UK
Telephone: +44 1685726000
E-mail: Sara.fowler@merthyr.ac.uk
NUTS: UKL15
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.merthyr.ac.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA1033
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales
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:
http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Tender for the provision of Legal Services
Reference number: 1738
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Provision of legal services to the University of South Wales Group, to include:
Commercial Services (including contracts, partnership, collaborations, public procurement, IP & franchise);
Dispute Resolution (including student matters);
Human Resources (including employment law, dispute resolution & tribunals, recruitment, employment procedures);
Property and Estates;
International Law (including immigration);
Governance, compliance and company law;
Grants and Funding;
Competition Law and Subsidy Control;
Loan Agreements;
Charity Law;
Data Protection Law;
Marketing, sponsorship and events management;
Consumer Law, and laws impacting students;
Corporate Law (including advice on and assistance with the structuring of commercial transactions);
Health & safety, and
UK Law – specifically changes in legislation and the resulting changes required in University legal documentation e.g. terms and conditions etc.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79110000
79111000
79112000
79130000
79140000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL15
UKL22
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The availability of competent legal advice forms an obvious and key requirement for universities. The very nature of higher education requires the provision of legal advice across a broad spectrum of subjects.
Although this broad spectrum can occasionally mean legal advice being sought from a law firm with specialist subject expertise (that would probably fall outside the scope of this tender), the majority of the legal advice required falls within the following core areas:
-Commercial Services (including contracts, partnership, collaborations, public procurement, IP & franchise)
-Dispute Resolution (including student matters)
-Human Resources (including employment law, dispute resolution & tribunals, recruitment, employment procedures)
-Property and Estates
-International Law (including immigration)
-Governance, compliance and company law
-Grants and Funding
-Competition Law and Subsidy Control
-Loan Agreements
-Charity Law
-Data Protection Law;
-Marketing, sponsorship and events management
-Consumer Law, and laws impacting students;
-Corporate Law (including advice on and assistance with the structuring of commercial transactions)
-Health & safety, and
-UK Law – specifically changes in legislation and the resulting changes required in University legal documentation e.g. terms and conditions etc.
In 2021 the University conducted a strategic review of external legal costs and use of the advice provided. As a result, the University appointed in-house counsel in May 2021 providing advice in some of these core areas, together with a core duty of legal oversight.
For a large higher education institution the volume, scope and complexity of legal advice requirements across these core areas as well as a range of specialists subjects, is regularly beyond the capacity and/or expertise of our in-house services team and forms the basis of this tender. For example, under the direction of the University Legal Services team, key stakeholders including estates and facilities, human resources, procurement and student casework often require external legal advice.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Service Delivery
/ Weighting: 30
Quality criterion: Relationship Management
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Management Information
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Additional Services
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 5
Price
/ Weighting:
35
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 36
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
Option for 2 x 12 month renewals, subject to performance.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 3
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:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
All Questions and Answers must be submitted via the Sell2Wales portal.
Requests to attend the Supplier Engagement meeting should be made by emailing procurement@southwales.ac.uk.
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.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Participation is reserved to a particular profession: Yes
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:
Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales to practice law in the jurisdiction of England and Wales.
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Please see the ITT for contract related conditions.
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
Competitive procedure with negotiation
IV.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
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:
16/05/2022
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
13/06/2022
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: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=120299.
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
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:
Please refer to the quality assessment criteria in the ITT document.
(WA Ref:120299)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477501
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
11/04/2022