Contract notice – utilities
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
SONI Ltd
12 Manse Road
Belfast
BT6 9RT
UK
Telephone: +44 2890794336
E-mail: tenders2@soni.ltd.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.soni.ltd.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA43172
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.mytenders.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.mytenders.co.uk
I.6) Main activity
Electricity
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
SONI030
Reference number: Demerger Consultants (SONI Led)
II.1.2) Main CPV code
72221000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Following a lengthy consultation period, the Utility Regulator in Northern Ireland issued a decision in August 2022 regarding SONI Governance matters. This decision became effective within the SONI TSO Licence from 26 October 2022.
The Licence Modification requires significant changes to the SONI Ltd Board composition and the relationship between EirGrid plc (as parent) and SONI Ltd (its subsidiary). They also require that the SONI TSO business be managerially and operationally separate from EirGrid and any other company within the EirGrid Group with separate premises, IT and other systems, equipment, facilities, processes and staff.
The Utility Regulator’s Licence Modification requirements for independence at Board, Management and Operational levels in the SONI business equates to a de-facto requirement to demerge the EirGrid and SONI businesses.
As a result, SONI is now seeking to appoint a consultancy business to design, manage and implement this demerger programme.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
2 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79400000
79411000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN06
Main site or place of performance:
Belfast
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Framework Agreement period will be for an initial duration of two years with the option to extend annually for up to an additional three years, subject always to the satisfactory performance of the supplier.
The demerger project will be run over two phases:
(i) the initial scope, design and cost of the demerger project
(ii) the implementation of the demerger project.
SONI offers a hybrid working model. Candidates resources would be expected to attend SONI’s office in Belfast for certain meetings and workshops as and when required.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
2 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 24
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
Option to extend annually for an additional 3 years.
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
As this is a framework, the need of the required services may increase or decrease over the term.
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
The estimated value of 2 million sterling is inclusive of the entire duration
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.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
Please see Information Memorandum and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire attached to this notice
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
Negotiated with call for competition
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with a single operator.
IV.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
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:
07/09/2023
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
18/09/2023
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 12 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
1) Interested parties must register their interest on the mytenders web site (www.mytenders.co.uk) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Portal (www.mytenders.co.uk) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting authority will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties.
2) This is the sole call for competition for this service.
3) The contracting authority will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers.
4) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities.
5) If for any reason it is not possible to award the contract one or more of the tenderers invited following the conclusion of this competitive process, the contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract to the next ranked tenderer as appropriate.
6) At its absolute discretion, the contracting authority may elect to terminate this procurement process or any contract awarded.
7) Please note in relation to all documents, that where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, that this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words ‘or equivalent’ will
always be appended.
8) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the contracting authority is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of questionnaires with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please
visit the myTenders Web Site at
https://www.mytenders.co.uk
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox
facility. A user guide is available at https://www.mytenders.co.uk/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.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the myTenders Web Site at https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=230139.
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.mytenders.co.uk/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.
(MT Ref:230139)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Public Procurement Review Service
Cabinet Office
London
UK
Telephone: +44 3450103503
E-mail: publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
23/08/2023