CONTRACT NOTICE – OFFICIAL JOURNAL

Section I: Contracting Authority

I.1)

Name, Address and Contact Point(s)

I.2)

Type of contracting Authority and Main Activity or Activities

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions National or federal agency/Office Regional or local Authority Regional or local Agency/Office Body governed by public law European Institution/Agency or International Organisation

General public services Defence Public order and safety Environment Economic and financial affairs Health Housing and community amenities Social protection Recreation, culture and religion Education

Section II: Object of the Contract

II.1)

Description

II.1.1)

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority

II.1.2(a))

Type of works contract

II.1.2(b))

Type of supplies contract

II.1.2(c))

Type of service contract

II.1.2)

Main site or location of works, place of delivery or performance

In the District, Towns and Parishes of East Northamptonshire.

II.1.3)

This notice involves

A public contract
The setting up of a Dynamic Purchasing System
The establishment of a framework agreement

II.1.4)

Information on framework agreement (if applicable)

Framework agreement with a single operators
Framework agreement with several operators

Number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged

Duration of the framework agreement

Justification for a framework agreement the duration of which exceeds four years

Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement

Frequency and value of the contracts to be awarded

II.1.5)

Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Grounds maintenance service, to provide all labour, plant and materials required and carry out the maintenance of the grounds, inclusive of parks, open spaces, amenity areas, play areas, specialist recreation areas, and cemeteries as described in the tender documentation.

The work includes but is not limited to grass cutting and maintenance, winter edging, applying weed killer and fertilizer, supply, planting and tending to trees, shrubs and flower beds, maintaining cemeteries and excavating graves.

II.1.6)

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

II.1.7)

Contract covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

II.1.8)

Division into lots

II.1.9)

Will variants be accepted

II.2)

Quantity or Scope of the Contract

II.2.1)

Total quantity or scope

II.2.2)

Options

Provisional timetable for recourse to these options

Number of possible renewals

In the case of renewable supplies or service contracts, estimated time frame for subsequent contracts

II.3)

Duration of the contract or limit for completion

Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial and Technical Information

III.1)

Conditions Relating to the Contract

III.1.1)

Deposits and guarantees required

A bond or parent company guarantee may be required.

III.1.2)

Main Terms of financing and payment and/or reference to the relevant provisions

Payment arrangements will be agreed with the successful contractor.

III.1.3)

Legal form to be taken by the grouping of suppliers, contractors or service providers to whom the contract is to be awarded

The Council seeks a main contractor to be responsible for undertaking the service. The main contractor will be responsible for, contract with and manage any subcontractors involved in undertaking the service.

III.1.4)

Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject

The contractor and his subcontractors will have and will continue to have for the duration of the contract such licences, certifications and permissions as are required by law in relation to the fulfilment of the contract.

III.2)

Conditions for Participation

III.2.1)

Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Tenderers may be excluded if a director/partner/proprietor is in the state of bankruptcy, has been convicted of a criminal offence related to business or professional conduct, has committed grave misconduct in the course of business, has not fulfilled conditions related to the payment of taxes, or is guilty of misrepresentation in supplying information.

III.2.2)

Economic and financial capacity

III.2.3)

Technical capacity

III.2.4)

Reserved contracts

The contract is restricted to sheltered workshops
The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes

III.3)

Conditions Specific to Service Contracts

III.3.1)

Is provision of the service reserved to a specific profession?

III.3.2)

Will legal entities be required to state the names and professional qualifications of the personnel responsible for the execution of the service?

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)

Type of Procedure

Open		Restricted
Accelerated restricted		Negotiated
Accelerated negotiated		Competitive dialogue

Justification for the choice of accelerated procedure

IV.1.1)

Have candidates already been selected?

IV.1.2)

Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates

Bidders responses will be scored, weighted and totalled, and those invited to tender will be the highest scoring bidders in that process. The following main criteria and weightings apply. Each main criterion may be subdivided into sub criteria which are described in detail in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. Financial stability 16 % Health and safety 28 % Customer care 4 % Staffing issues 4 % Experience 30 % Environmental issues 4 % References 12 % Accreditations/memberships 2 %.

IV.1.3)

Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated

IV.2)

Award Criteria

IV.2.2)

An electronic auction will be used

IV.3 Administrative Information

IV.3.1)

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

IV.3.2)

Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

Prior Information Notice
Notice on a Buyer Profile

Other previous publications

IV.3.3)

Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents

IV.3.4)

Time-limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

IV.3.5)

Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

IV.3.7)

Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender 

IV.3.8)

Conditions for opening tenders

Section VI: Other Information

VI.1)

Indicate whether this procurement is a recurrent one and the Estimated timing for further notices to be published

VI.2)

Does the contract relate to a Project/Programme financed by Community Funds?

VI.3)

Additional Information

1. This procurement is open to small and medium sized businesses which can meet the criteria, as well as to large businesses.

2. This procurement has not been broken down into lots as the consortium members require a consistent method for the management and processes relating to the contract. However, a main contractor may use subcontractors for which he takes full responsibility under the contract.

3. This service is currently contracted out and in the event of a change of provider then TUPE may apply to the staff involved. Bidders should take their own professional advice on any transfer of staff.

VI.4)

Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)

Body responsible for appeal procedures

Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.4.2)

Lodging of appeals
Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals:

East Northamptonshire Council will incorporate a minimum ten day standstill period at the point of notification of the decision to award the contract. The decision notice will incorporate the award criteria, the reasons for the decision, the reasons (if any) why a tenderer did not meet any specification, the identity of the successful tenderer(s) and a precise statement of when the standstill period is expected to end. Any appeal or challenge against the award decision must be communicated to the address stated in Section I.1 above within the standstill period. If an appeal or challenge to award the contract has not been successfully resolved the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (As Amended) provide for the aggrieved parties to take action in the High Court. Any such action must be brought promptly (generally within 3 months) although this time period may be reduced to 30 days in certain circumstances. Where a legal challenge is launched the Contracting Authority would be obliged to suspend the making of a contract. Where a legal challenge is launched after the contract has been entered into then that contract could be declared ineffective and/or shortened and/or a fine imposed by the Court.

VI.4.3)

Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5)

Dispatch date of this Notice

ANNEX A

Additional Addresses and Contact Points

III)

Address and contact points to which Tenders/Requests to Participate must be sent