Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Health and Social Care Board
Belfast
UK
E-mail: gary.hood@hscni.net
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
STA8656 Health and Social Care Remote Sign Language Interpreting Service — Value Increase
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
For the provision of sign language remote interpreting service.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
49 375.30
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice relates to the purchase of sign language remote interpreting service. The contracting authority has utilised Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) which provides a derogation from the obligation to competitively tender for a contract for goods or services over the EU Threshold where the works, supplies or services are required as per the below:
‘(c) Insofar as is strictly necessary where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.’
Regulation 32(2)(c) has been utilised in this instance due to the following rationale:
1) The service(s) are required to assist the contracting authority to respond to the impact of Covid-19 immediately, addressing the public health risks and disruption to services which would otherwise be incurred without them;
2) The Covid-19 pandemic is so novel that the extreme urgency of the situation was unforeseeable by the contracting authority. Ordinarily existing contractual arrangements and emergency stockpiles can be relied upon in such instances, however, in this case such provisions have proven insufficient to meet the scale of the additional demand for these services;
3) A procurement exercise to establish a new contractual arrangement would not be feasible given the time constraints, making it impossible to undertake a new procurement exercise or to access other commercial agreements.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price
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
The value stated at Section II.1.7) is the maximum value which may be committed under this contract.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the Directive
Explanation
The contracting authority has utilised Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) which provides a derogation from the obligation to competitively tender for a contract for goods or services over the EU Threshold where the works, supplies or services are required as per the below:
‘(c) Insofar as is strictly necessary where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.’
Regulation 32(2)(c) has been utilised in this instance due to the following rationale:
1) The service(s) are required to assist the Contracting Authority to respond to the impact of COVID-19 immediately, addressing the public health risks and disruption to services which would otherwise be incurred without them;
2) The Covid-19 pandemic is so novel that the extreme urgency of the situation was unforeseeable by the Contracting Authority. Ordinarily existing contractual arrangements and emergency stockpiles can be relied upon in such instances, however, in this case such provisions have proven insufficient to meet the scale of the additional demand for these services;
3) A procurement exercise to establish a new contractual arrangement would not be feasible given the time constraints, making it impossible to undertake a new procurement exercise or to access other commercial agreements.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section V: Award of contract
Title: STA8656 Health and Social Care Remote Sign Language Interpreting Service — Value Increase
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
//
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Interpreter Now
Glasgow
UK
NUTS: UKM
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 49 375.30
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Health and Social Care Board
Belfast
BT2 8BS
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
22/12/2020