Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Ballymiscaw
BELFAST
BT4 3SB
UK
E-mail: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Address of the buyer profile: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
ID 3628970 – DAERA - The Northern Ireland Countryside Survey
Reference number: ID 3628970
II.1.2) Main CPV code
90000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
3 160 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
90700000
90721700
90720000
90711500
90714100
90722000
90710000
90721100
71355000
79311000
79311100
79311300
79330000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
DAERA requires the Contractor to deliver a repeat of the NI Countryside Survey to provide a statistically robust assessment of land cover change and habitat condition in NI since the previous Countryside Survey in 2007. The Contractor will use this data to assess the outcomes of the current NI agri-environment scheme (EFS) in terms of habitat condition and establishment of green infrastructure. In addition, the Contractor will be required to record primary measurements of soil condition which influence soil function. This will form a baseline assessment of soil condition and function in NI Countryside Survey squares and will assess the linkages between soil condition and overlying vegetation. Where appropriate, this data may be used to feed into an assessment of land cover change at a UK scale in association with data being collected though the current Countryside Survey in GB.
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:
3 160 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 72
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The Contract is anticipated to commence in April 2022, for an initial period of 6 years with an optional extension period of 2 years following the end of the initial period.
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:
Yes
Description of options:
The Contract is anticipated to commence in April 2022, for an initial period of 6 years with an optional extension period of 2 years following the end of the initial period.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
Yes
II.2.14) Additional information
The figure in II.2.6 is the estimated contract value
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
As per tender documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
As per tender documents
III.2) Conditions related to 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:
21/03/2022
Local time: 15:00
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
Tender must be valid until:
19/06/2022
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
21/03/2022
Local time: 15:30
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure:
Only CPD Procurement Staff with access to the project on eTendersNI
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored in line with PGN 01/12. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance will result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of twelve months from the date of issue of the certificate.” . . "The Authority expressly reserves the rights:. . (I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;. (II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition;. (III). to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the [services] covered by this notice; and. (IV). to award contract(s) in stages.. . and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.".
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belfast
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
14/02/2022