Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department of Justice
c/o Construction and Procurement Delivery, 303 Airport Road West
BELFAST
BT3 9ED
UK
E-mail: justice.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
I.1) Name and addresses
Police Service of Northern Ireland
c/o Construction Procurement Delivery, Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
UK
E-mail: justice.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.psni.police.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
I.1) Name and addresses
Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland
c/o Construction Procurement Delivery, Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
UK
E-mail: justice.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.policeombudsman.org/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
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:
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
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
DoJ Face to Face Interpretation Service (for non-English speakers)
Reference number: ID 5069492
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79540000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to establish a Contract for the provision of Face to Face Interpreting at locations throughout Northern Ireland. The provision of these services is essential to ensuring that the Criminal Justice Organisations (CJOs) can deliver a professional and progressive service to all those who enter the criminal justice system - including those who come before the civil, family or coroners’ courts, or who use tribunal proceedings administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). The main users of the contract will be: • Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) • Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) • Public Prosecution Service (PPS) • Probation Service of Northern Ireland (PBNI) • Legal Services Agency (LSANI) In addition to the five main users listed above, this contract may also be used by the following CJOs in Northern Ireland who are associated with and party to this contract: • The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) • The Youth Justice Agency • Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland • Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman • The Department of Justice • Compensation Services Agency • Victim Support • Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust • Northern Ireland Policing Board The DOJ requires Contractors to provide comprehensive spoken language interpreting services to fulfil the current and evolving needs of the CJOs signed up to this contract. The Contractors must be able to provide interpreting services through qualified and experienced personnel for a wide range of languages. The Contractors must provide face to face interpreting services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Contractors must be able to provide interpreting services at premises located across Northern Ireland.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
6 500 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79540000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN
Main site or place of performance:
As required throughout Justice sector-related locations throughout Northern Ireland.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to establish a Contract for the provision of Face to Face Interpreting at locations throughout Northern Ireland. The provision of these services is essential to ensuring that the Criminal Justice Organisations (CJOs) can deliver a professional and progressive service to all those who enter the criminal justice system - including those who come before the civil, family or coroners’ courts, or who use tribunal proceedings administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). The main users of the contract will be: • Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) • Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) • Public Prosecution Service (PPS) • Probation Service of Northern Ireland (PBNI) • Legal Services Agency (LSANI) In addition to the five main users listed above, this contract may also be used by the following CJOs in Northern Ireland who are associated with and party to this contract: • The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) • The Youth Justice Agency • Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland • Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman • The Department of Justice • Compensation Services Agency • Victim Support • Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust • Northern Ireland Policing Board The DOJ requires Contractors to provide comprehensive spoken language interpreting services to fulfil the current and evolving needs of the CJOs signed up to this contract. The Contractors must be able to provide interpreting services through qualified and experienced personnel for a wide range of languages. The Contractors must provide face to face interpreting services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Contractors must be able to provide interpreting services at premises located across Northern Ireland.
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:
6 500 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 60
This contract is subject to renewal: No
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:
Initial Period - 3 years
Extension option - 2 years
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement 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:
03/02/2025
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:
04/05/2025
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
03/02/2025
Local time: 15:30
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
CPD and client bodies would anticipate the next tender competition would be advertised around summer 2029
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
Neither CPD nor the Department of Justice, related bodies and Police Service of Northern Ireland can provide any guarantees as to the levels of business under this contract. The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only; it includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand and to future proof. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a Contractor should the actual demand be less than that stated.. . Contract Monitoring: the successful Contractor(s) performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. 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 notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance, and this contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice of written warning and notice 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 up to 3 years from the date of issue of the notice.. . 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 under 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 special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued.
N/A
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where. appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
02/01/2025