Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Association of North East Councils Limited trading as NEPO
Guildhall, Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 3AF
UK
Contact person: Adam Smith
Telephone: +44 7545070254
E-mail: Adam.Smith@nepo.org
NUTS: UKC
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.nepo.org
Address of the buyer profile: www.nepo.org
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
www.nepo.org
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
www.nepo.org
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Neutral Vendor Managed Service for Specialist Professional Services (“NEPRO3”)
Reference number: NEPO503
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
NEPO seeks to establish a Framework Contract for Specialist Professional Services (“NEPRO3”). NEPRO3 will operate as a neutral vendor managed service for the delivery of specialist professional services and consultancy only. The neutral vendor managed service will not provide specialist professional services or consultancy in its own right and must maintain neutrality at all times when selecting suitable specialist professional service providers to deliver services under the framework contract. NEPO seeks to establish a single provider solution to manage a perpetual supply chain, capable of delivering the full spectrum of specialist professional services and consultancy requirements. The scope of services covered under NEPRO3 will not include temporary or permanent recruitment. Full details can be found within the procurement documentation.
NEPRO3 replaces the existing specialist professional services (NEPRO2) framework contract, expiring 30.11.2019.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
4 500 000 000.00
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
79410000
79411000
79418000
79419000
71315200
72221000
85000000
71530000
71311000
71312000
90713000
71800000
71311300
79993000
71315210
66171000
79210000
85100000
71311210
71311200
70333000
72000000
72220000
92000000
73220000
79413000
79416200
79341100
72224000
73000000
98000000
80000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
NEPO are using a 2-stage competitive procedure with Negotiation for the procurement of this framework contract. The first stage is a selection questionnaire which will be used to shortlist suppliers. Shortlisted suppliers will then be Invited to Tender. The selection questionnaire document also contains an ITT overview that sets out the high-level requirements of the framework contract. This document will allow suppliers to determine if they are interested in this opportunity and consider whether they have the required capability and capacity to deliver the framework contract.
The framework contract will be a sole supplier and single lot solution. Those suppliers shortlisted from selection questionnaire and Invited to Tender will be evaluated in accordance with the award criteria contained within the Invitation to Tender documents. NEPO may also wish to enter into negotiations with tenderers inline with the requirements of the competition with negotiation procedure. NEPO also reserve the right not to enter into negotiations and award the framework contract on the basis of initial tender.
The most economically advantageous tenderer will be awarded the Framework Contract. NEPO does not give any guarantee and/or warrant the actual value of the services (if any) which will be placed with the successful supplier by any Contracting Authority using the framework contract pursuant to this process and accepts no liability thereof. In accordance with the framework contract, each Contracting Authority will enter into a call-off contract. The call-off contract is to be entered into by both the Contracting Authority and successful supplier and will be based on the terms and conditions of the framework contract. Contracting Authorities may have entered into a longer term call-off contract under NEPRO2 with an expiry date no later than the 30.11.2021. Any associated work order contracts are to end before or coterminous with the call-off contract.
The opportunity can be accessed via the NEPO eTender system. Suppliers wishing to be considered for this framework contract must register their expression of interest and submit the selection questionnaire and tender response through the NEPO eTender System. If not already registered, suppliers should register on the NEPO eTender system at https://procontract.due-north.com/Register
Selection questionnaire and tender responses must be submitted using the link above. Selection questionnaire and tender responses submitted via postal or email methods will not be accepted. If you require time-critical assistance on submitting your selection questionnaire and/or Tender response please contact the System Support Team on 0330 0050352. For not time-critical issues, such as passwords, general account queries and location of information etc, please contact Proactics Supplier Support Helpdesk Ticketing System (http://proactis.kayako.com/) and select ProContract V3 support. You will then need to login or submit a ticket to register your issue. Alternatively, you can email ProContractSuppliers@proactics.com
This will automatically log a support ticket on the Proactics Supplier Support Helpdesk.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 80
Cost criterion: Price
/ Weighting: 20
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
4 500 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 96
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
This framework contract will be a direct replacement for the current NEPO specialist professional services contract (NEPRO2). It is anticipated that the preceding framework contract will be subject to future renewals.
The framework contract will be for a period of 48 months with an option to extend for up to a further 2 x 24 month period(s).
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged number of candidates: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
A maximum of 5 tenderers will be shortlisted from this Selection Questionnaire (SQ) process and Invited to Tender, if there are at least 5 suitably qualified tenderers that pass the minimum criteria. If there are less than 5 tenderers that pass the minimum criteria, then only those tenderers that pass will be Invited to Tender. If there are more than 5 tenderers that pass the minimum criteria, then the 5 highest scoring tenderers only will be Invited to Tender.
Tie-break: if the conclusion of the evaluation process results in tied scores with 2 or more tenderers receiving identical scores (meaning more than 5 tenderers are shortlisted), the scores awarded against the ranked individual questions will be considered in the order shown within the procurement documents until the “dead heat” is resolved and 5 tenderers are shortlisted. The minimum criteria is detailed within the procurement documents and includes the minimum threshold that must be achieved on each of the corresponding scored questions.
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
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:
Yes
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents.
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.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
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.
Justification for any framework agreement duration exceeding 4 years: The Framework Contract is anticipated to exceed 48 months in duration. This is due to the commercial and contractual complexity of the Framework Contract combined with the cost of administrating the procurement for NEPO, Contracting Authorities, Tenderers and impacted Supply Chains.
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.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2018/S 184-416263
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
13/02/2019
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
13/03/2019
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: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
18-24 months prior to the framework contract expiry date.
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
NEPO is a Central Purchasing Body as defined in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (PCR15). This means that NEPO may provide central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities.
The agreement will be available for use by all NEPO Members. A list of member organisations is available in the About section of the NEPO website at: www.nepo.org
This agreement will also be made available to all current and future NEPO Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: www.nepo.org/associate-membership/list
NEPO intends to make the resulting agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) including but not limited to Government Departments and their Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Central Government, NHS Bodies, Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Coastguard Emergency Services, Educational Establishments, Registered Social Landlords and Registered Charities who have a need to purchase services.
Please see the following websites for further details:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/index.htm
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
https://www.gov.uk/check-a-university-is-officially-recognised/recognised-bodies
http://www.schoolswebdirectory.co.uk/localauthorities.php
http://www.ukschoolsdirectory.net
https://www.gov.uk/find-school-in-england
https://education.gov.scot/ParentZone
http://hwb.wales.gov.uk/
https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development
http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/institutions/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/workprovide/unicoll/heis/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/workprovide/unicoll/fecs/
http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AcuteTrustListing.aspx
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/nhswalesaboutus/structure
http://www.scottishambulance.com/TheService/organised.aspx
http://www.hscni.net/index.php?link=trusts
http://www.scottishambulance.com/AboutUs/HowWeOrganised.aspx
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/A-ZOfCentralGovernment/index.htm
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/gov.htm
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/local-councils-in-northern-ireland
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/02/2421/1
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/contact
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/articles/list-public-bodies-which-ni-public-procurement-policy-applies
https://www.ons.gov.uk/
https://www.police.uk/forces/
http://www.police-information.co.uk/index.html
http://www.psni.police.uk/index.htm
http://www.scotland.police.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency
http://www.fireservice.co.uk/information/ukfrs
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/archive/law-order/Police/PoliceServiceofScotland
http://www.fire.org.uk/fire-brigades.html
http://www.nifrs.org/areas-districts/
http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-area.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-registered-providers-of-social-housing
http://directory.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/pages/default.aspx
https://gov.wales/topics/housing-and-regeneration/publications/registered-social-landlords-in-wales/?lang=en
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/housing-associations
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/About_us/Regulation/Registering_charities_index.aspx
http://www.oscr.org.uk/
https://idea.org.uk/ http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/registerhomepage.aspx
http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/search_Auth.aspx
http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom/factsandfigures/housingplanning1/facts/socialhousing/?id=1822644
A complete list of permissible users is shown on the NEPO website below:
https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users
Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
NEPO
Guildhall, Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 3AF
UK
Telephone: +44 7545070254
E-mail: adam.smith@nepo.org
Internet address(es)
URL: www.nepo.org
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
NEPO
Guildhall, Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 3AF
UK
Telephone: +44 7545070254
E-mail: adam.smith@nepo.org
Internet address(es)
URL: www.nepo.org
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NEPO
Guildhall, Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 3AF
UK
Telephone: +44 7545070254
E-mail: adam.smith@nepo.org
Internet address(es)
URL: www.nepo.org
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
10/01/2019