Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Tourism Northern Ireland
10-12 Linum Chambers Bedford Street
n/a
BT2 7ES
UK
E-mail: info@tourismni.com
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Address of the buyer profile: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
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 4692815 DfE - Tourism NI - Consumer Sentiment Research
Reference number: ID 4692815
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79311000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) is responsible for the marketing of Northern Ireland (NI) as a tourist destination to domestic tourists (from within NI) and visitors from the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Under the Tourism NI Operating Plan (2023/24), the Insights and Intelligence Service (IIS) is tasked with delivering a robust evidence base for Tourism NI, industry and stakeholders to help inform policy and strategy development and operational decisions. Within Tourism NI, the IIS is responsible for providing internal and external stakeholders with robust and relevant research, intelligence, and information to support the growth of the NI tourism industry via robust, analysis and insight into how such issues affect NI and ROI consumers. See ID 4692815 Specification document for further information.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
500 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79310000
79311100
79320000
79342310
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) is responsible for the marketing of Northern Ireland (NI) as a tourist destination to domestic tourists (from within NI) and visitors from the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Under the Tourism NI Operating Plan (2023/24), the Insights and Intelligence Service (IIS) is tasked with delivering a robust evidence base for Tourism NI, industry and stakeholders to help inform policy and strategy development and operational decisions. Within Tourism NI, the IIS is responsible for providing internal and external stakeholders with robust and relevant research, intelligence, and information to support the growth of the NI tourism industry via robust, analysis and insight into how such issues affect NI and ROI consumers. See ID 4692815 Specification document for further information.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: AC1 Proposed Methodology for Quantitative Research
/ Weighting: 24.5
Quality criterion: AC2 Proposed Methodology for Qualitative Reseach
/ Weighting: 14
Quality criterion: AC3 Key Personnel Experience
/ Weighting: 14
Quality criterion: AC4 Contract Management
/ Weighting: 7
Quality criterion: AC5 Social Value
/ Weighting: 10.5
Cost criterion: AC6 Total Contract Price
/ Weighting: 30
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
After the initial contract period of three years, there are two options to extend the contract for up to one year on each occasion.
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 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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-029320
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: 1
Title: Contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
20/12/2023
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 5
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 5
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Spark Market Research
Studio 1 Cross York Street Studios, Cross York Street
Leeds
LS2 7BL
UK
Telephone: +44 1134872743
E-mail: hello@sparkmr.com
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 500 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
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 construction and procurement delivery. (CPD) for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period. this may be considered grounds for termination of the contract at your expense as provided for in the Conditions of Contract. In lieu. of termination, CPD may issue a Notice of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance. A supplier in receipt of multiple. Notices of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance may, in accordance with The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as. amended), be excluded from future public procurement competitions for a period of up to three years
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 complied with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended). and incorporated a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract was. communicated to tenderers. That notification provided full information on the award decision. This provided time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract was entered into
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
03/01/2024