Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department of Education
Rathgael House, 43 Balloo Road
Bangor
BT19 7PR
UK
Contact person: SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
E-mail: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/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 to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
ID 2857838 DE — Provision of a National Study Centre for the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021
Reference number: ID 2857838
II.1.2) Main CPV code
73000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Department’s Analytical Services Unit (ASU) and School Improvement Team (SIT) are tasked with providing research that informs the evidence base that supports the Department in meeting its business needs. One such assessment is the progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021. The PIRLS is a world-wide comparative study of the attainment in reading literacy of pupils aged 9/10 years; primary year six in Northern Ireland. The development work for the PIRLS and the validation and collation of international results for reporting purposes is undertaken by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The IEA, as the organiser of PIRLS 2021, require that participating countries enter into a contract with the IEA which requires that each country employs the services of a National Study Centre (NSC), led by a National Research Coordinator. The NSC will be responsible for the delivery of the PIRLS 2021 in Northern Ireland.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
686 733.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73200000
73210000
73300000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN0
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Department’s Analytical Services Unit (ASU) and School Improvement Team (SIT) are tasked with providing research that informs the evidence base that supports the Department in meeting its business needs. One such assessment is the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021. The PIRLS is a world-wide comparative study of the attainment in reading literacy of pupils aged 9/10 years; primary year six in Northern Ireland. The development work for the PIRLS and the validation and collation of international results for reporting purposes is undertaken by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The IEA, as the organiser of PIRLS 2021, require that participating countries enter into a contract with the IEA which requires that each country employs the services of a National Study Centre (NSC), led by a National Research Coordinator. The NSC will be responsible for the delivery of the PIRLS 2021 in Northern Ireland.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Methodology
/ Weighting: 36
Quality criterion: Key personnel experience
/ Weighting: 15
Quality criterion: Contract management
/ Weighting: 9
Cost criterion: Total contract cost
/ Weighting: 40
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
686 733.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 44
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The contract is anticipated to be renewed after the final contract period estimated to be in 2024.
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:
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
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
SC1 Company Experience.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The client will monitor the contractor’s performance against the specified KPIs and as detailed in the Commercial Conditions of Contract Schedule 3 Contract Management/Monitoring Schedule.
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:
24/07/2020
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:
22/10/2020
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
24/07/2020
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:
Approximately June 2024.
VI.3) Additional information
Contract monitoring. The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 — Contract Management — Procedures and Principles). 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 unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. A central register of such notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website. Any contractor in receipt of a notice of unsatisfactory performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of 3 years from the date of issue of the notice. It may also 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.
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 regarding alleged breaches of the Public Contracts Regs
As above
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 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
19/06/2020