Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
UK
Contact person: David Pembry
Telephone: +44 3001234500
E-mail: procurement@defra.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Address of the buyer profile: https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
Environment
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Framework for Stakeholder Engagement, Advice and Facilitation Services (SEAFS) 2025-2029
Reference number: C28006
II.1.2) Main CPV code
90711000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Provision of external Stakeholder Engagement Advice and Facilitation Services (SEAFS) for the Environment Agency and other Defra departments and Arms Length Bodies (ALBs). 2025-2029
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1 900 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
90713000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Defra on behalf of the Environment Agency (EA) are looking to set up a follow on Stakeholder<br/>Engagement and Facilitation Services (SEAFS) Framework starting 1 Oct 2025. Effective<br/>stakeholder engagement is critical for our organisations to deliver its goals. This Framework will<br/>secure between 3-5 suppliers who can provide SEAFS deliverables that: enhances our ability to<br/>work with others builds trust with the communities we serve and enhances our reputation facilitates<br/>learning and enables our staff to engage better by developing their own skills The current contract<br/>expires on 30 September 2025. The intention is to award the new contract before the end of July<br/>2025, with a start date for services commencing on the 1 Oct 2025.. This framework agreement is<br/>being let by the Environment Agency's National Engagement and Insight Team. Although they will<br/>use the contract and review and audit work completed under it, they will not be the primary users.<br/>The primary users of this contract will be Environment Agency staff involved in stakeholder<br/>engagement at a local and national level. These 'Project Clients' will be from different parts of the<br/>organisation and will use this contract to work with stakeholders on a range of issues. Our staff<br/>have varied levels of expertise and experience in stakeholder engagement. The successful<br/>suppliers will have demonstrated through this tender process that they are national Suppliers who<br/>are experts in engagement, facilitation, evaluation and skills development and who can: provide<br/>proactive support for a planned project / programme of work provide reactive support for issues of<br/>high concern or conflict build the organisation's engagement skills and capacity And through their<br/>work, can help us: collaborate and strengthen relationships so we can deliver against our priorities<br/>identify and mitigate potential risks through helping us to engage inclusively enhance our reputation<br/>by delivering participative and well-thought-out engagement The appointed Suppliers for this<br/>Stakeholder Engagement Advice and Facilitation Services (SEAFS) Framework will support our<br/>engagement work with external stakeholders over the next 2 to 4 years. These framework<br/>Suppliers will help Environment Agency staff plan, facilitate and evaluate effective stakeholder<br/>engagement processes to support the delivery of our corporate strategy, and lay the foundations<br/>for creating an 'engagement capable' workforce
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 40
Quality criterion: Social Values
/ Weighting: 10
Cost criterion: Cost
/ Weighting: 50
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
1 900 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/10/2025
End:
30/09/2029
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 3
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
As specified in the Bidder Pack Part 2, only suppliers who pass section 1 and 2 of the Supplier Questionnaire and score 50 or more for section 3 will be invited to participate in the ITT stage of this competition
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.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
As specified in the documentation available on the eSourcing tool
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
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 5
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:
28/02/2025
Local time: 17:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date:
10/03/2025
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:
30/09/2025
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
Key dates <br/>Supplier Selection Criteria(SSC)/Supplier Questionnaire(SQ) issued 13 Feb 2025<br/>ITT Invites/Open 10 Mar 2025<br/>Invite to Supplier Presentations 9 May 2025<br/>Framework Start date of 1 Oct 2025
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
13/02/2025