NEPRO Innovation

Procurement reference

NEPO535

Procurement description

NEPO is establishing a Closed Framework which will operate as a Neutral Vendor Managed Service; NEPRO Innovation. The objective of this procurement is to provide Contracting Authorities with access to a single Supplier (the Delivery Partner) who will provide a managed service for the delivery of services, goods, works, technology and research and development.

NEPRO Innovation is a new Framework for NEPO. As a strategic procurement solution, the Framework will fall under NEPO's 'NEPRO' brand. NEPRO provides outcomes-based frameworks for the public sector.

The Delivery Partner will adopt a Managed Service for the delivery of projects in the following areas:

• Goods

• Works

• Services

• Technology

• Research and Development

A single project may include more than one of the above. The Delivery Partner will be able to flexibly deliver projects incorporating all areas, to suit Contracting Authorities' bespoke requirements.

The Delivery Partner shall act as an innovation enabler, meeting the following innovation deliverables:

• Reduce barriers to innovation

• Create guidance and signpost existing guidance to support Contracting Authorities

• Promote and facilitate innovative procurement practices

• Encourage challenge-based procurement

• Drive increased spend with SMEs and VCSEs

• Raise innovation awareness through the Innovation Community

NEPO expects the typical value of projects being delivered under the Framework, will be at £25k and above. There will be no maximum project value.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Delivery Partner will not provide services, goods, works and technology in its own right, but rather will deliver a Managed Service that allows Contracting Authorities to procure these elements.

The Delivery Partner will bring together the bespoke requirements of Contracting Authorities and a perpetual Supply Chain capable of meeting those requirements. Equal importance will be placed on the service provided to Contracting Authorities and the management of the Supply Chain delivering the requirements.

Through market-led, Outcome-based pricing, the Delivery Partner will provide a 'one stop shop' for all in-scope goods, services, technology, works and research and development and will have a positive impact at every stage of the delivery. The Delivery Partner will act as a single point interface between the Contracting Authority and the Supply Chain.

The Delivery Partner will be required to accommodate the bespoke needs of each Contracting Authority in each project. This will require the ability to flexibly deliver goods, works, services, technology and research and development contracts and offer innovative and/or bespoke procurement processes.

The successful bidder has been chosen through a two-stage competitive flexible procedure.

Is a framework being established?

Yes

The Association of North East Councils Limited

CONSTELLIA PUBLIC LTD

Procedure type

Competitive flexible procedure

Trade agreements

Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

Further information about fees

Under the Framework, the Delivery Partner will provide a Managed Service.

The Managed Service Fee will be the fee charged by the Delivery Partner for all projects under the Framework. The Managed Service Fee will be based on the total Project cost approved and accepted by the Contracting Authority for any given Project and corresponding Statement of Work and Supplier Delivery Agreement.

Further information regarding the Managed Service Fee is provided in the Framework Documents.

NEPO operates a contract rebate arrangement whereby Suppliers are asked to repay NEPO a set percentage of each invoice in respect of orders placed by NEPO or any Contracting Authority accessing the Framework. For this Framework, the rebate will be a maximum of one fifth (20%) of the Managed Service Fee.

The maximum rebate taken by NEPO against the value of awarded contracts will not exceed 1%. This is provided as the maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers in the field above, charged, in this case, to the Delivery Partner.

Percentage fee charged to suppliers

1.00%

Award method when using the framework

Without reopening competition

Contracting authority locations

• UK
• GG
• IM
• JE

Contracting authorities that may use the framework

NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities.

The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at:

https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership

NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023).

A list of permissible users is available at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users

Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: https://www.nepo.org/.

Framework operation description

The successful tenderer has entered into a Framework Contract (NEPRO Innovation) with NEPO. The Framework will be accessible to Contracting Authorities through a Call-Off Contract. NEPO has established Framework Terms and Conditions which govern the relationship between NEPO and the Delivery Partner, stipulating the core terms encapsulating the Managed Service.

The Framework will be accessible to Contracting Authorities through a Call-Off Contract. NEPO has established a Call-Off Contract which can be found at Schedule 5 to the Framework Agreement (Call-Off Contract). The Call-Off Contract governs the contractual relationship between the Contracting Authority and the Delivery Partner, focusing on the Managed Service provided by the Delivery Partner.

To access the Framework, all Contracting Authorities must initially become an Associate Member of NEPO. The Delivery Partner must refer all new Contracting Authorities to NEPO in the first instance to register and become a NEPO Associate Member before entering into a Call-Off Contract.

Contracting Authorities must not access any services provided for under the Framework Agreement without first having an active Call-Off Contract.

Following the completion of the Call-Off Contract, Contracting Authorities can procure Projects, through a Statement of Work, on a per-project basis.

Each Call-Off Contract includes standard goods and services terms and conditions. These allow Contracting Authorities to procure straightforward goods or services Projects, through a Statement of Work, without the requirement for project-specific terms and conditions to be developed.

When a Contracting Authority with an active Call-Off Contract identifies that a need can be fulfilled through the Framework, they will enter into a Statement of Work with the Delivery Partner for the provision of the Project Supplies. The Core Terms of this Statement of Work have been established at the Framework level and will apply for every Project.

For simple goods or services Projects, the Statement of Work refers to the goods or services terms and conditions which are included in the Call-Off Contract. For complex projects (those involving more than one Project Supply or where the Contracting Authority and/or Delivery Partner determine the standard Goods or Services terms and conditions are not appropriate), Project-specific terms and conditions will thereafter be incorporated by the Delivery Partner, in agreement with the Contracting Authority.

Following the Award Process, the Delivery Partner will be responsible for flowing down the key terms of the Statement of Work, to a Supplier Delivery Agreement. The Supplier Delivery Agreement will be entered into by the Delivery Partner and each Appointed Project Provider. Each Supplier Delivery Agreement will be based on a corresponding Statement of Work. The Core Terms of this Supplier Delivery Agreement have been established at Framework level and will apply to every Project. These govern the common elements in every Project and specify the Delivery Partner's role in ensuring the successful delivery of the Project. Project-specific terms and conditions will thereafter be incorporated into each Supplier Delivery Agreement by the Delivery Partner.

Extension end date (if all the extensions are used): 24 February 2034