Landscape Maintenance and Cleansing Contract

Description of the contract

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Our vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas. We achieve this by: • Understanding the needs and aspirations of people and communities through close working with local authorities on local investment planning; • Enabling local delivery through the channelling of our expertise and investment; and • Working effectively with the market, housebuilders, investors and other stakeholders. For more information visit the HCA newsroom at homesandcommunities.co.uk In the achievement of this vision, the HCA ‘holds’ large expanses of land and built estate. The HCA is accountable to government for the effective management and disposal of the portfolio and will work with local partners to develop, invest in and dispose of the assets in pursuit of the economic development and regeneration objectives agreed by local partners and in support of local strategies. Whilst these sites help facilitate the delivey of the vision for the organisation, they also bring duties of care, health and safety, trespass and other liabilities and responsibilities. As part of the solution to manage such liabilities the HCA procure the services of Contractors to undertake routine and emergency landscape management and cleansing activities on its estate. In late 2011/early 2012 a national portfolio of 300 assets, formerly residing with the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), were transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The HCA is accountable to government for the effective management and disposal of the portfolio and will work with local partners to develop, invest in and dispose of the assets in pursuit of the economic development and regeneration objectives agreed by local partners and in support of local strategies. Collectively the sites form the HCA’s Economic Assets Programme (EAP) which includes land awaiting development, employment land and public open space. The HCA is seeking to appoint a competent Contractor for the provision of landscape maintenance and cleansing services to three sites within the EAP portfolio situated in Penzance, Hayle and Helston, Cornwall. There sites vary in size and character and include both land reserved for future development and public open space.The work includes routine site inspections, cleansing, grass cutting, weed control (including Japenese Knotweed), hedge cutting and maintenance of aquatic planting. Contractors should be aware that Unplanned works may arise over the term of the Contract which will be instructed by the HCA as and when required in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Contract Contractors should note that this is a performance based Contract, the performance of which will be monitored through Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). The minimum level of Public Indemnity & Employers Liability insurance cover needed for this Contract is £5 million and £10 million respectively. The Homes and Communities Agency wish to appoint a single Contractor to undertake the above works for an initial 24 month term with provision for a further 12 month extension on written instruction of the Employer.

 

Documents

Classification of the contract

77314000 Grounds maintenance services

 

Who to contact

How to apply

This is a 2 year contract with provision for a further 1 year extension on witten instruction by the Employer. These works are being procured via a Single Stage tender procedure. All interested candidates should submit a written expression of interest (via email or post) quoting the Contract Title and reference number to the contact details provided. This procurement exercise is being managed by The Environment Partnership (TEP) Limited on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency (the Contracting Authority); all correspondence should be placed to TEP as specified in the Contract Information. Invitation to Tender documentation will be sent to all candidates who respond to the Expression of Interest. The Single Tender will include for a mandatory PQQ section with all Contractors will be required to satisfy prior to their price submissions being evaluated. Where such qualifications/competencies, are not currently held, Contractors will be required to identify within the ITT how they intend to deliver the Services on award of the Contract i.e. Securing the qualifications on award and prior to the start of Works or sub-contracting to a suitably qualified third party subject to the approval of the HCA References will be sought for the winning Contractor prior to Contract award and appointment will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references. The Contract will be awarded based on Lowest Price. The lowest Tender will be checked and the Contractor will be notified of any errors in computation of his Tender and afforded the opportunity to amend, stand by the tender or withdraw. Should the Contractor elect to withdraw his offer, the next lowest Tender will be examined accordingly. All Tender documents will be provided digitally to Contractors. As part of the procurement process, the HCA needs to be satisfied that you have systems in place for managing health and safety within your business. Organisations wishing to tender for the HCA Contracts must be either accredited to OHSAS18001 or registered and assessed by a prequalification assessment scheme which is a member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement). This also applies to Non Construction companies. Registration and assessment must be in place prior to being invited to formally tender for the project or the Works. Further information on SSIP and details of assessment scheme members can be found on http://www.ssip.org.uk/. All discussions, meetings and communications will be conducted in English. The contract will be subject to English law. Tenders and all supporting documents must be priced in GBP and all payments under the contract will be made in GBP. This procurement and award is subject to the transparency arrangements being adopted by the UK Government. These arrangements include the publication of tender documentation issued by the HCA and the contract between the HCA and supplier. Bidders should highlight any areas they consider commercially sensitive in order for the HCA to be able to honour our transparency obligations without undermining the bidders commercial interests. Candidates are advised that the HCA is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“The Act”). If a candidate considers that any of the information supplied as part of this procurement procedure should not be disclosed because of its commercial sensitivity, confidential or otherwise, they must, when providing this information, clearly identify the specific information they do not wish to be disclosed and clearly specify the reasons for its sensitivity. The HCA shall take such statements into consideration in the event that it receives a request pursuant to the Act which relates to the information provided by the interested party. Please note, it is insufficient to include a statement of confidentiality encompassing all the information provided in the response. The HCA takes a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and sets high standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to the stewardship of public funds and the management of its activities. The principles contained within this policy apply to both internal and external audiences, including anyone wishing to undertake business or engage with the HCA. Please refer to our Anti-bribery and Corruption Policy by visiting: http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/ethical-policies for further information.