The Education Authority invites tenders on behalf of Council for Catholic Maintained Schools from firms of solicitors for the Provision of Legal Advice.
Directive 2004/18/EC
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Education Authority NI
Grahamsbridge Road, Dundonald
Contact point(s): david.gilmore@eani.org.uk
BT16 2HS Belfast
UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address(es):
Address of the buyer profile: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Electronic access to information: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Electronic submission of tenders and requests to participate: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.3)Main activity
Education
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes
Council for Catholic Maintained Schools
160 High Street
BT18 9HT Holywood
UNITED KINGDOM
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1)Description
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
70125 Legal Advice and Representation to CCMS.
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Services
Service category No 21: Legal services
NUTS code UKN
II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)
The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement
II.1.4)Information on framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 2
Duration of the framework agreement
Duration in years: 3
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement
Estimated value excluding VAT: 250 000 GBP
II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
EA Tender 70125 — Legal Advice and Representation to CCMS. The Education Authority (EA) invites tenders on behalf of Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) from firms of solicitors for the Provision of Legal Advice and Representation to the Boards of Governors of Catholic Maintained Schools and/or CCMS itself when requested in the matters set out in the Specification, as and when requested, for the period 1.5.2016 to 30.4.2019 with an option to extend for a further 12 months. It is anticipated that the majority of work allocated to the successful tenderers will involve employment law with a smaller amount of work related to public administrative law matters (and in particular the defence of threatened or actual judicial review applications). The tender will appoint two firms of solicitors to act for CCMS as well as, where appropriate, the Board of Governors of a Catholic Maintained School on an as and when required basis in accordance with the Specification, the Standard Conditions of Retainer, the Standard Conditions of Contract and pricing arrangements for this Tender. The Firm ranked first after evaluation will be the principal provider of legal advice and representation to the CCMS/Boards of Governors of Catholic Maintained Schools (‘the Principal Firm’) whilst the Firm ranked second after evaluation will be the secondary provider of legal advice and representation to the CCMS/Boards of Governors of Catholic Maintained Schools (‘the Secondary Firm’). On occasion either firm may be asked by the Education Authority to act for it and/or the Board of Governors of a controlled school and/or the Board of Governors of an Irish Medium school in accordance with the Specification, the Standard Conditions of Retainer, the Standard Conditions of Contract and pricing arrangements for this Tender and subject to there being no conflict with the interests of CCMS.
II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
79100000, 79110000, 79111000, 79112000, 79140000
II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes
II.1.8)Lots
This contract is divided into lots: no
II.1.9)Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: no
II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract
II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 250 000 GBP
II.2.2)Information about options
Options: yes
Description of these options: Option to Extend for 12 further months.
Provisional timetable for recourse to these options:
in months: 36 (from the award of the contract)
II.2.3)Information about renewals
This contract is subject to renewal: no
II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion
Duration in months: 36 (from the award of the contract)
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1)Conditions relating to the contract
III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:
III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
III.1.4)Other particular conditions
The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: yes
Description of particular conditions: See Tender Documents.
III.2)Conditions for participation
III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As detailed in the Tender documents.
III.2.2)Economic and financial ability
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As detailed in the Tender documents.
III.2.3)Technical capacity
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
As detailed in the Tender documents.
III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts
III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts
III.3.1)Information about a particular profession
Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: yes
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision: The Tendering Firm must be a firm of solicitors at the date of tendering.
III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service
Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: yes
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
Open
IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate
IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue
IV.2)Award criteria
IV.2.1)Award criteria
The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document
IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction will be used: no
IV.3)Administrative information
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
EA tender 70125 CCMS legal services
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
no
IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document
Time limit for receipt of requests for documents or for accessing documents: 1.4.2016 – 16:00
Payable documents: no
IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
1.4.2016 – 16:00
IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up
English.
IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
in days: 90 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders
Date: 1.4.2016
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
VI.2)Information about European Union funds
The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
VI.3)Additional information
VI.4)Procedures for appeal
VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures
Education Authority
Grahamsbridge Road, Dundonald
Belfast
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 2890566200
VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals
Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: A 10-day standstill period will be incorporated at the point that information on the award is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. The standstill period, which will be for a minimum of 10 calendar days provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before any contract is entered into.
VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:
1.3.2016