Legal Advice Tender for Wales Audit Office

The Wales Audit Office and the Auditor General for Wales require legal advice on a range of topics and issues relevant to their statutory functions.

United Kingdom-Cardiff: Legal advisory services

2019/S 025-055866

Contract notice

Services

Legal Basis:

Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses

Wales Audit Office
24 Cathedral Road
Cardiff
CF11 9LJ
United Kingdom
Contact person: Adam James-Price
Telephone: +44 2920320500
E-mail: adam.james-price@audit.wales
Fax: +44 2920320600
NUTS code: UKL22

Internet address(es):Main address: www.audit.wales

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0519

I.2)Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

I.3)Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales

Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales

I.4)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.5)Main activity

Other activity: Audit

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement

II.1.1)Title:

Legal Advice and Related Services

II.1.2)Main CPV code

79111000

II.1.3)Type of contract

Services

II.1.4)Short description:

The Wales Audit Office (WAO) and the Auditor General for Wales (AGW) require legal advice on a range of topics and issues relevant to their statutory functions. As such, the WAO wishes to procure and implement a Framework Agreement for the provision of external legal advice and related services, for both the WAO and the AGW.

The advice required will typically relate to either the WAO’s provision of services to the AGW or the AGW’s statutory work.

II.1.5)Estimated total value

II.1.6)Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.2)Description

II.2.1)Title:

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

79100000

79110000

79112000

79140000

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKL

Main site or place of performance:

Wales

II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

The Wales Audit Office (WAO) and the Auditor General for Wales (AGW) require legal advice on a range of topics and issues relevant to their statutory functions. As such, the WAO wishes to procure and implement a Framework Agreement for the provision of external Legal Advice and Related Services, for both the WAO and the AGW.

The advice required will typically relate to either the WAO’s provision of services to the AGW or the AGW’s statutory work.

The Framework Agreement will consist of 2 Suppliers on a tiered basis. Both will be expected to provide Legal Advice and Related Services when required, but call-offs will always go to the Tier 1 Supplier in the first instance and then will be offered to the Tier 2 Supplier thereafter should the Tier 1 Supplier be unable to provide the services in that instance for whatever reason.

The requirement, in terms of the main, broad areas of law on which the WAO and AGW may require advice are:

(a) Audit;

(b) General Public Business.

These are not separate lots and it should be noted that in practice matters often overlap. The successful suppliers must therefore be able to provide all of the required services under both areas of law.

II.2.5)Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

II.2.6)Estimated value

II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 36

This contract is subject to renewal: yes

Description of renewals:

Option to extend for a further 2 years at 1-year intervals at the sole discretion of the WAO (i.e. 3 years + 1 + 1).

II.2.9)Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited

Maximum number: 5

Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:

PQQ. All award criteria are stated only in the procurement documents.

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.12)Information about electronic catalogues

II.2.13)Information about European Union funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.14)Additional information

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

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.1.5)Information about reserved contracts

III.2)Conditions related to the contract

III.2.1)Information about a particular profession

III.2.2)Contract performance conditions:

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

Framework agreement with several operators

Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 2

In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:

An initial 3 year term. Option for 2 years further extension in 12 month installments (at sole discretion of the WAO) available to provide business continuity (assurance of service delivery).

IV.1.4)Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

IV.1.6)Information about electronic auction

IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes

IV.2)Administrative information

IV.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure

IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 11/03/2019

Local time: 14:00

IV.2.3)Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

Date: 27/03/2019

IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:

English

IV.2.6)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about electronic workflows

Electronic ordering will be used

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

VI.3)Additional information:

Please note: The ITT Award and Selection Criteria (inc. technical questions and commercial questions) and draft Framework Agreement will be made available for review and consideration at the PQQ. Prospective suppliers are not to respond to the ITT at the first stage of the procurement (PQQ). Only those Suppliers successful at PQQ and invited to tender will be able to respond to the ITT requirements.

Note: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=89365

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.

(WA Ref:89365)

The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia.

VI.4)Procedures for review

VI.4.1)Review body

Wales Audit Office
24 Cathedral Road
Cardiff
CF11 9LJ
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 2920320500
Fax: +44 2920320600Internet address: www.audit.wales

VI.4.2)Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.4.3)Review procedure

VI.4.4)Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:

01/02/2019