Market Research Services Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation
Your voice public research and consultation framework – 992N/12.
UK-Leicester: market research services
2012/S 75-123850
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2004/18/EC
Section I: Contracting authority
Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (see www.espo.org) for itself and on behalf of Norfolk County Council
Barnsdale Way, Grove Park
Contact point(s): Hollie Ruston
LE19 1ES Leicester
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1162657928
E-mail: h.ruston@espo.org
Fax: +44 1162944399
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority: www.espo.org
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)
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes
The Pro5 Group of Professional Buying Organisations and other public bodies
Eligible bodies may be located throughout the UK, Organisations stated in Contract Notice – Section II.1.5
Throughout the UK
UNITED KINGDOM
Section II: Object of the contract
Service category No 10: Market research and public opinion polling services
NUTS code UK
Duration of the framework agreement
Duration in years: 2
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement
Estimated value excluding VAT: 750 000 GBP
1) Is a contract to provide public research and consultation services to the ‘Your Voice’ public consultation initiative. ‘Your Voice’ is a joint initiative led by Norfolk County Council but involving five other public bodies in Norfolk, whose aim is to consult citizens, residents and service users on matters relating to the provision of public services. The membership of your voice is not fixed, and member bodies may join or leave. The firm appointed as the contractor will be used when your voice member bodies need to engage an external service provider to carry out or assist with a particular piece of research or consultation work, and will be known as the Principal Research and Consulation Partner. Just a single firm will be appointed to this contract.
2) Is a supplementary list of companies who between them will offer the Your Voice partnership access to specialist research and consultation services (for instance, firms who specialise in specific consultation methods, or have experience of dealing with particular client groups (e.g. young people, migrant workers, travellers, etc) or with particular service areas (e.g. social care, libraries, etc). There will be no particular limit to the number of firms appointed to this contract, subject to keeping the framework agreement manageable to use. 3) will be a framework agreement available for use by public bodies elsewhere in the UK who wish to procure public research and consultation services. Whilst initially for use by local authorities served by the Pro5 Group (see http://www.espo.org/index.asp?CMD=PRO), being Central Purchasing Bodies as defined by the EU Combined Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC, the framework agreement may also be open for use by the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: Local Authority Councils; Educational Establishments (including Academies); Police, Fire & Rescue and Coastguard Emergency Services; NHS and HSC Bodies, including Ambulance Services; Registered Charities; Registered Social Landlords. Full details of the classification of end user establishments and geographical areas is available on: http://www.espo.org/ojeu-framework-permissible-users.
For all three framework contracts, an initial two-year term is envisaged, extendible for up to two further years.
79310000, 79320000, 79315000
Estimated value excluding VAT: 750 000 GBP
Description of these options: An option will exist to extend any or all of the three framework agreements for up to two further years, to make a four-year term in total.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Description of particular conditions: The Supplier agrees that there shall be no discrimination by it against any person with respect to opportunity for employment or conditions of employment, because of age, culture, disability, gender, marital status, race, religion or sexual orientation. The Supplier shall in all matters arising in the performance of the Agreement comply with the provisions of the Sex Discrimination act 1975 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and any regulations made there under. The Supplier shall in all matters arising in the performance of the Agreement comply with the provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. The Supplier must comply with the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2002 and the Equality Act 2010 and shall ensure that they perform their responsibilities under this Agreement with due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, and to promote equality of opportunity and good relationships between different groups.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As detailed in the invitation to tender.
As detailed in the invitation to tender.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
As detailed in the invitation to tender.
Section IV: Procedure
Payable documents: no
Section VI: Complementary information
Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: ESPO, for itself and on behalf of the ‘Pro 5’ Group of Professional Buying Organisations (see http://www.espo.org/index.asp?CMD=PRO) will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar days standstill period at the point information on the decision to award the contract is communicated to tenderers. This decision notice will incorporate the award criteria, the reasons for the decision, the reasons (if any) why a tenderer did not meet any technical specification, the identity of the successful tenderer(s) and a precise statement of when the standstill period is expected to end. Any appeal or challenge against the award decision must be communicated to the address stated in Section I.1 within the standstill period. If an appeal or challenge regarding the decision to award the contract has not been successfully resolved the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended) provide for aggrieved parties who have suffered harm or are at risk of harm by a breach of the procurement rules to take action in the High Court (England Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly (generally within 3 months) (NB this time limit may be reduced to 30 days in circumstances where the contract award has been publicised to all participants in accordance with the Regulations). Where a legal challenge is launched against the award decision ESPO is obliged to suspend the making of the contract. Where a challenge is made after the contract has been entered into then that contract could be declared ineffective and/or shortened and/or a fine imposed by the court, but only where the court are satisfied that there has been a serious breach of the procurement rules.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:13.4.2012