Ministry of Defence Consultancy Services Framework

The Secretary of State for Defence (the ‘Authority’)
Ministry of Defence, Main Building Whitehall
Contact point(s): Agent (for this Procurement) Crown Commercial Service, 9th Floor, The Capital, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9PP
SW1A 2HB London
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 3450103503
E-mail: supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence

Address of the buyer profile: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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)

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions

Defence
Other: public procurement

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Efficiency and Capability Programme.

Services
Service category No 27: Other services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: United Kingdom.

NUTS code UK

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators
maximum number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 3

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:
Range: between 30 000 000 and 100 000 000 GBP

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) (referred to hereafter as the Authority) is seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of consultancy services for the Ministry to deliver efficiencies.
The Services under this Framework Agreement shall comprise of the following core services, and shall include;
— Diagnostic, research and analysis;
— Developing, coaching, knowledge transfer;
— Production, agreement and implementation support to efficiency plans; and
— Savings, tracking and realisation.
The Authority considers that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (‘TUPE’) will not apply. It is the responsibility of Potential Providers to take their own advice and consider whether TUPE is likely to apply in particular circumstances of the contract and to act accordingly. The Potential Provider is encouraged to carry out its own due diligence exercise.
Cyber Essentials is mandatory for Central Government Contracts which involve handling personal information and providing certain ICT products and services. The Government is taking steps to further reduce the levels of cyber security risk in its supply chain through the Cyber Essentials scheme. The scheme defines a set of controls which, when properly implemented, will provide organisations with basic protection from the most prevalent forms of threat coming from the internet. There are two levels of certification: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. To participate in this Procurement, Potential Providers must be able to demonstrate that you comply with the technical requirements prescribed by Cyber Essentials Plus for Services under and in connection with this Procurement.
The Potential Provider must be able to demonstrate to the Authority that they meet the technical requirements prescribed by Cyber Essentials Plus for Services under and in connection with this Procurement prior to any Framework Agreement being signed.
A detailed description of the Services that the Potential Provider will be required to supply under this Framework Agreement will be set out in full in Framework Schedule 2: Part A Services (Attachment 4b).

79418000, 71318000, 79000000, 79400000, 79410000, 79411100

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

This contract is divided into lots: no

Variants will be accepted: no

Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 30 000 000 and 100 000 000 GBP

Options: yes
Description of these options: The Framework Agreement shall be awarded for an initial period of 24 months with an option to extend the duration for a further period of up to 24 months from the expiry date.
Any extension will be exercised at the sole discretion of the Authority.

Duration in months: 24 (from the award of the contract)

Potential Providers will be advised if this is necessary during the Procurement. Parent company and/or other guarantees of performance and financial liability may be required by the Agent if considered appropriate.

No legal form is required but if a contract is awarded to a Group of Economic Operators, the Agent may require the Group of Economic Operators to form a legal entity before entering into the Framework Agreement.

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Potential Providers will be assessed in accordance with Section 5 of Chapter 2 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, (implementing Title II, Chapter III, Section 3, Sub-section I of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council), on the basis of information provided in response to an Invitation to Tender (‘ITT’).

This Procurement will be managed electronically via the Agents e-Sourcing Suite. To participate in this Procurement, participants must first be registered on the e-Sourcing Suite. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, please go online to: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk you can then access the link ‘Register for CCS eSourcing’. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so.

Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-asupplier-through-thecrowncommercial-service-what-you-need-to-know

Once you have registered on the e-Sourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing:ExpressionOfInterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Your email must clearly state: the name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; the name of the Potential Provider; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. The Agent will process the email and then enable the Potential Provider to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to e-Sourcing Suite email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event.
Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information.

For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact the Agents Support Desk via email: eEnablement@crowncommercial.gov.uk

A copy of the ITT documentation for this Procurement will be available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge via Agents website once it is available: http://ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/procurement-pipeline

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Potential Providers will be assessed in accordance with the Invitation to Tender (‘ITT’). The Authority may take into account any of the following information:
a) A copy of your audited accounts for the most recent two years, if they are not available you are to provide one or more of the following in respect of your organisation or proposed Framework Guarantor (as the case may be):if available; or (alternatively):
b) A statement of the turnover, profit & loss account, current liabilities and assets, and cash flow for the most recent year of trading for this organisation; or
c) A statement of the cash flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining the current cash and credit position; or
d) Alternative means of demonstrating financial status if any of the above are not available (e.g. forecast of turnover for the current year and a statement of funding provided by the owners and/or the bank, charity accruals accounts or an alternative means of demonstrating financial status).

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Potential Providers will be assessed in accordance with Section 5 of the Regulations implementing the Directive, on the basis of information provided in response to an ITT.
The Authority may take into account the following information:
(a) Two (2) suitable contract examples, from the public or private sector, where similar requirements to those sought under this Procurement have been performed. Contracts should have been performed during the past three (3) years. Customer contacts must be warned they may be contacted by Crown Commercial Service, to verify the accuracy of the information provided at any time;
(b) A list of the principal deliveries or main services provided over the past three (3) years, with the sums, dates and recipients, whether public or private, involved;
(c) A description of the technical facilities and measures used by the Potential Provider for ensuring quality and data security;
(d) An indication of the proportion of the contract which the Potential Provider intends possibly to subcontract.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As stated in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) (Attachment 1).
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
The Potential Provider upon request of the Agent must present evidence of relevant contracts over the last three years that are being delivered or have been satisfactorily performed and completed in accordance with their terms. Upon further request a Certificate of Performance from those to whom services were contracted to should be obtained and provided to the Agent. Where a Certificate of Performance cannot be obtained an explanation why and detail of the steps taken to obtain a Certificate of Performance should be provided.
The Authority will assess the evidence provided and must find that the evidenced contracts provided by the Potential Provider have been satisfactorily performed in accordance with their terms or, where that has not occurred, the reason or reasons why that has not occurred in relation to any such contract, will not recur in the performance of the to be awarded.

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: no

Open

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

An electronic auction will be used: no

RM3806

no

Payable documents: no

13.10.2016 – 23:59

English.

in days: 120 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

Date: 13.10.2016 – 23:59

Place:

Electronically, via web-based portal

This is a recurrent procurement: no

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

Please note, this Procurement is being managed and facilitated by Crown Commercial Service (referred to as the Agent). The Agent is acting on behalf of the Authority throughout the procurement process.
The Efficiency and Capability Programme contract will be between the successful Supplier and the Authority, not the Agent.
Potential Providers should note that, in accordance with the UK Government’s policies on transparency, the Authority intends to publish the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document and the text of any Framework Agreement awarded, subject to possible redaction’s at the discretion of the Authority. The terms of the proposed Framework Agreement will also permit the Authority, awarding a call-off contract under this Framework Agreement, to publish the text of that call-off contract, subject to possible redaction’s at the discretion of the Authority.

Further information on transparency can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-and-contracting-transparency-requirements-guidance

The Authority expressly reserves the right:
(i) Not to award any call-off contract as a result of the Procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and
(ii) To make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will the Contracting Authority be liable for any costs incurred by the Potential Provider.
If the Authority decides to enter into a Framework Agreement with the successful Supplier(s), this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent call-off contracts being awarded.
Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of Potential Providers.
Any orders placed under this Framework Agreement will form a separate call-off contract under the scope of this Framework Agreement between the Supplier and the specific requesting Authority.
The Authority utilising the Framework Agreement reserve the right to use any electronic portal during the life of the Framework Agreement.
The duration referenced in Section II.1.4) is for the placing of orders.
The value provided in Section II.1.4) is only an estimate. The Authority cannot guarantee to Suppliers any business through this Framework Agreement.
In reference to Section II.1.4) Framework Agreements will be concluded with the maximum number of Potential this may increase only where two (2) or more Potential Providers have tied scores and are placed in the last position. The Authority will award a Framework Agreement to additional Potential Providers where their Final Score is within 1 % of the original awarded last place position only. For the avoidance of doubt, last position is 3rd.
The Framework Agreement will only will only be for use by the Ministry of Defence and its Agencies only (and any future successors to these organisations):

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: There is no right of appeal in this procurement. If you have a complaint or seek to challenge the outcome, please follow the guidance on procedure contained in the previous section.

13.9.2016