Norfolk County Council Pension Investment Services

Norfolk County Council
County Hall, Martineau Lane
For the attention of: Julie Ward
NR1 2DH Norwich
United Kingdom
E-mail: sourcingteam@norfolk.gov.uk

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: www.norfolk.gov.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc/aspx/Home

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)

Regional or local authority

General public services

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes

The Environment Agency, City of Wolverhampton Council, City of Edinburgh Council, London Borough of Hackney, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Lancashire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Suffolk County Council and Wirral Borough Council

A Multi-Provider Framework Agreement for the Provision of Stewardship Advisory Services.

Services
Service category No 27: Other services

NUTS code UK

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators

Duration of the framework agreement

Duration in months: 48

Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement

Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 4 000 000 and 10 000 000 GBP

Norfolk County Council on its own behalf and on The Environment Agency, City of Wolverhampton Council, City of Edinburgh Council, London Borough of Hackney, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Lancashire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Suffolk County Council and Wirral Borough Council wishes to let a Multi Provider Framework agreement for Stewardship Advisory Services.
This procurement has been split into 5 Lots, providers may bid for any or all lots.
Lot 1 — Voting Services;
Lot 2 — Engagement Services;
Lot 3 — Voting and Engagement Services;
Lot 4 — Stewardship Research and Data Services;
Lot 5 — Stewardship-related project services.

66131100, 66520000, 66523000, 75320000, 66141000

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no

This contract is divided into lots: yes
Tenders may be submitted for one or more lots

Variants will be accepted: no

No Guarantee of business. The minimum figure below assumes that all the funds who have indicated an intention to use the framework do so. The maximum figure is based on a very widespread take up of funds eligible to use the framework.

Provision of Voting Services.

66520000, 66523000, 33192310, 66141000, 75320000, 66131100, 66522000

Voting services including but not limited to:
— Assisting in the formulation of agreed voting templates in-line with client requirements;
— Delivery of voting execution and voting related engagement in-line with client policies;
— Providing support on voting and voting related engagement issues;
— Identifying key stewardship risks within client portfolios;
— Identifying industry developments which may impact upon client policies and reputation;
— Advising on best practice in voting policy and execution;
— Supporting the integration of stewardship best practice into investment processes and decision-making (in respect of both internal and external management);
— Analysis and reporting of trends in voting behaviour and activity;
— Post-voting reporting of key analysis and trends;
— Analysing the effectiveness of active ownership policies;
— Benchmarking fund manager voting intentions relative to the client’s voting policy;
— Supporting clients with stewardship-related compliance, e.g. UNPRI, UK Stewardship Code, etc.;
— Supporting clients with internal and external communication with regards to stewardship policies;
— Identifying opportunities for clients to collaborate to secure more cost-efficient and effective voting outcomes.

Provision of Engagement Services.

66131100, 66523000, 66141000, 75320000, 66520000, 66522000

Engagement Services including but not limited to:
— Assisting the client to engage with investee entities across the portfolio as defined by the client;
— Identifying and prioritising fund engagement activities by issue and company;
— Identifying key engagement risks within client portfolios;
— Identifying the optimal engagement strategy in-line with the clients investment portfolio;
— Identifying opportunities for clients to collaborate to secure more cost-efficient and effective engagement outcomes;
— Undertaking engagement activity on behalf of clients;
— Supporting the client’s external fund manager monitoring efforts;
— Supporting the integration of engagement best practice into investment processes and decision-making;
— Supporting the client in their engagement with policy-makers and regulators with regard to active ownership;
— Provision of ongoing training for clients in relation to engagement;
— Provision of regular monitoring reports and analysis of engagement activities undertaken;
— Analysing the effectiveness of engagement activity;
— Supporting clients with stewardship-related compliance, e.g. UNPRI, UK Stewardship Code, etc.;
— Supporting clients with internal and external communication with regards to engagement policies.

Provision of Voting and Engagement Services.

66131100, 66523000, 66141000, 75320000, 66520000, 66522000

Voting and Engagement Services including but not limited to:
— Assisting in the formulation of agreed voting templates in-line with client requirements;
— Delivery of voting execution and voting related engagement in-line with client policies;
— Providing support on voting and voting related engagement issues;
— Identifying key engagement and stewardship risks within client portfolios;
— Identifying industry developments which my impact upon client policies and reputation;
— Advising on best practice in voting policy and execution;
— Supporting the integration of stewardship best practice into investment processes and decision-making (in respect of both internal and external management);
— Analysis and reporting of trends in voting behaviour and activity;
— Post-voting reporting of key analysis and trends;
— Analysing the effectiveness of active ownership policies and engagement activity;
— Benchmarking fund manager voting intentions relative to the client’s voting policy;
— Supporting clients with stewardship-related compliance, e.g. UNPRI, UK Stewardship Code, etc.;
— Supporting clients with internal and external communication with regards to voting, stewardship and engagement policies;
— Identifying opportunities for clients to collaborate to secure more cost-efficient and effective voting outcomes;
— Assisting the client to engage with investee entities across the portfolio as defined by the client;
— Identifying and prioritising fund engagement activities by issue and company;
— Identifying the optimal engagement strategy in-line with the clients investment portfolio;
— Identifying opportunities for clients to collaborate to secure more cost-efficient and effective engagement outcomes;
— Undertaking engagement activity on behalf of clients;
— Supporting the client’s external fund manager monitoring efforts;
— Supporting the integration of engagement best practice into investment processes and decision-making;
— Supporting the client in their engagement with policy-makers and regulators with regard to active ownership;
— Provision of ongoing training for clients in relation to engagement;
— Provision of regular monitoring reports and analysis of engagement activities undertaken.

Provision of Stewardship Research and Data Services.

66131100, 66523000, 66141000, 75320000, 66520000, 66522000

Stewardship research and data services including but not limited to:
— Provision of research at sectoral, regional, asset class and/or investment level of environmental, social, governance and other stewardship matters in relation to current or prospective client investments;
— Provision of data at sectoral, regional, asset class and/or investment level of environmental, social, governance and other stewardship matters in relation to current or prospective client investments.

Provision of Stewardship Related Projects.

66131100, 66523000, 66141000, 75320000, 66520000, 66522000

Discrete pieces of specialist, stewardship-related project work including, but not limited to:
— Advice on preparing stewardship due diligence tools for specific asset classes, e.g. real estate, forestry, etc.;
— Advice on issues such as fossil fuel investment, human capital management, etc.;
— Developing broader stewardship policies and partnerships;
— Integrating responsible investment policies into investment decision-making;
— Supporting clients in their stewardship-related interactions with stakeholders;
— Supporting the analysis and reporting of stewardship-related data.

As detailed in the tender document.

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: no

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: As detailed in the tender document.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: As detailed in the tender document.

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
As detailed in the tender document.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
As detailed in the tender document.

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

NCCT40936

Prior information notice

Notice number in the OJEU: 2015/S 182-328611

Payable documents: no

18.7.2016 – 14:00

English.

Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: no

This is a recurrent procurement: no

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

The duration of the framework will be 4 years, call-offs may be up to a maximum duration of seven (7) years.
This procurement will be managed electronically via the Council’s procurement system. To participate in this procurement, applicants must 1^st be registered on the procurement system at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc

Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc/aspx/BuyerProfiles

Once registered you will be able to view the procurement under the tenders section and express an interest. If you encounter any difficulties whilst using the system you can contact the support team by phoning. +44 8442728810 or e-mailing: support@in-tend.co.uk

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: Norfolk County Council will incorporate a standstill period at the point information on the proposed award of the contract 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 unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
Proceedings must be brought within 30 days from the date of knowledge (the date on which the economic operator first knew or ought to have known that grounds for starting the proceedings had arisen) unless the Court considers that there is good reason for extending the period within which proceedings may be brought, in which case the Court may extend that period up to a maximum of 3 months from the date of knowledge.

17.6.2016