Request for Quote – Smart Phone Application Development Contract
Creation of a new, native smart phone App for Margam Country Park – ‘Discover Margam’.
Note: The publishers of this notice request that you respond using the following method:
To obtain a copy of the Tender Document please email Adam Rosenqvist at a.rosenqvist@npt.gov.uk
Neath Port Talbot
Classification of RFQ (CPV codes)
72212190 – Educational software development services.
48000000 – Software package and information systems.
72262000 – Software development services.
72268000 – Software supply services.
48100000 – Industry specific software package.
32250000 – Mobile telephones.
64212700 – Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) services.
64212000 – Mobile-telephone services.
64210000 – Telephone and data transmission services.
This tender brief has been issued by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) to develop a new smart phone app to enhance the visitor experience in Margam Country Park.
Margam Country Park is a major tourist attraction within the south Wales region. The park is a listed landscape encompassing an array of important historical sites including Margam Castle, Margam Orangery and Margam Abbey. The park is famous for its deer herd, being the largest fallow deer herd to be found in south Wales. The relative freedom from disturbance and the wide variety of habitats have encouraged a diverse and abundant flora and fauna. Margam Country Park offers family activities including walking trails, a farm trail, family mountain biking, orienteering, geocaching and children’s play areas. Over the past few years, the park is locally becoming synonymous with the filming of TV programmes, having been used as filming locations for Dr Who, Torchwood, Merlin, Sarah Jayne’s Adventures and more recently Da Vinci’s Demons. Please refer to www.margamcountrypark.co.uk for further background information.
AIMS
There are a number of overall aims that NPTCBC are striving to achieve through the delivery of the ‘Discover Margam’ app:
1. To showcase and promote different aspects of Margam Country Park (these have been grouped under four themes – history, nature, activities and film set locations).
2. Appeal to the target market and attract new visitors to the park.
3. Create a buzz in the need to complete and compete on as many activities as possible, to generate repeat and longer visits.
4. To help project a more positive contemporary image for Margam Country Park as a visitor destination.
5. Develop a system which is easy to update, in order for the app to be up to date and create new experiences year on year.
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES
At the end of the project there will be
1. Increased footfall at Margam Country Park.
2. Increased repeat visits at Margam Country Park.
3. Increased time spent whilst visiting Margam Country Park.
4. Increased traffic to the Margam Country Park’s website and Facebook pages.
5. Increased use of attractions linked to the app such as Catch the Echoes project (heritage audio trail), geocaching, walking routes, orienteering trails, family mountain biking, farm trail etc.
6. Increased spend at Margam Country Park on merchandise and refreshments.
7. Visitors who think more positively about Margam Country Park.
8. Enhanced visitor experience using the latest mobile technology.
APP CONCEPT
This Application will lead you into an interactive exploration of Margam Country Park, taking in nature, history, outdoor activities and Margam’s latest use as a giant TV & Film set.
‘Discover Margam’ will be a map based discovery of Margam Country Park using four distinct themes over forty locations plotted on the map. Each location sub page will contain text, images, audio and an interactive challenge. Completed challenges will award the user with points and badges. A leader scoreboard will show the highest scores achieved and will provide an impetus to continue collecting points.
Users can help promote the app to friends and family through direct social media feeds to their private accounts as well as a facility for their posts to be displayed on the Margam Country Park social media pages.
Challenges will range from answering a multiple choice question, taking a photo or appearing within a photo (for example, photos of Margam Country Park film sets will appear on the screen, the user will stand at the location and have their photo taken- the app will then layer the user photo with the film set location photo so the user appears to be standing by Dr Who on the film set).
CONSTRAINTS
There are variations of signal strength across Margam Country Park. Therefore some interactive features may not be suitable at a limited number of locations in the park. A signal survey has been conducted in Margam Country Park, the result of which is included in appendix 1.
The app should be as small a download as possible.
The app should be easily maintainable, with low future maintenance costs.
SPECIFICATION
The successful company will be required to deliver a bilingual smart phone app for Margam Country Park that is innovative, informative and inviting and which compliments Margam Country Park’s brand. It needs to be capable of promoting the park’s visitor product effectively and also contribute positively to enhancing the perception of the park. The app must comply with any legal requirements, accessibility and best practice.
App Format
The client requires proposals for the creation of both a native app (on both I-phone and Android platforms) and a hybrid app.
You will be required to outline your proposal for both types of apps and should be costed separately. Furthermore, you will be required to provide a recommendation for the most suitable app format for Margam Country Park and a rationale for the chosen format. Your decision should be based on the suitability for the concept and constraints.
EVALUATION OF BIDS
Please provide three hard copy responses plus an electronic copy of you bid on either CD or memory stick
We ask that all submissions agree to the requested format and exclude any company promotional material.
We will require method statements on the following which will determine how your bid is assessed on a quality basis
Method Statement 1 – A background of your company together with details on previous relevant experience of working on similar projects.
Method Statement 2 – A full and comprehensive proposal on how you will meet all of the requirements as laid out in section four of this document
Method Statement 3 – Outline what added value or innovation you could bring to this project not laid down in the brief.
Please note that you may be required to attend an interview on the date specified in the indicative procurement timetable to present your submission. The client reserves the right to award the contract based on submission alone.
Your submission will be evaluated by using the following criteria:
Price: 25%
Please include a breakdown of the costs involved as per our requirements outlined in Section 4 of this brief and a total cost for the whole work.
This breakdown should include a schedule and costs (specifically what you are going to do at each stage, how long it is going to take you, by who and when).
Price will be assessed as a fixed sum for the delivery of the whole project. This must include all expenses associated with delivering your project. No additional expenses will be accepted. The fixed lump sum should be made on the Form of Quotation as your formal offer to the Council.
In order to provide us with an alternative solution, please also provide a second cost option for a web-based or hybrid app that is of a much lower specification than that outlined in section 3, but one which you believe, as a company, will help visitors to explore Margam Country Park effectively.
Quality: 75%
The 75% quality criteria will be broken down as follows:
Method Statement 1 – Previous relevant experience and skills (15%)
Method Statement 2 – Meeting our requirements outlined in the brief (50%)
Method Statement 3 – Added value (10%)
Interviews
Interviews are to be held to assist in the evaluation process and will help the panel to clarify the scores given on the basis of the written submissions.
Marks awarded to tenders based on their written submission may therefore change as a result of the interview, and they may go up, down or stay the same.
The Council proposes to invite the top four highest scoring bids, based on the written quality and price assessment to interview. However, please note that we reserve the right to invite more or less bidders should this be deemed applicable.
SUBMISSION OF QUOTATIONS
Quotations must be forwarded in a plain sealed envelope using the scanned label provided, and must not bear any name or mark indicating the sender.
Quotations may be sent by Recorded Delivery or Registered Post, or delivered by hand in exchange for a receipt in order to reach the above named not later than 12:00 noon, 21st January 2013.
You must return the following documents as part of your submission:
1. Form of Quotation
2. Completed Supplier Questionnaire
3. Certificate of Non Collusion
4. Freedom of Information Act
5. Form of Quotation
6. Equal Opportunities Questionnaire
7. Completed Method Statements
8. Schedule of Fees
TIMETABLE:
Quotations returned by: 12:00 Noon Monday 21st Jan 2013
Short listing by: Friday 25th Jan 2013
Interviews and Presentations: Wednesday 13th February 2013
Contract awarded by: Friday 15th February 2013
Inception meeting: Wednesday 20th February 2013
Project completed Friday 10th May 2013
To obtain a copy of the Tender Document please email Adam Rosenqvist at a.rosenqvist@npt.gov.uk