Statutory and Regulatory Audit and Related Services

Bazalgette Equity Limited
The Point, 7th Floor, 37 North Wharf Road, Paddington
Contact point(s): Internal Supply Chain
For the attention of: Doherty Dermot
W2 1AF London
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 2031477700
E-mail: dermot.doherty@tideway.london

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting entity: http://www.tideway.london

Address of the buyer profile: https://thamestidewaytunnel.bravosolution.co.uk

Electronic access to information: https://thamestidewaytunnel.bravosolution.co.uk

Electronic submission of tenders and requests to participate: https://thamestidewaytunnel.bravosolution.co.uk

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for 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)

Other: design, construct, finance and operate the Thames Tideway Tunnel. See Section VI.3) Additional Information for further information on the contracting entity’s activity

The contracting entity is purchasing on behalf of other contracting entities: yes

The Tideway group of companies (refer section II.1.5)
The Point, 7th Floor, 37 North Wharf Road, Paddington
W2 1AF London
United Kingdom

Statutory and Regulatory Audit and Related Services.

Services
Service category No 9: Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: London.

NUTS code UKI1

The notice involves a public contract

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

Estimated value excluding VAT
Range: between 1 000 000 and 2 000 000 GBP
Frequency and value of the contracts to be awarded: N/A.

Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (BTL), trading under the name of Tideway, began operating as an independent regulated private company when, in August 2015, Ofwat awarded the company the licence to design, build, commission and maintain the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The 25km tunnel beneath London will store and transfer tens of millions on tonnes of untreated sewage each year that currently pollutes the tidal River Thames. The project is one of the most significant projects in Europe and is urgently needed to modernise London’s sewer system.
On 13 August 2015, Ofwat designated Bazalgette Tunnel Limited as an infrastructure provider (IP) wholly responsible for the financing, construction, delivery, maintenance and operation of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The IP is a separate self-standing, independent utility.
Bazalgette Tunnel Limited is part of a group of companies (the Tideway group of companies). Its immediate parent company is Bazalgette Holdings Limited, which is in turn wholly owned by Bazalgette Ventures Limited, and its ultimate holding company is Bazalgette Equity Limited. Two other companies make up the group (Bazalgette Finance Ltd and Thames Tideway Tunnel Ltd). The structure of the Tideway group of companies is shown in the accompanying Pre-Qualification Pack (PQP). The Contracting Entity is therefore purchasing the Services on behalf of and for the use of the Tideway group of companies identified therein.
The Tideway group of companies requires a number of services to meet statutory and regulatory audit requirements in accordance with prevailing statutory, regulative and other relevant standards. In addition, other related or advisory services may be required on an ad-hoc basis, subject always to the principle of independence.
Under the UK Companies Act 2006, the Tideway group of companies including BTL require a statutory audit for the individual entities and a number of consolidations. Under the Ofwat licence, BTL (as the licensed entity) is required to act and report as if it were a listed entity and the licence requires a number of regulatory audits in line with other water companies. This is described in more detail in the PQP.
Interested parties need to register on the Contracting Entity’s e-sourcing portal and will be able to download a pre-qualification pack (‘PQP’) including the form of pre-qualification questionnaire (‘PQQ’) to be completed and returned to express interest. The registration process is set out in section III.2) of this Contract Notice. The PQP contains further detail regarding the Contracting Entity, the Tideway group of companies and further detail on the Contract and the timeline and phases of the procurement including information regarding the prequalification stage. Whilst it is intended that the procurement will be run in accordance with the timeline and process described in the PQP, this contract notice and the procurement documents, the Contracting Entity reserves the right to amend or cancel any or all of the procurement at any time and/or amend the timescales.

Interested organisations should refer to sections II.2) (Quantity or scope), VI.3) (Additional information) of this Contract Notice, the PQP and the Contracting Entity’s website http://www.tideway.london for further information regarding the Contract generally.

79200000, 79212000, 79210000, 79212500, 79212300, 79212100

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

This contract is divided into lots: no

Variants will be accepted: no

Interested organisations should refer to II.1.5) (Short Description) and VI.3) (Additional information) and to the PQP and other procurement documents for further information on the description of the Services and the Contract.
The estimated value of the Services is over the relevant threshold for Services but the actual value of the Contract will be subject to the tender proposals received and the terms of the Contract. The estimated value given is based upon current estimated total usage of approximately 1 000 000 to 2 000 000 GBP over the total possible term. The actual level of usage will fluctuate dependent upon the Contracting Authority’s requirements and may be subject to change.
The initial term of the Contract (Initial Term) is one (1) year with options to extend for up to nine (9) further years (Additional Term) making a total possible aggregate term of ten (10) years. All figures and amounts described in section II 2.1) are based upon a term of ten (10) years. Should the Contract not be extended to a total duration of 10 years, then the figures and amounts would adjust accordingly.
Estimated value excluding VAT
Range: between 1 000 000 and 2 000 000 GBP

Options: yes
Description of these options: The initial term of the Contract (Initial Term) is one (1) year with options to extend for up to nine (9) further years (Additional Term) making a total possible aggregate term of ten (10) years.

This contract is subject to renewal: no

Duration in months: 120 (from the award of the contract)

The Contracting Entity reserves the right to require guarantees, bonds, collateral warranties and other forms of security as appropriate. Further details and requirements will be confirmed in the procurement documents at invitation to tender (ITT) stage.

The main financing conditions, payment mechanism and performance standards will be confirmed in the procurement documents at invitation to tender (ITT) stage.

The Contracting Entity will accept expressions of interest and Tenders from single entities or Consortia. The Contracting Entity does not require Consortia to form a single legal entity at the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) stage. The Contracting Entity will consider contracting with a Consortium, providing always that the participants in any unincorporated joint venture are jointly and severally liable for all of the obligations of the Consortium under the Contract. The nature of the Contractor or Contractors, assumption of liability and the terms of any parent company guarantees (PCG) will be confirmed in the procurement documents at invitation to tender (ITT) stage.
Applicants must provide full details of their proposed contracting structures with their completed PQQ Response. See PQP for further details.

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: yes
Description of particular conditions: These conditions are set out in the PQP and will be further detailed in the procurement documents to be confirmed at ITT stage.

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Interested organisations must register to participate in the pre- qualification stage of the procurement by following the link:

https://thamestidewaytunnel.bravosolution.co.uk

And complete the online confidentiality undertaking provided at that link. Following registration and acceptance of the confidentiality undertaking, interested organisations will be able to download the PQP and view other procurement documents relevant to this PQQ stage. Instructions and further details for the pre-qualification phase are set out in the PQP.
Applicants must be suitably approved and qualified to carry out statutory audits under and in accordance with the UK Companies Act 2006. The Authority will review the Register of Statutory Auditors in assessing this criteria, please see the PQP for further information.

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: This is set out in detail in the PQP. The PQP which can be obtained at the address in Section I.1) (see also III.2.1)).

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: This is set out in detail in the PQP. The PQP which can be obtained at the address in Section I.1) (see also III.2.1)).

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: yes
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision: Individuals assigned to the Services will be required to hold any qualifications or membership of professional or registered bodies as required by the UK Companies Act 2006 or other relevant statute to perform the Services.
The Authority will review the Register of Statutory Auditors in assessing this criteria, please see the PQP for further information.

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

Negotiated
Some candidates have already been selected (if appropriate under certain types of negotiated procedures): no

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications or in the invitation to tender or to negotiate

An electronic auction will be used: no

no

Time limit for receipt of requests for documents or for accessing documents: 8.9.2016 – 17:00
Payable documents: no

8.9.2016 – 17:00

English.

This is a recurrent procurement: no

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

(1) Additional information concerning this Contract Notice and the Contracting Entity (Section I): economic operators should note that words and expressions in this Contract Notice with an initial capital letter shall have the meanings given in the PQP. All additional information relating to information provided in this Contract Notice is available in the PQP. Further information on (i) the procurement is available at https://thamestidewaytunnel.bravosolution.co.uk and (ii) the Thames Tideway Tunnel project is available on www.tideway.london

The Contracting Entity is Bazalgette Equity Limited which is ultimate parent company of Bazalgette Tunnel Limited. ‘Tideway’ is the organisation delivering the Thames Tideway Tunnel on behalf of its owners Bazalgette Tunnel Limited. Tideway employs more than 400 highly experienced professionals to deliver the 25 kilometre sewer tunnel needed to prevent an average 20 million tonnes each year of untreated sewage discharging into the tidal River Thames in London. Tideway is independent of Thames Water, and its revenues are determined via a separate licence for Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd from the Water Services Regulation Authority (‘Ofwat’). Bill payments for the tunnel will be collected via Thames Water. Thames Water will continue to provide water and waste water services to its customers as it does now.
(2) Additional information concerning the Contracting Entity and the procedure (Section I and Section IV): On 24.8.2015 Ofwat granted Bazalgette Tunnel Limited a project licence to carry out all activities described in the project specification notice apart from those activities that Thames Water is to carry out under the preparatory work notice. Bazalgette Tunnel Limited is not a utility for the purpose of the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (‘UCR 2016’) and accordingly the UCR 2016 do not apply to this procurement. However Bazalgette Tunnel Limited is required pursuant to the procurement regime in the Water Industry (Specified Infrastructure Projects) (English Undertakers) Regulations 2013 (‘SIP Regulations’) to tender certain contracts and certain categories of contracts in accordance with a modified regime set out in the SIP Regulations (‘modified UCR 2016’). More information concerning the Project Licence is available at:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/improving-regulation/thames-tideway/

Information on the SIP Regulations and more information on the modified UCR 2016 is available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/

(3) Additional information concerning (IV.2.1) (Award criteria) — Tideway intends to award the Contract to the economic operators with the most economically advantageous tender. Details of the award criteria and methodology for identifying the most economically advantageous tender will be set out in the procurement documents to be made available at ITT stage.
(4) Additional information concerning conflicts of interest — Applicants are referred to the PQP document and specifically section 6.3 for further information relating to the Contracting Entity’s approach to conflicts of interest.
(5) General information for Applicants: a response to this Contract Notice does not guarantee that an economic operator will be invited to tender. The process for selecting Tenderer(s) to be invited to tender is set out in the EN Standard form 05 — Contract notice — utilities 12 / 17 PQP. Tideway reserves the right in its absolute discretion to abandon, terminate or suspend the award process at any time.
Further:
a. Tideway does not bind itself to enter into any contract arising out of the procedures envisaged by this contract notice;
b. no contractual rights express or implied arise out of this contract notice or the procedures envisaged by it;
c. Tideway reserves the right to vary its requirements and the procedure relating to the conduct of the award process; and
d. applicants and Tenderers shall be fully responsible for and liable for all costs associated with and arising out of or in connection with responding to this contract notice and any prequalification questionnaire. Tideway will not be responsible for or liable to any Applicant or Tenderer for any cost incurred by such Applicant and/or Tenderer in responding to this Contract Notice, any pre-qualification questionnaire or any Tender howsoever incurred.

High Court of Justice
Royal Courts of Justice The Strand
WC2A 2LL London
United Kingdom

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: In accordance with the modified UCR 2016 regime set out in the SIP Regulations, the contracting entity will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period before award from the point information on award is communicated to Tenderers. Any request for further information by Tenderers pursuant to the modified UCR 2016 regime set out in the SIP Regulations must be made in writing to the address set out in section I.1) above. The modified UCR 2016 regime provides remedies for economic operators who, in consequence of a breach of the modified UCR 2016 regime, suffer, or risk suffering, loss or damage. Proceedings must be started in the High Court of England and Wales.
Additional information in relation to SIP Regulations and the modified UCR 2016 is available at:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk

10.8.2016