Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
DfE: Invest NI
Bedford Square, Bedford Street
BELFAST
BT2 7ES
UK
Contact person: SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
E-mail: SDAdmin@CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Address of the buyer profile: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
ID 5502349 - DfE - Invest NI - Development and Delivery of the Invest NI Go Global Programme
Reference number: 5502349
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80500000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Invest NI in recognising the challenge for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME’s) and in particular to grow export sales in markets outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland, wish to appoint a Contractor to provide a Go Global Programme that will support our SME’s to develop their International business footprint and give them the confidence, ambition, knowledge and skills required to sell their products and services in new export markets. The initial focus will be Europe, enabling businesses to take advantage of the “Windsor Framework” then will expand to North America and beyond depending on company needs and the opportunity presented. As a result, Invest NI is seeking to appoint a Contractor for the delivery and management of “The Go Global Programme” for a five-year period, with an anticipated launch date in financial quarter 4 2024/25. Tenderers should refer to the Specification for further details.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1 958 400.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80522000
80532000
73000000
73200000
73210000
73220000
79310000
79413000
73110000
79342000
79411000
79400000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKN
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Invest NI in recognising the challenge for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME’s) and in particular to grow export sales in markets outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland, wish to appoint a Contractor to provide a Go Global Programme that will support our SME’s to develop their International business footprint and give them the confidence, ambition, knowledge and skills required to sell their products and services in new export markets. The initial focus will be Europe, enabling businesses to take advantage of the “Windsor Framework” then will expand to North America and beyond depending on company needs and the opportunity presented. As a result, Invest NI is seeking to appoint a Contractor for the delivery and management of “The Go Global Programme” for a five-year period, with an anticipated launch date in financial quarter 4 2024/25. Tenderers should refer to the Specification for further details.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Export Programme Delivery Experience
/ Weighting: 24
Quality criterion: Individual export projects experience across various markets
/ Weighting: 18
Quality criterion: Proposed Programme Design and Content
/ Weighting: 11.25
Quality criterion: International Expansion
/ Weighting: 11.25
Quality criterion: Social Value
/ Weighting: 10.5
Cost criterion: Total Contract Price/Cost
/ Weighting: 25
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
1 958 400.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 24
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
This is a first time programme for Invest NI. the contract, depending on its success will likely be retendered in the future.
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
The initial contract is for a period of 24 months from the date of appointment with options to extend for two further periods of 24 months and 12 months respectively i.e. 2 + 2 + 1
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
20/01/2025
Local time: 15:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until:
20/04/2025
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
20/01/2025
Local time: 15:30
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
estimated to be 2030
VI.3) Additional information
The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach Satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach Satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs. And their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave Professional misconduct and they may be issued with a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Certificate of Unsatisfactory Performance will result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions. Being. undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a. Period of twelve months from the date of issue of the certificate
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended
Belfast
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
28/11/2024