Prior information notice
This notice is a call for competition
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
UK
Contact person: Defra
Telephone: +44 3459335577
E-mail: dgcenquiries@defra.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Address of the buyer profile: https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
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://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
Environment
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
The Employer Pays Principle Feasibility Study, within the Horticulture Value Chain.
Reference number: C26488
II.1.2) Main CPV code
73200000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Migrants using the Seasonal Worker visa route are at risk of exploitation as reported in the ICIBI report (e.g. para 3.45) and DLME's UK Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2022-23 which notes agriculture is a 'high risk sector' for seasonal workers. These risks include debt bondage from costs incurred whilst travelling to and working in the UK and costs incurred in migrants’ home countries. <br/>Adoption of the Employer Pays Principle (EPP) has been cited by various organisations such as the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and many retailers as potentially important to mitigating these risks. IHRB defines the EPP as “No worker should pay for a job – the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.” The definition of recruitment fees and related costs in this project will match those of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) definition, i.e. “any fees or costs incurred in the recruitment process in order for workers to secure employment or placement, regardless
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73200000
73200000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Background to the specific work area relevant to this purchase <br/>Migrants using the Seasonal Worker visa route are at risk of exploitation as reported in the ICIBI report (e.g. para 3.45) and DLME's UK Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2022-23 which notes agriculture is a 'high risk sector' for seasonal workers. These risks include debt bondage from costs incurred whilst travelling to and working in the UK and costs incurred in migrants’ home countries. <br/>Adoption of the Employer Pays Principle (EPP) has been cited by various organisations such as the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and many retailers as potentially important to mitigating these risks. IHRB defines the EPP as “No worker should pay for a job – the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.” The definition of recruitment fees and related costs in this project will match those of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) definition, i.e. “any fees or costs incurred in the recruitment process in
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 70
Cost criterion: Cost
/ Weighting: 30
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
1.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
18/11/2024
End:
30/04/2025
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.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
The overall aim of the evaluation process is to select the Tender that is the most economically advantageous to the Authority, having regard to the Authority’s overall objectives and the criteria set out below. <br/>Evaluation of Responses will be undertaken by a panel appointed by the Authority. Each panel member will first undertake an independent evaluation of the Responses applying the relevant evaluation criteria for each question. Then, a moderation meeting will be held at which the evaluation panel will reach a consensus on the marking of each question.<br/>During the consensus meeting, the decision may be taken that a Response will not be carried forward to the next evaluation stage if the consensus view is that the Tenderer has failed to meet any minimum or mandatory requirements, and/or provided a non-compliant response.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
KPIs
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
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 expressions of interest
Date:
25/10/2024
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.5) Scheduled date for start of award procedures
06/11/2024
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
27/09/2024