Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2018-03-17
Buyer: Royal Veterinary College
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 48000000 | 48422000 | 48482000 | 48517000
Submission deadline: 2018-04-20
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The Royal Veterinary College wishes to replace its current paper based research grant management system with a fully integrated 'off the shelf' software solution. It is therefore engaging in this procurement process to select an appropriate research management system.
The College wishes to move away from a paper-based system to a fully integrated ‘off the shelf’ software solution, which encourages academics to interact with the system at all stages in the grants life-cycle, thereby reducing their dependency on the Research office. The new Research management system should require minimal customisation in order to provide its users with a streamlined process around bidding and awards management, thereby creating efficiencies in staff time and improving the quality of management information on grant income, departmental success rates and allied metrics.
The College desires to purchase a Research management system that will allow for the ‘cradle-to-grave’ management of research grants and contracts, with the ability to exchange information through a API with other electronic systems. This tender focuses upon the provision of a system that addresses both post award and pre-award functionality/modules.
Northern Procurement Group Limited (who are a subsidiary of Dukefield Limited) are acting as agents of the Royal Veterinary College in the procurement of the Research Management System.
The Contracting Authority will be using an e-tendering system to conduct the procurement exercise. To access the procurement documentation suppliers must register their company details on the Sourcing Cloud system at https://suppliers.multiquote.com the tender is available from the Opportunities menu on the login page of the site. The Contracting Authority shall not be under any obligation to accept the lowest tender or indeed any tender.
The Contracting Authority shall not be under any obligation to accept the lowest tender or indeed any tender.
(a) To terminate the procurement process and not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process at any time;
(b) To make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the procurement as detailed within the tender documentation;
(c) To award a contract covering only part of it's requirements if explicitly detailed within the tender documentation;
(d) To disqualify any organisation from the process that canvasses any employee of the Contracting Authorty during the procurement process or standstill period if applicable;
(e) Seek clarifications to tender responses on the basis that any clarification sought will not confer any undue competitive advantage in the favour of any supplier from whom such clarifications are being sought;
(f) Where the Contracting Authority can evidence that there is a conflict of interest, either personal or inconsideration of any organisation bidding for the contract, the Contracting Authority shall have the explicit right to immediately exclude that person or organisation from the tender process entirely;
The Royal Veterinary College will incorporate a minimum 10-day standstill period at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. Bidders who are unsuccessful shall be informed by the Contracting Authority as soon as possible after the decision is made as to the reasons why the bidder was unsuccessful. If an appeal regarding the award of the contract has not been successfully resolved, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provide for the aggrieved parties who have been harmed or who are at risk of harm by the breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any action must be generally brought within 3 months. If a declaration of ineffectiveness is sought, any such action must be brought within 30 days where the Contracting Authority has communicated the award of the contract and a summary of reasons to tenderers, or otherwise within 6 months of the contract being entered into. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the Contracting Authority to amend any document and may award damages. If the Contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the circumstances, award damages, make a declaration of ineffectiveness, order the Contracting Authority to pay a fine, and/or order that the duration of the contract the shortened. The purpose of the standstill period referred to above is to allow the parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the contract is entered into.