Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-04-02
Buyer: Department for Infrastructure
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 45244000: Marine construction works | 45244100 | 50200000 | 50240000 | 60600000
Estimated value: 254000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2019-04-30
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: DfI has a wide range of responsibilities including regional strategic planning, planning policy and legislation; transport strategy and sustainable transport policy; public transport policy and performance; management of public roads; road safety, vehicle and driver testing, driver licensing and enforcement; watercourse and coastal flooding; policy on water, sewerage services and drainage. As part of this DfI provide 2 public ferry services:
— The Rathlin Island Ferry Service (RIFS) which provides a ferry between Ballycastle, County Antrim and Rathlin Island and
— The Strangford Lough Ferry Service (SLFS) which provides a road ferry link between Strangford and Portaferry in County Down. The purpose of this contract is to provide the department with access to specialist marine engineering and naval architecture expertise to ensure that issues can be assessed and appropriately dealt with in a timely manner thus reducing the risk of delays or disruption in either ferry service.
DfI has a wide range of responsibilities including regional strategic planning, planning policy and legislation; transport strategy and sustainable transport policy; public transport policy and performance; management of public roads; road safety, vehicle and driver testing, driver licensing and enforcement; watercourse and coastal flooding; policy on water, sewerage services and drainage. As part of this DfI provide 2 public ferry services:
— The Rathlin Island Ferry Service (RIFS) which provides a ferry between Ballycastle, County Antrim and Rathlin Island and
— The Strangford Lough Ferry Service (SLFS) which provides a road ferry link between Strangford and Portaferry in County Down. The purpose of this contract is to provide the Department with access to specialist marine engineering and naval architecture expertise to ensure that issues can be assessed and appropriately dealt with in a timely manner thus reducing the risk of delays or disruption in either ferry service.
This is an ongoing requirement and it is expected that there will be a re-tender exercise on expiry of this contract.
On expiry of the initial three (3) year contract period there are two (2) options to extend for a period of up twelve (12) months each.
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 notice of unsatisfactory performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice 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 12 months from the date of issue of the notice.
(I) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;
(II) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.


Award value: 254000