Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-05-13
Buyer: Defra Network eTendering Portal
Country: UK
Region: UNITED KINGDOM
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 03000000 | 03320000 | 03322000 | 03324000 | 24100000
Estimated value:  GBP
Submission deadline: 2016-06-22
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and delivers the Animal Health and Welfare policies of Defra, Scottish Government and Welsh Government across Great Britain (GB). Its principal function is the safeguarding of animal health and welfare and public health, which in turn support economic growth and trade.
To deliver this function APHA directly employs a number of staff including vets, scientists, technicians and administrators to deliver government policies. However cuts to government funding have led to a reduced permanent workforce added to which there is growing recognition that there is significant expertise outside Government which could usefully be employed in a flexible and economical way to complement the in-house capability. This includes the provision of goods and services in support of APHA's response to disease outbreaks. Inevitably the need for such goods and services is ad-hoc in nature and may require a rapid response. In working with industry to provide these goods and services it is considered beneficial that these are included as part of the GB wide supply of animal health and technical services to Government in England, Scotland and Wales under a Framework provision.
The Authority is seeking to appoint Providers onto a GB-wide, multi-supplier Framework for the delivery of any work as described in Section 3 — Specifications of Requirements.
When certain diseases enter the UK, government is required to respond in a prompt manner to deal with the outbreak. Estimates from the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak outline the total cost to government as much as £3 billion pounds. Different diseases may mean that different responses are required to be mounted. It is impossible to predict with any accuracy when, where or how extensive the next outbreak may be. The anticipated spend within this document and the ITT has been created by analysing previous outbreak spend over the last 5 years. The Framework Agreement will not guarantee any minimum volume of goods/services, nor does it confer any exclusivity on providers.
Incident Means means an occasion, which may or may not include an occurrence of Exotic Notifiable Disease, where the Goods or Services may be required at short notice.
General agricultural valuers may be required to value a range of farmed animal species or other agricultural commodities. Valuations may be required for individual animals or for herds/flocks. To be considered for this lot, Valuers are required to be a member of the relevant industry body and to have a minimum level of experience in conducting valuations.
Different administrations apply different rules on how animals are valued — for example in England, the majority of animals removed as part of the bovine tuberculosis control strategy are valued using table valuations. If an animal was not covered by a table valuation, it is likely the services of a Valuer would be required — this would be considered Routine Daily Work.
It is expected that this lot would provide valuation services in England and Wales in the event of an Outbreak.
Expert Valuers are considered to have more experience than a general Valuer. These services may be required when an owner disputes a value issued by another Valuer. It is likely that the Expert Valuer will conduct a desktop audit of the information provided for the first valuation. Subject to the relevant legislation, an Expert Valuer may be required to issue an Expert Determination or act as an Arbitrator (or in Scotland, this may be referred to as an Arbiter).
There may be other times when Government will be required to appoint an Expert Valuer in a court of law to represent its interests.
The Monitor Valuer may be called upon to undertake audits of the range of valuations being submitted (this would be most likely to occur in a large Outbreak). This aims to ensure that Valuers and Expert Valuers are completing the valuation assessments correctly. The Monitor Valuer is usually expected to conduct the Services from their office, based on the records (including digital photographs) the Valuer or Expert Valuer has made in the original assessment(s) of valuation.
Depending on government policy, rate cards/table values (pre-agreed values for classes of certain types of animals) may be required. It is likely that these Services would be called off the Framework for a certain period of time. Provider's would need to analyse a range of data sets and market trends (animal sales values, feed and fuel costs etc.) to arrive at the animals value. It is likely that this information would be presented on a publicly facing website.
This Lot will be required mainly for Outbreak/Incident Support however there would be some requirement within Daily Routine Work as described below.
Poultry catchers are required to humanely catch birds, either prior to inspection, or prior to culling. Housing layouts will vary, from caged to free range poultry units. Large numbers of catchers may be required to provide the service in a very short time frame. Full Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE), provided by the Providers, will be required to be worn by operatives in disease control operations. Advice will be sought from the relevant public health authority — but if the disease is zoonotic, it is likely that antiviral treatment and health surveillance will also be required. Other adhoc tasks (e.g. collecting dead birds) may also be required. In Daily Routine Work there may be a requirement to provide catchers to support APHA training programmes.
Drovers or herders may be required to collect animals from fields or paddocks prior to inspection or culling. PPE, provided by the Provider, may be required to be worn during this operation. If droving dogs are used, special instructions relating to how they are treated/dealt with after the animals are collected will be provided at the time of call off. This lot also provides for the supply of animal handling equipment such as cattle crushes, sheep hurdles etc.

Eligibility requirements: Suppliers Instructions How to Express Interest in this Tender~: 1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once) — Browse to the eSourcing Portal: https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to register — Accept the terms and conditions and click ‘continue’ — Enter your correct business and user details — Note the username you chose and click ‘Save’ when complete — You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure) 2. Express an Interest in the tender — Login to the portal with the username/password — Click the ‘PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers’ link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires or Invitations to Tender open to any registered supplier) — Click on the relevant PQQ/ ITT to access the content. — Click the ‘Express Interest’ button at the top of the page. — This will move the PQQ /ITT into your ‘My PQQs/ My ITTs’ page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only) -You can now access any attachments by clicking ‘Buyer Attachments’ in the ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’ box 3. Responding to the tender — Click ‘My Response’ under ‘PQQ/ ITT Details’, you can choose to ‘Create Response’ or to ‘Decline to Respond’ (please give a reason if declining) — You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification — Note the deadline for completion, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the PQQ/ ITT — There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available) You must then submit your reply using the ‘Submit Response’ button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the eTendering help desk. Tenders will be assessed in accordance with Chapter 2 Section 5 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (implementing Title 2 Chapter III of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council) on the basis of information provided in response to the invitation to tender. Completed responses to the Invitation to Tender must be returned via the Defra eTendering Service (further details of which are available at Section III.2.1 of this OJEU Notice) before the deadline for receipt of responses as notified in Section IV.3.4 of this OJEU Notice. 1. Financial statements or other information to demonstrate that the tenderer has the requisite financial capacity to provide the service. Tenderers will be required to demonstrate a minimum turnover in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years of 10 000 GBP or equivalent in the reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. In the case of a consortium bid, the combined annual turnover of the Tenderer and the Relevant Companies in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years must be no less than that specified in the paragraph above and the minimum annual turnover of at least one of the parties must be no less than 10 000 GBP or equivalent financial performance in reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. 2. Tenderers will be required, at the commencement date of the Contract, to have adequate level of relevant insurance cover in respect of all risks arising out of the Contractor's performance of its obligations under the Contract. Evaluation information required from Tenderers will be stated in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) which is available only at https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk Tenderers are required in delivering the contract to comply with the Authority's policies, strategies and standards.
Tenders will be assessed in accordance with Chapter 2 Section 5 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (implementing Title 2 Chapter III of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council) on the basis of information provided in response to the invitation to tender. Completed responses to the Invitation to Tender must be returned via the Defra eTendering Service (further details of which are available at Section III.2.1 of this OJEU Notice) before the deadline for receipt of responses as notified in Section IV.3.4 of this OJEU Notice. 1. Financial statements or other information to demonstrate that the tenderer has the requisite financial capacity to provide the service. Tenderers will be required to demonstrate a minimum turnover in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years of 10 000 GBP or equivalent in the reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. In the case of a consortium bid, the combined annual turnover of the Tenderer and the Relevant Companies in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years must be no less than that specified in the paragraph above and the minimum annual turnover of at least one of the parties must be no less than 10 000 GBP or equivalent financial performance in reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. 2. Tenderers will be required, at the commencement date of the Contract, to have adequate level of relevant insurance cover in respect of all risks arising out of the Contractor's performance of its obligations under the Contract.
Tenders will be assessed in accordance with Chapter 2 Section 5 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (implementing Title 2 Chapter III of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council) on the basis of information provided in response to the invitation to tender. Completed responses to the Invitation to Tender must be returned via the Defra eTendering Service (further details of which are available at Section III.2.1 of this OJEU Notice) before the deadline for receipt of responses as notified in Section IV.3.4 of this OJEU Notice.
1. Financial statements or other information to demonstrate that the tenderer has the requisite financial capacity to provide the service. Tenderers will be required to demonstrate a minimum turnover in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years of 10 000 GBP or equivalent in the reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. In the case of a consortium bid, the combined annual turnover of the Tenderer and the Relevant Companies in each of the last 2 consecutive financial years must be no less than that specified in the paragraph above and the minimum annual turnover of at least one of the parties must be no less than 10 000 GBP or equivalent financial performance in reporting currency or equivalent proof of financial standing. 2. Tenderers will be required, at the commencement date of the Contract, to have adequate level of relevant insurance cover in respect of all risks arising out of the Contractor's performance of its obligations under the Contract.
Evaluation information required from Tenderers will be stated in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) which is available only at https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk Tenderers are required in delivering the contract to comply with the Authority's policies, strategies and standards.