Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-08-31
Buyer: Apex Housing Association Limited
Country: UK
Region: Northern Ireland
Contract type: Works
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 45000000: Construction work | 45100000: Site preparation work | 45210000: Building construction work | 45211000: Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings | 45211100
Estimated value: 45000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2016-09-26
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Framework Agreement for the Provision of Sites and Design and Build of General Needs Social Housing and Affordable Housing for Sale Schemes.
Apex Housing Association (Apex) provides housing and support at affordable costs for those in need. Apex aims to meet the particular requirements of families and individuals through the provision of accommodation and associated services for General Needs Social Housing and Affordable Housing for Sale. Apex is procuring a Framework Agreement onto which it intends to appoint a number of Developers who will identify and bring forward sites and schemes for the provision of the delivery of multiple social housing units and affordable housing for sale. This Framework will be split into three different Lots, broadly within the areas of: 1) Belfast City, Ards & North Down and Lisburn City & Castlereagh; 2) Derry City & Strabane, Antrim & Newtownabbey Mid & East Antrim and Newry City, Mourne & Down; and 3) Mid-Ulster, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, Fermanagh & Omagh and Causeway Coast & Glens. In each case it is anticipated that schemes will be brought forward by means of design and build.
Sites for development should be located wholly or partly within Belfast City, Ards & North Down and Lisburn City & Castlereagh.
Developers should note that this is not a conventional building works Framework and interested parties are invited to review the detailed requirements outlined in the Memorandum of Information (‘MOI’) before determining whether it is appropriate to seek to pre-qualify.
For the avoidance of doubt, Developers do not need to have secured a site to develop within each of the defined areas at this stage, however, the expectation is that Developers appointed to the Framework will have the skills and expertise to identify and secure sites within the defined area(s) that are suitable to bring forward the delivery of housing schemes for Apex.
Once appointed onto the Framework Agreement, the intention is that call-off contracts for each Lot will be awarded directly to Developers appointed to the Framework Agreement without a further competition.
Once the Framework Agreement is in place, Apex reserves the right at its sole direction to directly award contracts to a Developer who fulfils all the stated requirements to Apex's satisfaction where the Developer is able to demonstrate that they either (i) own a site and can on transfer provide clear non-encumbered title to Apex; or (ii) have an exclusive contract to unconditionally purchase a site and could, on transfer, provide clear non-encumbered title to Apex.
In addition, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (‘NIHE’) must agree (in principle) to support each project brought forward for consideration.
Once a scheme is approved by Apex (and in principle support secured from NIHE), Developers must ensure the completion of the scheme for Apex in accordance with the Department for Communities (DfC) Housing Association Guide, Client's Requirements and statutory body requirements.
Apex will require potential Developers to put forward schemes which offer a high quality development and which broadly accord with the housing mix specified by Apex in the MOI (which can be obtained by contacting the contact identified at I.1) above). In the interest of providing an efficient housing management service, Apex will not generally consider sites which provide less than 10 units, however, it reserves at its sole discretion, the right to contract with a Developer in respect of a site with fewer units. The location, number and mix of units will be determined by NIHE. Apex values good working relationships with Developers and recognises that collaboration will be required in order to successfully deliver each project (including finalisation of design and obtaining the necessary approvals from Apex, the NI planning service as well as overall funding approval from the Department for Communities (‘DfC’)).
Apex also reserves the right at its sole direction to award call-off contracts for each Lot by running a mini-competition between such Developers only. Where the Developer does not own, nor have an exclusive contract to unconditionally purchase, a site for development, but where Apex owns a site which can be developed by the successful Developer(s), Apex may decide to use the Framework to run a mini competition with all those Developers on the Framework who are eligible to take part in the mini-competition process to take forward a contract for building works.
Apex will conduct the procurement using the Restricted Procedure, which is a 2-stage process, therefore only those who meet the mandatory requirements set out in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Package (‘PQQP’) and are ranked 1 to 15 following the evaluation process will proceed to the Invitation to Tender (‘ITT’) evaluation stage. Tenders are then evaluated and the Framework established.
This project is being procured competitively and in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the ‘Regulations’). The procedure to be followed for this procurement is the Restricted Procedure (Regulation 28 of the Regulations).
Sites for development should be located wholly or partly within Derry City & Strabane, Antrim & Newtownabbey Mid & East Antrim and Newry City, Mourne & Down.
Developers should note that this is not a conventional building works Framework and interested parties are invited to review the detailed requirements outlined in the Memorandum of Information (‘MOI’) before determining whether it is appropriate to seek to pre-qualify.

Eligibility requirements: As set out in tender documentation.

Award value: 45000000