Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2018-03-22
Buyer: Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 73220000 | 79400000 | 79410000 | 79411100 | 80510000
Estimated value: 1080300 GBP
Submission deadline: 2018-05-28
Award criteria: The most economic tender
EU fund: ERDF

Technical requirements: HIE is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced supplier to provide support to creative industries businesses in a variety of digital-related topics. Rather than focus directly on producing new content, XpoNorth Digital will focus on innovation around the relationship between producer and consumer. This will give businesses the tools and capability to carry out faster and more effective R and D for themselves, by engaging more effectively with customers and therefore tailoring products and services more closely to their needs. By combining specialised support focusing on innovating in the space where producers and consumers interact and adopting digital solutions, businesses can increase their profitability, increase their profile, make more effective use of technology and develop exciting new business models.
Should HIE’s application be successful for the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme — Digital Story Tagging project, additional services will be required too.
Note, the services do not have to be delivered by a single supplier — HIE welcomes consortium bids and/or bids with subcontractors. However, the supplier / proposed group of suppliers must be able to carry out all of the services described in the Scope of Requirements. The following key tasks are to be delivered by the successful supplier (see Scope of Requirements for full details):
The contract is anticipated to be awarded for 3 years with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 calendar year following the Initial Term.
The story tagging software itself would be developed through the overall NPA digital story tagging project and not by the supplier of the XpoNorth Digital contract. The supplier would be able to take advantage of the learning and developments across the project to benefit the XpoNorth Digital project client base. However, the supplier would have responsibility for the delivery of a discrete element of the NPA project. This would focus on marketing, ongoing communication through a website and other channels keeping partners and other interested partners abreast of activity within the project. See Scope of Requirements for full details.
It is estimated that total value of these services over the maximum duration of 4 years will be between 810 000 GBP and 1 080 300 GBP excluding VAT. This is the figure which has been used in II.2.6. This figure includes the potential NPA element.
This Contract has not been divided into lots since this would make the execution of the contract excessively difficult.
The contract will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 calendar years following the Initial Term. The NPA story tagging element of the contract would run from September 2018 to August 2021.
HIE reserves the right, on giving reasonable written notice from time to time, to require changes to the Services (whether by way of the removal of Services, the addition of new Services, or increasing or decreasing the Services). HIE shall not require any such change other than where it is permitted by Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
— If the NPA funded project is approved in June 2018, the supplier will be required to carry out the relevant tasks outlined in this document.
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
4B.1.2 Bidders will be required to have an average yearly turnover of a minimum of 120 000 GBP for the last 2 years.
4B.5 It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
4B.6 As an alternative for Bidders who started trading less than 3 years prior to the ESPD return date, they must demonstrate adequate financial capacity by the following evidence:
(i) a business plan for a minimum 3 year trading period setting out projected annual average turnover of no less than the threshold stated above;

Eligibility requirements: Not applicable to this procurement exercise.

Award value: 1080300