Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2019-09-20
Buyer: Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau Limited trading as Visit Belfast
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 72000000 | 72413000: Website design services | 72415000: Website hosting services | 79415200

Technical requirements: Υπηρεσίες τεχνολογίας των πληροφοριών: παροχή συμβουλών, ανάπτυξη λογισμικού, Διαδίκτυο και υποστήριξη
The primary objective of Visit Belfast's digital platforms is to promote Belfast as a leisure and business tourism destination and to inspire, engage and convert visits. The use of digital communications is a crucial tool for Visit Belfast that influences every stage of the visitor's decision making process to visit a destination, during their stay and even afterwards. Visit Belfast currently uses a range of digital platforms to market and service visitors, including: websites, email marketing, Visit Belfast companion app, social media, digital marketing campaigns and digital screens. Visit Belfast's current contract for web and digital design services is due to expire in December 2019. As such, Visit Belfast will shortly be undertaking a procurement exercise to appoint a new provider, with effect from January 2020.
Visit Belfast requires external agency support to assist it in the delivery of its web and digital marketing plans. The services required will include:
— animation and video production to support digital channels and development of new digital marketing platforms.
Visit Belfast wishes to secure effective and competitive digital design services which will help to position the organisation at the forefront of adoption and utilisation of new and innovative technologies to access target markets. The successful tenderer will need to demonstrate that it can deliver on the following:
— ability to deliver effective, creative and innovative web and digital marketing services incorporating new technologies and best practice, demonstrating creative concepts, thought processes, rationale and illustration of final solution,
— an understanding of Belfast's key tourism products and its priority markets and the ability to incorporate the Belfast Brand,
— effective contract management, ensuring value for money, the highest quality and consistency of service delivery, effective client liaison and management of third party suppliers,
— supporting Visit Belfast in its achievement and delivery of digital marketing KPIs. It is currently anticipated that Visit Belfast will enter into a contract for (subject to availability of funding and any earlier termination in accordance with the contract terms) an initial period of 3 years, with the ability for Visit Belfast (acting at its discretion and subject to performance by the supplier) to extend twice, for a period of up to 12 months each extension. The contract will therefore have a maximum potential duration of 5 years. It is estimated that contract value over this 5 year period may be in the region of 1 500 000 GBP, however this amount is subject to funding and is not guaranteed. Visit Belfast does not commit that it will order any, or any minimum level of, services during the contract term.
Due to the innovative nature of the services sought, Visit Belfast anticipates that suppliers may wish to form consortiums/partnerships/joint ventures and to tender for the opportunity on that basis. Visit Belfast welcomes such collaboration and has published this notice to (inter alia) enable suppliers to consider how they should structure themselves and their proposed service offering to best meet Visit Belfast's requirements and to provide time for suppliers to establish collaborations (where considered appropriate). Suppliers should note however that all suppliers, regardless of their form or structure, will be fairly assessed in accordance with the minimum requirements of the tender documents. Visit Belfast does not have a preference as to the form or structure of the supplier or any consortium, provided that the minimum requirements of the tender documents are met. Suppliers should note however that if a consortium approach is adopted, Visit Belfast will require that the consortium members submit their tender in the name of the prime contractor or special purpose vehicle established for the purposes of the tender, and that such prime contractor or special purpose vehicle enters into the contract (if successful) with Visit Belfast. Interested suppliers should note that this notice does not constitute a call for competition. Visit Belfast will publish a separate contract notice in due course, which shall mark the formal commencement of the tender process. At this stage, interested suppliers are requested simply to notify Emma Burdett (EmmaBurdett@visitbelfast.com) of their interest in this tender opportunity. Visit Belfast will not enter into any further correspondence or discussion with any supplier regarding the tender process or its requirements. Suppliers will not therefore be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this notice. Visit Belfast welcomes interest from all suitable potential suppliers. However, interested parties should note that they must ultimately satisfy the minimum requirements of the selection criteria set out in the tender documents, to be eligible to tender.