Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-07-30
Buyer: Department for Transport
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 60000000 | 60210000 | 60400000: Air transport services | 60600000 | 60610000
Estimated value: 300000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2019-08-28
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Department for Transport with associated Central Government Bodies and Devolved Administrations is leading a procurement to put in place a 4 year Framework Agreement with suitably qualified operators to provide freight capacity as defined in the procurement documents, to support the continued flow of Category 1 goods (those goods identified by the Government as being critical to the preservation of human and animal welfare and/or national security) in light of Disruption Events as part of UK Government’s future resilience planning. Suppliers securing a place on the framework agreement will have the opportunity to take part in ‘call-off’ mini-competitions for freight capacity contracts. The first of these is expected to be in place as part of Government’s contingency planning for a ‘No Deal’ EU Exit on 31.10.2019.
The Authority is seeking to put in place a framework of operators of vessels, trains or aircraft (‘Conveyance’) that can be used for the provision of capacity for the transportation of freight vehicles (meaning wheeled goods vehicles (including vans, trucks, lorries, HGVs and other equivalents) or wheeled trailers or semi-trailers to be conveyed intact on the conveyance — whether accompanied or unaccompanied) between the UK and the EEA and/or between Great Britain (‘GB’) and Northern Ireland (‘NI’). The operators will also be required to deliver all actions, incidentals and services required to facilitate the transportation of freight vehicles (including but not limited to ticketing services, marketing, operations, etc.) in order to meet the strategic objective of supporting the continued flow of Category 1 Goods in light of Disruption Events. Category 1 Goods are those goods identified by the Government as being critical to the preservation of human and animal welfare and/or national security. Note that the goods within scope or identified as Category 1 may be reviewed by the Government from time to time.
To put in place a framework of operators who can deliver the required capacity for the transportation of freight vehicles (including ticketing services and allocation of capacity following rules defined by the Contracting Authority):
— between the United Kingdom (‘UK’) and the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) and/or between Great Britain (“GB”) and Northern Ireland (‘NI’),
— including all actions, incidentals and services required to facilitate the transportation (including but not limited to ticketing services, marketing, operations, etc.),
— existing capacity (i.e. capacity that is already available on the open market) and new capacity (means capacity not already available on the open market) options,
— terminal to terminal transportation only (‘Terminal’ meaning operational area at which a conveyance will arrive or depart and where the conveyance can be accessed by the freight vehicle).
Full detail on the eligibility criteria can be found in the procurement documents, to participate in the procurement and access the procurement documents on the Authority’s e-Sourcing portal please email fcp@dft.gov.uk
The Freight Capacity Framework Agreement is for use by Departments, their Agencies and ALBs; DFT, DHSC, DEFRA, BEIS, each of the Devolved Administrations and their Agencies and ALBs, including the Welsh Government; Velindre NHS Trust, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership — Procurement Services (on behalf of All Wales Health Boards and Trusts); Scottish Government and its Agencies; Northern Ireland Government Departments, and their Agencies, ALBs, including NI Water and Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, and Non Departmental Public Bodies as listed and maintained by the Northern Ireland Government on their website at https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/publications/list-public-bodies-which-can-participate-cpd-collaborative- frameworks or any replacement or updated web-link and the Central Government Ministerial Departments listed and maintained by the Government on their website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations or any replacement or updated web-link.
The estimated value has been set at 300 000 000,00 GBP so that the framework could accommodate a number of potential call-off requirements over the four year duration. In arriving at the estimated value, the possible frequency of Disruption Events (such as — but not limited to — congested roads or Terminals, or delays from border checks, industrial action or natural disasters) where the framework may be used to provide resilience have been considered.
The contracting authority will accept tenders from consortia. No particular legal form is required at the time of submission of tenders. The contracting authority reserves the right, however, to require consortia to form a legal entity prior to the execution of the framework agreement or to require that each party to the consortium undertakes joint and several liability for the delivery of the framework agreement and contracts issued under it.
If more than 25 bidders are ranked in the top 25 ranking due to several bidders obtaining the same consolidated score, they will all secure a place on the framework.
The procurement process will be managed through and tenders must be submitted electronically via the authority’s award e-Sourcing portal — to arrange access to please email fcp@dft.gov.uk
DfT will incorporate a minimum ten (10) day standstill period at the point of information on the award of the framework agreement. This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further de-briefing from DfT before the framework agreements are entered into. Additional information should be requested, initially by email, from the contact in Section 1.1. If a potential challenge regarding the award of a framework agreement (or lack thereof) has not been successfully resolved, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England and Wales).

Eligibility requirements: N/a.

Award value: 300000000