BURNLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL
On behalf of
THE BURNLEY BONDHOLDERS
COMMUNICATING
BURNLEY
Tender Documents
for
The Supply of
PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICES
Contract Period:
1 January 2015 – 31 December 2015
2
Communicating Burnley Tender - Revised.doc
Contents
1. Submission
2. Instructions for Tendering
a. Instructions for Tendering
b. Instructions for Return of Tender
c. Tender Evaluation Criteria
d. Freedom of Information
3. Form of Tender
4. Standard Contract Conditions
1. SUBMISSION
Section 1 - Quality Submission
A. Company details
Please confirm the name of the legal entity tendering for the contract, and its company / partnership and VAT registration details.
B. Understanding of the brief and opportunities for innovation
Please explain, in no more than 1,000 words, your understanding of the requirements of the proposed PR and communication plan, expanding on the points made in this brief, to include an imaginative and structured methodology for ensuring successful delivery of the communication plan through both conventional and specialist media channels.
In fewer than 500 words, please discuss the nature and scope of opportunities to innovate on this contract, using alternative channels, media etc. to target the specialist audiences outlined in the brief.
C. Capabilities and track record
Please provide no more than five relevant project examples to illustrate the experience and competencies within both your company and proposed team which will enable you to successfully deliver your outline methodology and communication plan to your proposed target audiences. Responses should be limited to three sides of A4 in total, i.e. six case studies on no more than three sides of A4, and should clearly highlight the challenges, approaches and outcomes of each project. Emphasis in these case studies should be directed towards the target markets explained in the brief – advanced engineering, learning and skills development, and the visitor economy/place marketing.
D. CVs
Please submit CVs of no more than three of the key personnel who will be actively engaged on the contract on a day-to-day basis. Each CV should be no longer than a single side of A4. The CVs should clearly illustrate the particular knowledge and expertise that each team member brings to the contract, and should link into your proposed methodology, opportunities to innovate, and the contact base described above.
E. Quality management
Either: (i) confirm that your company is currently certified to a relevant quality management system such as ISO9001, or (ii) in fewer than 250 words, explain the quality management procedures which your company applies to client relationship management and delivering its contracts.
F. References
Please provide the names and contact details of two client referees who we may contact in connection with the tendering process, ensuring that referees are aware of the tendering process and are content to be contacted directly by the council without prior notice. The client referees should relate to projects of a similar nature and scope as the current Burnley tender.
Section 2 - Financial submission
Financial Standing
You are requested to submit your statutory end of year accounts for the three most recent financial periods for which fully audited accounts are available. Should the tendering company be part of a larger group please repeat the information for the ultimate holding company. Please note that Burnley Council reserves the option to request a full copy of your annual accounts for the three periods requested. Burnley Council may exclude applicants who cannot demonstrate sound financial standing.
Fee proposal
Linking into the methodology and team described in Section 1 of your quality submission, please provide a breakdown of anticipated hours and fee rates for each member of the team, in addition to a breakdown of projected expenses. The tenderer should confirm that their proposed fee rates will remain applicable through the duration of the 12 month contract, should the successful tenderer be instructed to undertake additional work falling outside the proposed contract.
A. INSTRUCTIONS FOR TENDERING
1. Tenderers are advised to consider the Tender Document in detail in order to satisfy themselves as to the nature and extent of the Council’s requirements. Responses to any queries received or any required clarification of the Tender Document will be copied to all Tenderers. Tenderers are responsible for ensuring that they are fully familiar with the nature and extent of the proposed Services and shall obtain for themselves at their own expense all information necessary for the preparation of their tenders.
2. Tenderers should note that notwithstanding the invitation to submit a tender the Council makes no representations regarding Tenderers’ financial ability, technical competence or ability in any way to carry out the Services.
3. The invitation to tender must be treated as private and confidential. Tenderers must not disclose the fact that they have been invited to tender or release details of the Tender Document other than on an ‘in confidence’ basis to those who have a legitimate need to know or with whom the Tenderers need to consult for the purpose of preparing the tender. The Tender Document shall remain the property and copyright of the Council.
4. The Council shall not be held liable for any costs, expenses and charges relating to or arising from the preparation of the tender including without limitation, the preparation of the documentation, attendance at meetings, attendance at presentations and inspection of premises.
5. The tender must be submitted strictly in accordance with the Tender Document. The tender must not be conditional or be accompanied by statements that could be construed as rendering it equivocal and/or placed on a different footing from any other tenderers. Only tenders submitted strictly in accordance with these instructions will be accepted for consideration.
6. The tender shall be submitted on the basis that the offer therein shall remain in force for a minimum period of two calendar months from the date fixed for the submission of tenders.
7. The Council does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender and shall not incur any liability in respect of the tender submitted.
8. The Council may, and hereby reserves the right to, alter the contents but not the intention of the Tender Document, prior to the closing date for tender submission. These amendments will be forwarded, in writing, to all Tenderers. No person other than the Authorised Officer shall have the authority to vary any part of the Tender Document who shall do so only in writing.
9. Tenderers are deemed to have fully satisfied themselves before submitting their tender as to the accuracy and sufficiency of the rate and prices stated which in the event of the tender being accepted, shall (except insofar as it is otherwise provided) cover all the obligations under the contract including without limitation, all fees, labour, equipment, goods, materials, transport, insurance, administration, operating costs, telephones, faxes and other overhead charges, profit other costs, expenses and disbursements and all general risks, taxation duties, liabilities, obligations and liabilities set out or implied as necessary to comply with the contract. No claim against the Council shall be allowed whether in contract or tort or under the Misrepresentation Act 1967 or otherwise on the grounds of any inconsistencies.
10. As part of the evaluation process some Tenderers may be requested to attend an interview. Such Tenderers will be notified in due course of the location, date and time of any interview.
11. Tenders are submitted on the condition that the Authorised Officer may, after opening the tender, discuss verbally or in writing with the Tenderer the details of the documents submitted prior to formal acceptance of a tender by way of clarification (please note that such clarification enquiry does not in any way invite negotiation), without in any way committing the Council to accept such tender.
12. Any unauthorised amendment, qualification or deletion of, or addition to, the Tender Document issued by the Council may invalidate the tender.
13. The tender must be made on the Form of Tender incorporated in the Tender Document and must be complete in all respects. The tender must be completed in English in black script and submitted in accordance with these Instructions for Tendering.
14. The Tenderer’s Proposal must be submitted which sets out the detailed Services which the Tenderer shall supply to satisfy the specification and the standard contract conditions and should be no longer than 6 pages in length. Annexes which contains CV’s and project experience are permitted outside this allocation. Tenders must be submitted in hard copy ( 2 copies and at least one unbound)
The documents must be signed by the Tenderer and submitted in the manner and by the date and time stated in paragraphs 23 and 24 below together with all supporting documents as required by the Tender Document.
All documents requiring a signature must be signed:
(a) where the Tenderer is an individual, by that individual;
(b) where the Tenderer is a partnership, by two duly authorised partners;
(c) where the Tenderer is a company, by either two directors or a director and the Company Secretary such persons being duly authorised for such purpose.
15. The tender shall be submitted on the basis that acceptance of a tender by the Council shall be binding for all purposes but subject to termination or rescission of the contract at the Council’s option in the event of failure to reach agreement with the successful Tenderer on all the details of the documentation which are required under this contract to be agreed within the period specified in the Tender Document or if none is stated within a reasonable period.
16. Rates and prices must be quoted in pounds sterling to two decimal places (exclusive of Value Added Tax).
17. The successful Tenderer will be required to execute a formal agreement prepared by the Council which will include or refer to all documents or information set out therein forming the contract.
18. Any queries concerning any aspect of the proposed contract should be directed to the Authorised Officer, in the first instance by telephoning 01282 477205.
B. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RETURN OF TENDER
19. Tenders sent through the postal system must be sealed in a plain envelope or parcel and addressed to:
The Chief Executive’s Office
Burnley Borough Council
The Town Hall
Manchester Road
Burnley
Lancashire BB11 1JA
bearing the words “Quotation for public relations services for Burnley” but so as not to bear any distinguishing words that would identify the sender. In such an event the Council reserves the right to return the tender to the tenderer unopened.
Any tender delivered by hand must be taken to the Town Hall Reception at Manchester Road and a timed receipt obtained.
20. The Form of Tender and other required documents and information shall be received by the Council by noon on Friday 17 October. It is stressed that any tender received after the above time and date for delivery may not be considered.
21. The Council accepts no responsibility for any tender received in any way other than specified above.
C. TENDER EVALUATION CRITERIA
1. The Contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender and value for money taking into account:
a) Proposed approach (40%).
b) Price (30%)
c) Knowledge, experience and references (20%)
d) Degree of assurance of the Service (10%), especially with regard to:
- Planning
- Timeliness
- Record Keeping
2. The above criteria will be applied to the tender submission from each supplier and to assessments made from interviews with the Tenderers and from any reference obtained.
D. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
Important notice to all Tenderers to the Council.
The Council is a public authority within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the ‘2000 Act’) and therefore any requests for information held by the Council or another person on the Council’s behalf (for example a contractor) must be dealt with in accordance with the 2000 Act.
As part of its duties and responsibilities under the 2000 Act the Council may be required to disclose information relating to any tender or contract with any supplier or partner, to any person making a request. It may also publish some of that information in its Publication Scheme under the 2000 Act.
If any information provided to the Council contains trade secrets or is considered by the Tenderer genuinely to be commercially sensitive it should be stated explicitly. In such cases any request for disclosure of the relevant material will be examined in the light of the exemptions contained in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and public interest test and genuinely confidential information that is explicitly stated to be so that is exempt from disclosure will not be disclosed. The Tenderer will be consulted before disclosure of any information expressly stated by the Tenderer to be confidential is made, unless the Council has made it clear in advance that this type of information would be disclosed.
The Council will not accept information on terms that purport to prevent any possible future disclosure of information in compliance with the law. For instance the Council cannot accept restriction of disclosure where the information supplied is not genuinely commercially sensitive or confidential in nature.
The Council reserves the right to disclose details of the contract or contract process (for example, name of successful Tenderer and overall contract price).
THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF BURNLEY
FORM OF TENDER
Tender for the Public Relations services for Burnley.
To: The Council of the Borough of Burnley
I/We the undersigned, having examined and understood your Instructions for Tendering, the Standard Contract Conditions and the Specification (the “Tender Document”) hereby tender for the supply of Services referred to in my/our Tender at the rates indicated therein.
In the event of acceptance of this tender I/We agree to execute on request an Agreement to be prepared by the Council and comprising my/our tender, the standard conditions of Contract and other documents on terms referred to in the Tender Document. Until and unless such an agreement is executed, your written acceptance together with my/our tender and the Tender Document will constitute the Contract between us.