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Invitation to Tender Docs Restricted - Commercial in Confidence Instructions to Suppliers and Invitation to Tender documents A Paid for Media Campaign to Support Child Support Agency Case Closure Programme Agreement Reference: Government Procurement Service Framework RM988 Lot 1 Instruction to Suppliers final 1 Restricted - Commercial in Confidence Contents 1. GENERAL INFORMATION 3 2. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS 3 3. CONTRACT PERIOD 4 4. SUPPLIER CLARIFICATION 4 5. PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE 5 6. TENDER SUBMISSION PROCESS 5 7. TENDER EVALUATION PROCESS 7 Annex 1 – Business Requirement 8 Annex 2 – Evaluation Criteria 24 Annex 3 – Response Template and Spreadsheet for Finance 28 Annex 4 – Supplier Details 30 Instruction to Suppliers final 2 Restricted - Commercial in Confidence 1. GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 These instructions, together with the business requirement and all other information and documents to which they refer, are designed to ensure that all Suppliers are given equal and fair consideration. It is important, therefore, that you provide all the information asked for in the format and order specified. 1.2 This document and the associated Terms and Conditions document contain the information and instructions Suppliers need to submit a completed tender, including: Information regarding the procurement, such as the timetable, additional Terms and Conditions to the Government Procurement Service (GPS) Framework contract, evaluation process and award/evaluation criteria; How to submit questions and requests for clarification; and Instructions explaining how to complete and submit a tender 1.3 Please read the information and instructions carefully because non-compliance with the instructions may result in disqualification of your tender from this procurement. 1.4 The Terms and Conditions form an integral part of this Invitation to Tender (ITT) and will apply throughout this procurement. They set out further rights and obligations which apply to the Client and successful Supplier. 1.5 Suppliers need to ensure that they have read all the documentation contained within this ITT (Specification, Terms and Conditions and these Instructions) thoroughly so that questions or clarifications are not raised unnecessarily. 1.6 This Invitation to Tender (ITT) is issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Child Maintenance Group. 1.7 The purpose of this ITT is to select a supplier to design and deliver a paid for media campaign to raise awareness that the Child Support Agency (CSA) will be closing all of its cases between 2014 and 2018. 1.8 This ITT sets out the information which is required to enable the DWP to assess the ability of suppliers to meet the standards and provide a solution which fully meets the requirements. The DWP intends to award a contract to a single supplier whose response represents the most economically advantageous tender. 2. Administration of the Procurement Process 2.1 The Client will be administering the procurement process electronically. No hard copy documents will be issued and all communications (including submission of tenders) will be conducted via email. 2.2 The Client reserves the right to: Waive or change the requirements of this ITT from time to time without prior (or any) notice being given by the Client; Seek clarification or documents in respect of a Supplier's submission; Instruction to Suppliers final 3 Restricted - Commercial in Confidence Disqualify any Supplier that does not submit a compliant Tender in accordance with the instructions in this ITT; Disqualify any Supplier that is guilty of serious misrepresentation in relation to its Tender, or the Framework process; Withdraw this ITT at any time, or to re-invite Tenders on the same or any alternative basis; Choose not to award any Contract as a result of the current procurement process; and/or Make whatever changes it sees fit to the Timetable, structure or content of the procurement process, depending on approvals processes or for any other reason. 2.3 Bid costs The Client will not be liable for any bid costs, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a Supplier in proceeding with or participating in this procurement, including if the procurement process is terminated or amended by the Client. 3. Contract Period 3.1 The contract will be for the period 2nd December 2013 to 30th January 2015 unless terminated by the Client in accordance with the terms of the (GPS) Framework contract. With the agreement of both parties the contract may be extended for a period of up to 6 months. 4. Supplier Clarification (Q&A) 4.1 Suppliers are requested to submit an Expression of Interest to the DWP named representative xxxxxxxx. They will also have the opportunity to raise questions about the ITT and request clarification about the requirement. All questions raised must be submitted to xxxxxxxx at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx by close of business 25th September 2013. Part of the section has been redacted under the exemption set out in section 40 (2) of the Freedom if Information Act 2000 which covers personal information of third parties 4.2 If a question is deemed by a Supplier to be commercially confidential, then the Supplier should indicate that they believe this is the case. The Client will consider this and if in agreement, will exercise due discretion in handling the question and limiting the circulation of the answer(s) to your organisation. 4.3 Questions not deemed to be commercially confidential will be considered by the Client to be of significance to all Suppliers. All questions and answers will be made anonymous and made available to all Suppliers. If the Client intends to follow this course of action it will inform you before sharing the question and response with all Suppliers which will provide you with an opportunity for the question to be withdrawn. Instruction to Suppliers final 4 Restricted - Commercial in Confidence 4.4 A Question and Answer log will be issued to all Suppliers who express an interest in this procurement. This will be updated regularly with a final versions of the log issued 27th September 2013. 4.5 The final date for questions and answers and dissemination allows sufficient time for Suppliers to impact this information before finalising their tenders for submission 5. Procurement Timetable 5.1 Set out below is the proposed procurement timetable. This is intended as a guide and, whilst the Client does not intend to depart significantly from it, there may be occasions especially around obtaining Ministerial Approval where the timetable will be subject to change. Task/Outcome Date Issue of Invitation to Tender 17/9/2013 Question and Answer period (Q&A) 17/9/2013 – 25/9/2013 Final date for Q&A 25/9/2013 Deadline for return of tenders 5pm 30/9/2013 Evaluate tenders 1/10/2013 – 8/10/2013 Presentation (in Leeds) 7th and 8th October Procurement and Commercial 14/10/2013 Board/Independent Approval Obtain Ministerial Approval to award 17/10/2013 – 22/11/2013 contract Note: The following steps and associated dates are subject to change depending on approval time Award notification issued to successful 22/11/2013 and unsuccessful Suppliers Standstill period (10 days) 1/12/2013 Sign contract 2/12/2013 Go Live 2/12/2013 6. Tender Submission Process Background 6.1 The Client relies on the full completion of all ITT documents which will contain all of the information required to enable a full evaluation to take place. Tender Completion 6.2 The information or text contained within this ITT (including its Annexes) and your response, any variation of them and any formal interchange of correspondence or information, may be incorporated, whether by reference or otherwise, into any Instruction to Suppliers final 5 Restricted - Commercial in Confidence subsequent contract/framework agreement that the Client may enter into as a result of this ITT. 6.3 To participate in this procurement, Suppliers are required to submit a fully compliant tender and must answer all questions accurately and concisely as possible. Only information provided in response to the ITT will be evaluated. To ensure equality of treatment of all Suppliers the Client reserves the right to reject any non compliant tender. 6.4 You should answer all questions using the templates provided, presenting them in the same sequence and using the same references. Please ensure all answers are self contained with no cross-referencing. Only information entered into the appropriate answer boxes (which may be extended as necessary but should not exceed any applicable word limit/page count) or in additional documents supplied as requested will be taken into consideration for the purposes of evaluating the tender. 6.5 Responses must not exceed the pre-set margins and space allocation. Any response in excess of these allocations will be ignored. These limits are provided within the ITT form. 6.6 The use of bullets, tables, graphs and charts in support of your responses are all permitted. Responses must be presented using Arial font size 12 (English Language and black typeface), the only exception permitted is where this is not practicable, for example, illustrative graphs or charts, which should be presented within the allocated page limit for the question they are relevant to and must not be embedded separately as this information will be disregarded. 6.7 Tenders must be completed using Microsoft Word 2007 and MS Excel 1997 – 2003 format. PDF Files are also acceptable. Files submitted in Microsoft Project format will not be accepted. 6.8 All acronyms and abbreviations, if used, must be fully explained. 6.9 Where a YES, NO or Not Applicable response is required, please tick as appropriate. Tender Submission Procedure 6.10 All tenders must be submitted via email on or before 5pm Monday 30th September 2013 to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Part of the section has been redacted under the exemption set out in section 40 (2) of the Freedom if Information Act 2000 which covers personal information of third parties 6.11 Financial information should be submitted in the format requested (usually MS Excel).
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