http://www.nwda.co.uk/docs/NWDA00269%20ITT

INVITATION TO TENDER OPEN OJEU PROCEDURE NORTHWEST DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Innovation Voucher Knowledge Provider Panel NWDA00269

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4 August 2008

Dear Sirs INVITATION TO TENDER TITLE OF TENDER: Innovation Voucher Knowledge Provider Panel NWDA REF: NWDA00269 You are hereby invited by the Northwest Development Agency (“the Agency”) to submit a tender for the above services.

Tender Timetable Tenderers’ clarification questions to be submitted by The return date for this tender is 10.00 o’clock Anticipated Post Bid Clarifications Anticipated Alcatel standstill period begins (10 days) The anticipated contract award / start

17/09/08 25/09/08 w/c 13/10/08 w/c 20/10/08 w/c 03/11/08

Documentation You are required to return one original hardcopy proposal, one electronic version on CD or DVD plus 2 copies of the response to the Invitation to Tender Document, clearly marked as such. Please note memory sticks are not accepted.

Please ensure all documents on the CD or DVD have your organisation’s name in the title.

Tenders must be returned using the enclosed return label and in accordance with the ‘Instructions and Information for Tenderers’ in particular point 6, to: TENDER BOARD Northwest Development Agency Brew House Wilderspool Park Greenhalls Avenue Warrington WA4 6HL Whilst Tenderers are preparing their responses, questions will inevitably arise. It is requested that all queries be referred in writing to Mandy Beames, Senior Contracts Manager (telephone 01925 644259, email: tender.board@nwda.co.uk) at the above address.

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In order to allow the Agency time to offer appropriate answers, Tenderers must submit any queries in writing to Mandy Beames by the date specified in the table above.

If the Agency considers any question or request for clarification to be of material significance, both the query and the response will be posted on the Agency’s website at www.nwda.co.uk/tenders in an anonymous form. It is the responsibility of the interested party to check this website periodically before the tender return date to check for any updates and to incorporate these updates into its tender submission.

We look forward to receiving your tender response.

Yours faithfully

Mandy Beames Senior Contracts Manager

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1.

INSTRUCTIONS & INFORMATION FOR TENDERERS

Submission Instructions 1.

Tenders must be submitted in accordance with these instructions and any further instructions contained in other documentation issued by the Agency.

2.

Alterations: The Tenderer may not alter this document. Any proposed alteration is to be given in a separate letter accompanying the tender.

3.

Non-compliant or incomplete tenders: Tenders may be rejected if any of the requested information is not supplied with the tender or if the submission fails to comply with the format and presentation guidance in Section 3.

4.

The address label attached must be used for the return of the tender.

Envelopes/packages should be plain and must not show any reference to the Tenderer’s identity. Please place the Tender Number label on the front of the return envelope. Tenderers should note that this also applies to any tenders sent via courier. Tenders without the label or in envelopes which in any way identify the Tenderer, may be rejected.

5.

The date and time for return of tenders is shown on the Invitation Letter and the address label. Tenders will be received up to the time and date stated. It is the Tenderers’ responsibility to ensure that their tender is received on time. The Agency does not undertake to consider tenders received after that time unless there is sufficient evidence to pre-suppose its due delivery.

6.

The Agency does not acknowledge receipt of tender documents and accepts no responsibility for loss or non-receipt of applications.

7.

The Agency expressly reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this procurement process and it shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Tenderers. The Agency also reserves the right to accept all or any part of a tender.

8.

All responses to this Invitation to Tender must be in English.

9.

Tenderers should note that during this tender process they should not contact any of the Agency’s respective Board Members, Executive Directors, employees or advisers or any third parties connected to the Agency or any advisers to this procurement, outside of the process outlined within this section and elsewhere within this document.

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Anti-Collusion Instructions 1.

Confidentiality of tenders: The Tenderer, whether an individual supplier or a member of a consortium bid, must not inform anyone else of their tendered price.

The only exception is if the Tenderer is required to obtain an insurance quotation to calculate the tender price then the Tenderer may give details of their bid to the insurance company or brokers, if requested.

2.

The Tenderer must not try to obtain any information about any other party’s tender or proposed tender before the contract is awarded.

3.

The Tenderer must not arrange with any other party the submission of a tender, except in the circumstances where sub-contracting and/or joint ventures are applicable.

Prices & Payment 1.

Prices shown must be exclusive of VAT.

2.

Trading names/invoicing: Where invoices will be rendered by, or payments made to, an entity whose title differs in any respect from the title in which the tender is submitted, full details must be provided in a letter accompanying the tender. Successful Tenderers who fail to provide this will experience non payment of their invoices.

Queries on the Invitation to Tender 1.

Except where the Agency considers that questions are not material to the procurement process and the fullest understanding of its objectives, such questions and their subsequent replies will be disseminated to all Tenderers.

Tenderers should note in relation to all responses to questions in connection with this Invitation to Tender that the Agency makes no guarantee that such information in response to questions will be made available and are not warranting its accuracy.

2.

Tenderers should note that during this tender process they should not contact any of the Agency’s respective Board Members, Executive Directors, employees or advisers or any third parties connected to the Agency or any advisers to this procurement, outside of the process outlined within this section and elsewhere within this document.

3.

The Agency reserves the right, at its discretion, to request clarification in writing, or further relevant information, from any Tenderer post submission of the tender response by such Tenderer.

4.

Eligibility of prospective Contractors: Any change that is considered material by the Agency as to the identity or control of a Tenderer, or in the eligibility of a Tenderer, happening before or after the Tenderer has submitted its response to the Invitation to Tender, will lead to its disqualification. Where the Tenderer is a consortium, the lead consortium member must remain the same as when originally shortlisted. The full consortium membership must be disclosed and set

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at the time of submission of the Invitation to Tender response and there must be no material changes in the consortium after the tender submission. The Agency must be advised of any change in the consortium membership or in the principal relationships between members of the consortium. Any change which is considered material will lead to the Tenderer’s disqualification.

Freedom of Information Legislation i.

The Agency may be obliged to disclose information provided by Tenderers in response to this Invitation to Tender under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all subordinate legislation made under this and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“the Freedom of Information Legislation”).

ii.

Tenderers should be aware that the information they provide could be disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Legislation. The Agency will proceed on the basis of disclosure unless an appropriate exemption applies. Tenderers should be aware that despite the availability of some exemptions, information may still be disclosed if the public interest in its disclosure outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemption. No response to this Tender should be covered by a general statement regarding its overall confidentiality; instead any specific areas of confidential information should be highlighted in accordance with paragraph 3 below. The Agency accepts no liability (including for negligence) for loss as a result of any information disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information legislation.

iii.

Tenderers should highlight information in their responses which they consider to be commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, and should state the precise reasons why they consider this.

iv.

The Agency will use reasonable endeavours to consult with Tenderers over the release of information which is highlighted by them as commercially sensitive or confidential.

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2.

INVITATION TO TENDER

2.1 Background Information The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is one of nine regional development agencies established by the government to develop the English regions.

The Agency leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest, covering the 5 sub-regions of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire and is responsible for: • Supporting business growth and encouraging investment • Matching skills provision to employer needs • Creating the conditions for economic growth • Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure • Promoting the region's outstanding quality of life With a budget of £1.5 billion between 2007 and 2010, the Agency is responsible for directly influencing £1.2 billion of other public and private sector investment into the region to support the delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES).

The RES sets out a clear and measurable vision for the region, outlines to deliver this vision details the actions required. It will continue to address the key issues that affect the economic performance of the Northwest.

For further details of the NWDA’s role and activities visit www.nwda.co.uk.

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2.2 Specification and Scope Introduction Most successful, high value added economies have high numbers of interactions between SME businesses and the Knowledge Base (other companies and particularly, Universities). In the U.K. this is encouraged by Central Government through Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) which provides £200M per annum funding to Universities to encourage their work in fields outside of teaching and research. However, this can be seen by businesses as “product push”. This project takes a mirror view of Business/HEI interaction by offering incentives to businesses to work with Knowledge Providers, particularly those businesses with little or no experience of doing so therefore using the ‘business pull’ approach. The ability of small companies to adapt quickly to market changes means they are often in an ideal position to take on new ideas.

The objective of the project is to deliver innovative ways for SME businesses in the Northwest to interact with the Knowledge Base with a view to increasing productivity and company sustainability. It will deliver across the region to all sectors but with particular emphasis on businesses within 3 of the priority sectors identified in the Regional Economic Strategy (RES), Creative & Digital Industries; Financial & Business Services and Food & Drink. Agency funding will be enhanced using EU Structural Funds. The Agency has submitted an application for funds and this application has not yet been approved. An approval decision is envisaged to be given towards the end of September 2008; however, this date may be subject to change.

Building on existing, and previous, sub-regional success in innovation support, this project will assist companies, especially those in the ‘service’ sector, to consider ways of ‘doing things differently’ with the help of the Knowledge Base. Through learning by experience what the Knowledge Base can do for the sector, changes in perception and culture will be embedded in their future business strategies and behaviour. Thus, companies will be better placed to bring new business practices and product/service innovations to market faster, both now and in the future by utilising the Knowledge Base and building links between businesses and researchers to yield further future benefits.

The NWDA wishes to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of knowledge providers, to support the Innovation Voucher Scheme that is being developed in the Northwest region.

The Agreement will consist of a panel of knowledge base providers, which is defined by DBERR’s Tasking Framework as UK Public Sector Research Establishments or equivalents, Research and Development Organisations, Research and Technology Organisations, Higher Education and Further Education Institutions. This panel will be the automatic source for knowledge base providers servicing the Voucher Scheme.

There are likely to be between 50 and 150 organisations selected for the Panel (hereinafter referred to as Panel Members).

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SME’s will be invited to apply for an innovation voucher which can then be exchanged for knowledge from one of the panel members. Once the application for the voucher has been accepted the SME’s requirement will be posted online by the NWDA project team.

The Knowledge Base will then submit their quotation within 10 days and the SME will choose which provider to collaborate with.

Tenderers must provide the name(s) of the key contact(s), which will be the link to their institution and will co-ordinate the response to the knowledge questions posted on the website.

It is expected that there will be a total of 1000 vouchers available for SMEs to apply for, each with a value of up to £3000. The Agency intends to release the first batch of 100 vouchers for application in October 2008. Additionally in Year 2 of the framework there will be 100 vouchers available with a value of up to £7000. To apply for these vouchers the SME must be willing to match fund to the sum of £3000.

Tenderers are advised that SMEs may collaborate and pool their vouchers providing all parties involved require identical knowledge transfer solutions.

Tenderers are advised that if, after agreeing to undertake a voucher agreement, the knowledge provider does not have the suitable knowledge or resources to undertake the project, no work already undertaken may be billed to the SME or the Agency.

Tenderers are advised that only one voucher shall be issued to the SME per collaboration. Any further works undertaken beyond the scope and value of the original collaboration shall be agreed between the Knowledge Provider and SME and additional works shall be invoiced directly between the two parties. However, the SME can apply for additional vouchers for new collaborations.

Tenderers must be able to react to the knowledge question within a 10 working day period via online submission of interest.

Tenderers will be expected to visit the SMEs premises to discuss the proposed issue within 5 days of being appointed. Voucher agreements will require signing at the initial visit. The proposed voucher agreement can be found in Appendix B. Tenderers should then complete an agreed amount of site visits.

Tenderers will be expected to accurately record each new client contact and its development in line with ERDF criteria.

Outputs Outputs will vary according to the needs of business, but providers must be capable of:     

Consultation SME Business Engagement Effective project management Writing concise, aims and objective driven, reports and summaries Deliver technical needs as specified by the individual project

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Specific knowledge required to complete the services Knowledge of the Northwest Region’s economic mix, sectors within the region and what barriers SMEs may face when attempting to innovate, and the technical competence to deliver the specific individual consultancy projects that fall within the tenderers’ technical and knowledge areas.

This scheme is aimed at New Collaborations with the Knowledge Base; therefore the knowledge provider will need to ensure that each voucher serviced is a new collaboration which is defined within the Tasking Framework as a first involvement between at least one firm and one knowledge base organisation. It includes the first collaboration by an organisation with a department within a knowledge base organisation.

Tenderers should have knowledge; understanding and experience of the innovation barriers SMEs face and be able to demonstrate how they would overcome these.

Tenderers have to provide detailed information about their organisations research and knowledge transfer experience including accreditations where appropriate.

Duration This panel will be in place for a minimum of 2 years, with up to 2 additional years (dependant on funding), reviewed on a yearly basis (maximum of 4 years in place). All Innovation Voucher work for the Agency will go through this panel where possible.

Being selected as a Panel Member does not guarantee the award of any individual contracts under the Panel.

Delivery timescale All vouchers will have a 12 month lifespan, and it is expected that the knowledge provider will complete the contract with the SME within this time.

Management Information reports Tenderers will be expected to report to the contract manager on a quarterly basis the following information:   

Number of knowledge questions quoted for; Number of knowledge questions contracted; For each knowledge question contracted;  SME Name,  Address,  post code,  telephone number,  email address,  number of employees,  turnover,  number of consultancy hours/days agreed,  copy of contract agreement

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

Final report details;  SME Name,  Address,  Post code,  Telephone Number,  Email Address,  Number of employees,  Turnover,  Actual number of consultancy hours/days undertaken,  Confirmation from SME of satisfactory completion of project (signature).

Stakeholder Management The Agency will lead on reporting project performance to key partners such as Sub Regional Partners but the knowledge provider will be required to support this process by providing geographical breakdowns of achievement, market intelligence, details of work undertaken, mileage covered, copies of agreements, final report signed off by the SME and occasional attendance at stakeholder meetings.

Payment Each voucher in Year 1 is valued at a maximum of £3,000 and £7,000 in Year 2. The SME is responsible for the VAT payable on this amount.

It is expected that the knowledge provider will invoice the Agency on a quarterly basis for those projects which have been completed and reported on within that quarter.

A final report on the work undertaken with and signed off by the SME and the outcomes from this must be available before payment is released.

Ownership of outputs The specific project will be an agreement between the SME and the knowledge provider, therefore the onus is on the knowledge provider to ensure any issues of Intellectual Property etc. are agreed at the outset.

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Award Criteria The Agency will award this Tenders on the basis of the “most economically advantageous tender”.

Evaluation Criteria The overall evaluation process will be conducted in a fair and equitable manner, so that the Agency is able to consider the value for money of each proposal. This means that different clarification/information may be sought from different Tenderers.

The Agency will take up references and reserves the right to pay due heed to the Tenderer’s performance elsewhere and any past experience from the Agency or its staff.

The evaluation criteria described in this Invitation to Tender document will be used to inform the final decision as to which Tenderers will be awarded a Contract.

Evaluation of tenders is split between the questions in Section Four. Each section has an overall weighting reflecting the relative importance of each section to the Agency.

The sub-total of marks for each section will be added together to produce a final score for each Tenderer.

Scoring Mechanism Each question within the Invitation to Tender will be marked as follows: 2 – response exceeds requirement, appearing to offer improved value for money 1 – response appears to meet requirement 0 – response does not appear to meet requirement Weighting Mechanism 5 – is perceived as an essential requirement 2 – is perceived as a preferred/minimum requirement 1 – is perceived as a desirable requirement FI – is for information only and will have no impact Pass/Fail – perceived as mission-critical requirements and thus will not attract a score or weighting, but will determine whether a Tenderer remains in the process.

Evaluation Criteria 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Section 4, C Compliance Section 4, D Quality Section 4, E Financial and Economic Capacity Section 4, F Insurance Section 4, G References Section 4, H Disputes Section 4, I Business Capability (3), (6) Section 4, I Business Capability (1), (2), (4), (5)

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Criteria Weighting Pass/Fail 2 Pass/Fail Pass/Fail 5 Pass/Fail Pass/Fail FI Page 12 of 31

9 10 11 12 13

Section 4, J Technical Capability (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h,) (k), (n,) (o) Section 4, J Technical Capability (f), (i), (j), (I), (m) Section 4, J Technical Capability (p), (q) Compliance with the Agency’s standard Terms and Conditions of Contract Schedule of Rates

Weight 5 Weight 2 Pass/Fail Pass / Fail 5

The Agency reserves the right to take into account any other relevant considerations that, in its absolute discretion, it may deem are appropriate.

3.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION

Structure of Proposal The proposal should be structured as follows: • • • •

Introduction/covering letter Response to Section 4, questions (a) to (q).

Completed Form of Tender Pricing Schedule

Format & Presentation of Proposal Tenderers must ensure that their Tender response is submitted in the format described in this document. Tenderers must follow the numbering system provided. All submissions must be bound appropriately and any appendices must be clearly indexed or labelled.

Response Please reply to each point, stating ‘Noted’ or ‘Agreed’, as appropriate, where no specific response is required.

Where responses are not offered or further information (e.g. an attachment) is missing, an evaluation rating of zero may be recorded.

All tenders must be complete and should offer the most economically advantageous bid available to the Agency.

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4.

TENDER DOCUMENTS

A

ORGANISATION IDENTITY

Name of the company (prime or single contractor) in whose name the tender would be submitted Contact name (Single point of Contact): Address: Telephone number: Facsimile number: E-mail address: Company Registration number, date of registration and registration address: VAT Registration number: Website address (if any)

B

ORGANISATION INFORMATION

(1) Is your organisation a Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) as defined in Section 382 & 465 of the Companies Act (2006)?

(2) Is your organisation: i) a public limited company?

Y/N ii) a limited Y/N company? v) a limited Y/N liability partnership?

(3) Confirmation that an organisation structure chart is enclosed with this completed questionnaire

Y/N iii) a sole trader?

Y/N iv) a partnership?

Y/N

(4) Is your company a subsidiary of another company, a holding or a parent company?

Address for the organisation’s holding or parent company, country of origin and registration number (if applicable) Address for the organisation’s ultimate parent company, country of origin and registration number (if applicable)

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Y/N

(5) Executive Directors/ Partners: Name Responsibility

C

COMPLIANCE WITH EU LEGISLATION/ UK PROCUREMENT LEGISLATION

Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 applies to the current tendering competition. Applicants must provide full details in respect of whether: i. Any matters referred to in Regulation 23 (1) (being grounds for mandatory exclusion) apply to the applicant, and in the case of a consortium applicant, to any of its constituent members, or to any of its or their directors, or to any other person Y/N who has powers of representation, decision or control of the applicant or, in the case of a consortium applicant, any of its constituent members? ii. Any of the matters referred to in Regulation 23(4) (being grounds for discretionary exclusion) apply to the Applicant, and in the case of a consortium Y/N applicant, to any of its constituent members?

The Agency may seek evidence at a later date, in confirmation of your answer.

For convenience, the text of Regulation 23 can be found in Appendix A

D

QUALITY ASSURANCE

(1) Please provide details of any quality assurance certification that your company holds e.g. IS0 9000 or equivalent standard.

Please include a copy of any certificate.

If no accreditation is held, please provide documentary evidence of your quality assurance capabilities. (e.g. your internal quality policy or manual)

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E

FINANCIAL and ECONOMIC CAPACITY

The following financial information is required.

(1) A copy of the most recent audited accounts for your organisation that cover the last two years of trading or for the period that is available if trading for less than two years.

(2) A statement of the organisation’s turnover, Profit & Loss and cash flow position for the most recent full year of trading (or part year if full year not applicable) and an end period balance sheet, where this information is not available in an audited form at (1).

(3) Where (2) cannot be provided, a statement of the organisation’s cash flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining the current cash and credit facility position.

(4) If the organisation is a subsidiary of a group, (1) to (3) are required for both the subsidiary and the ultimate parent. Where a consortium or association is proposed, the information is requested for each member company.

(5) A separate statement of the organisation’s turnover that relates directly to the supply of this service for the past two years, or for the period the organisation has been trading (if less than two years).

(6) If applicable, parent company and/or other guarantees of performance and Y/N financial standing may be required if considered appropriate. Confirm your organisation’s willingness and ability to arrange for a collateral warranty, parent company guarantee and /or performance bond if called upon.

(7) Has your organisation made any application for third party funding – including Y/N State Aid assistance – in relation to the services you are intending to provide?

(8) Please give address to which Payment/Remittances should be sent:

(9) Please also advise if your invoice address is different from the above:

F

INSURANCE

PLEASE CONFIRM THAT YOUR ORGANISATION’S INSURANCE COVER MEETS THE AGENCY’S REQUIREMENTS BELOW. Policy Value Y/N Employer’s Liability £5m Public Liability £5m Professional Indemnity £5m If not, please indicate that you will arrange for this Y/N insurance cover if successful in this tender.

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G

REFERENCES

Note: the Agency may elect to contact any of the given companies for a reference at any stage of the tendering process. Your permission to do so will be assumed unless you explicitly state any objections.

(1) Please provide details of three recent relevant private sector contracts you have been awarded for the provision of services similar to those required by the Agency Customer name Contact name and Date Contract reference Names of and address Telephone number contract and brief subcontractors awarded & description of and/ or duration of service undertaken consortium contract members and their role 1.

2.

3.

(2) Please provide details of any recent relevant contracts you have been awarded by organisations in the wider public sector (e.g. government departments, local authorities, NHS trusts, FE/HE, RDAs) for the provision of services similar to those required by the Agency Customer name Contact name and Date Contract reference Names of and address Telephone number contract and brief subcontractors awarded & description of and/ or duration of service undertaken consortium contract members and their role 1.

2.

3.

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H

DISPUTES

(1) In the last 3 years, has your organisation failed to complete a contract on time or at all, or where there have been claims for damages, or where damages have been deducted or recovered? YES/NO If Yes, please provide the following details relating to the claim Customer name Contract reference Date of Reason for claim and address (postal and brief description claim/ & e-mail) of services provided contract termination

(2) Has your Company had a Y/N If Yes, please provide details: contract terminated or your employment determined under the terms of a contract within the last 5 years?

Customer name Contract reference Date of Reason for contract termination and address (postal and brief description claim/ & e-mail) of services provided contract termination

(3) Has your Company had a contract that was not renewed due to failure to perform to the terms of a previous contract within the last 5 years?

Y/N

If Yes, please provide details:

(4) Has your organisation been Y/N involved in any court action and/ or significant employment tribunal over the last 3 years?

If Yes, please provide details:

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(5) Are there any court actions and/ or significant employment tribunal hearings outstanding or pending against your organisation?

I

Y/N

If Yes, please provide details:

BUSINESS CAPABILITY (1) To which professional or trade bodies your organisation belongs

(2) Details of staff turnover as percentage of your workforce (specifically engaged in the provision of services required by the Agency) for the last 3 years.

(3) Please attach copies of all your policy documents relating to the following Acts: Disability, Equal Pay, Rehabilitation of Offenders, Equal Opportunities, Sex, Race Discrimination and Age Discrimination.

(4) Number and locations of premises from which your organisation provides services similar to those required by the Agency (including details of staff numbers at each location) (5) State the approximate number of employees in your Company engaged in the specific type of work for which you are applying. The figures are to be broken down by specific discipline and include core skills, competencies and relevant professional qualifications.

(6) Is your organisation registered under the Data Protection Act 1998? If yes, please provide your registration number.

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Y/N

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J

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

Please provide no more than 250 words of narrative in response to each question (a) to (q) below. If you wish, you may provide additional information, e.g. copies of policies etc, in an Appendix. (a)

Tenderers should provide a method statement on how the services will be provided for the Agency and Tenderers should clearly state any geographical service limitations, both partial and total. Tenderers should also separately demonstrate their knowledge of the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the Northwest region.

(b)

Tenderers should describe the methods by which their staff acquire and maintain a high level of subject matter knowledge, expertise and use of industry best practice techniques relevant to the contract.

(c)

Tenderers must provide a single A4 page curriculum vitae, including full profile of speciality and experience, for the nominated project account manager.

(d)

Tenderers must detail the financial controls in place for budgeting and monitoring (e.g. ensuring that quotes are not exceeded without prior agreement from the Agency).

(e)

Tenderers should advise how they ensure that work is delivered to tight timescales.

(f)

Tenderers must have policies, procedures and resources for dealing with customer dissatisfaction and/or complaints. Tenderers should describe their procedures in this respect (including escalation procedures).

(g)

Tenderers must have policies, procedures and resources for managing their relationships with customers at an individual assignment level. Details of how initial bid management, on-going assignment review, contractor performance, quality of deliverables, customer communication and feedback are addressed should be provided. Tenderers should ensure that up-to-date management information is available to the Agency regarding the status of any assignment and the Tenderers’ performance. The Tenderer must be willing to tailor reports to meet individual customer requirements. Sample reports must be provided.

(h)

Tenderers must demonstrate capability and experience of being able to deliver the required outputs and the services as detailed in the Specification. Tenderers should provide a half page summary for each of the outputs listed in the Specification and Scope demonstrating their overall strategy and methodology for delivering each output, in addition to any further information requested in the Specification.

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(i)

Tenderers should set out their plans for managing risks and contingencies that may arise during the contract. Tenderers should also indicate how they will assist the Agency in managing and minimising its business risks.

(j)

Please comment on any innovative aspects that you will be capable of offering and explain what sets your organisation apart from others.

(k)

Tenderers must provide their plans for complying with the provision of the proposed services with regard to equal opportunities, discrimination, health and safety, race relations and any other legal requirements

(l)

Tenderers should describe how they assess and ensure that their staff deliver added value and customer satisfaction throughout the Contract. Responses should address (but not be limited to) issues such as: • • • • • •

the suitability of individuals for the assignment; the deployment of appropriate skills; the use of best practice; the use of innovation; the efficient use by the consultant of his/her time on the assignment; the frequency of assessment and assessor seniority.

(m)

Tenderers should demonstrate their knowledge of the innovation barriers SMEs in the Northwest face and how they can overcome these.

(n)

Tenderers should demonstrate their experience in Research and Knowledge Transfer and appropriate accreditations.

(o)

Tenderers should provide detail on how each client’s data will be recorded.

(p)

Tenderers should confirm that they are able to react to the initial online question within the 10 day time period.

Y/N

(q)

Tenderers should confirm that they are able to visit the SMEs premises to discuss the proposed issue within 5 days of being appointed.

Y/N

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5

FORM OF TENDER

Please ensure this Form of Tender is completed carefully and signed before returning as part of your submission.

TENDER FOR: PANEL 1.

NWDA00269 INNOVATION VOUCHER KNOWLEDGE PROVIDER

I/We agree and/or certify that this offer and any Framework Agreement or Contract arising from it shall be bound by the Invitation to Tender Documentation I/We agree and/or certify to supply goods/services of the exact quality, sort and price specified in the Pricing Schedule(s) in such quantities and to such extent and at such times and locations as the Northwest Development Agency (the “Agency�) may direct;

Yes/No*

3.

I/We agree and/or certify that this offer is made in good faith and that we have not fixed or adjusted the amount of the offer by or under or in accordance with any agreement or arrangement with any other person;

Yes/No*

4.

I/We agree and/or certify that we will not communicate to any person other than the person inviting these offers the (or approximate amount of) offer, except where the disclosure, in confidence of the approximate amount of the offer was necessary to obtain quotations required for the preparation of the offer, for insurance purposes or for a contract guarantee bond;

Yes/No*

5.

I/We agree and/or certify that we will not enter in to any Yes/No* arrangement or agreement with any other person that s/he shall refrain from making an offer or as to the amount of any offer to be submitted;

6.

I/We agree and/or certify that we will not pay give or offer or agree to pay or to give any sum of money or other valuable considerable directly or indirectly to any person for doing or having done or causing or having caused to be done in relation to any offer or proposed offer for the goods/services any act or thing of the sort described in 3, 4, or 5 above.

2.

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Yes/No*

Yes/No*

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7.

I/We acknowledge that if I/we have acted or shall act in Yes/No* contravention of this Form of Tender, the Agency will be entitled to cancel the contract and to recover from ourselves the amount of any loss and expense resulting from such a cancellation.

8.

I/We agree that this tender and any contract which may result Yes/No* from it shall be based on this Form of Tender, Terms and Conditions, Specification / Brief attached, Pricing Schedule attached, and our response to this invitation to tender (to the extent to which the Agency may determine in accepting the tender).

9.

I/We agree that any other terms and conditions of contract or Yes/No* any general reservations, which may be printed on any correspondence, issued by us shall not be applicable to any contract resulting from this tender.

10.

I/We agree to carry out all contracts and/or other awards of business in accordance with the Agency’s standard Terms and Conditions of Contract

Yes/No*

11.

I/We agree that the rates provided shall be held firm for the full duration of the contract period.

Yes/No*

12.

Are you aware of any conflicts of interest between your company and the Agency?

Yes/No*

*Where there is any indication that a conflict of interest exists or may arise, then it shall be the responsibility of the Tenderer to inform the Agency, detailing the conflict in writing as an attachment to this tender.

The Agency will be the final arbiter in cases of potential conflicts of interest. Failure to notify the Agency of any potential conflict of interest will invalidate any verbal or written agreement.

A Conflict of interest is where a person who is involved in the procurement has or may be perceived to have a personal interest in ensuring that a particular supplier is successful.

Actual and potential conflicts of interest must be declared by a person involved in a tender process. * Please delete one

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Note In this Form of Tender, the word 'person' includes any person and any body or association, corporate or unincorporated; 'any agreement or arrangement' includes any transaction, formal or informal and whether legally binding or not.

TENDERERS MUST RESPOND TO ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS FORM OF TENDER, OTHERWISE THE TENDER RESPONSE WILL BE CONSIDERED INVALID.

Signed _________________________________________________________ Full Name (print)_________________________________________________ On Behalf of_____________________________________________________ Position in Company______________________________________________ Date___________________________________________________________

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6

PRICING SCHEDULE

1.

The Pricing Schedule contains the Contractor’s tendered fixed rates.

2.

All prices quoted shall be fixed and firm and shall apply during the whole of the Contract period.

3.

The prices in the Pricing Schedule shall include for all services shown or described in the Contract as a whole and for all services not described but apparent as being necessary for the complete and proper execution of the provision of the Services.

4.

No quantity or continuity of work is guaranteed to the successful Contractor and this should be taken into account when completing the Pricing Schedule. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, any quantities given in this ITT are for information only.

5.

Each item in the Pricing Schedule must be fully priced, with insertions for each item. If any item is un-priced (whether by leaving the rate and/or amount space blank or by entering “included” or otherwise), that item shall be deemed to be free of charge.

6.

Applications for payment shall be made in accordance with the procedures described in the Agency’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.

7.

All prices quoted shall be exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).

8.

The daily rate indicated in the Schedule of Rates is for an 8 hour working day, during a normal working week (Monday to Friday).

9.

The Contractor will not charge the Agency for travelling time in addition to daily fees. Any travelling time at the start or end of the working day is at the Contractor’s cost.

10.

Tenderers must complete the Schedule of Rates with details of all applicable personnel to this contract by denoting job title, function (brief overview of the role) and daily rate. Tenderers must ensure that all relevant personnel are detailed, as no other rates offered during the contract will be applicable.

11.

Figures inserted into the Schedule of Rates must be a single figure and not a range of figures. A range of fees per job title will not be accepted. Where a range of fees are submitted, the Agency will evaluate this offer on the basis of the highest fee quoted within the range, thus attracting the lowest possible score.

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12.

Please give details in the Schedule of Rates Table below of the daily rates proposed per level of fee earner.

13.

Provide details of support, advice, research and access to research tools, training and seminars that you would be prepared to provide free of charge to the SME.

Schedule of Rates Please supply daily and hourly rates in respect of you and your employees who would be involved in the delivery of Innovation Voucher Scheme services. Please state the rate for each employee as appropriate. Ranges are not acceptable.

Personnel (Insert job title)

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Function (Brief description)

Rate Per Day/Hour ÂŁ

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7

APPENDIX A

SUMMARY OF INELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS PROVIDED BY REGULATION 23(4) OF THE PUBLIC CONTRACTS REGULATIONS 2006 (SI 2006 No 5) This summary is offered only as an indication for the convenience of bidders. Bidders should refer to the Regulations and satisfy themselves that they are not ineligible.

Regulation 23(4) sets out the grounds on which a services provider may be deemed ineligible to tender for or be awarded a public contract. Rejection is permissible when a Service Provider: - is in a state of bankruptcy insolvency compulsory winding up, administration, receivership, composition with creditors or any analogous state, or subject to relevant proceedings; - has been convicted of a criminal offence related to business or professional conduct; - has committed an act of grave misconduct in the course of business; - has not fulfilled obligations relating to payment of social security contributions; - has not fulfilled obligations relating to payment of taxes; - is guilty of serious misrepresentations in supplying information required by the Agency under the Regulations - is not in possession of a licence or not a member of the appropriate organisation where the law of that State requires it; or - subject to paragraphs (5) and (6) of Regulation 23, is not registered on the professional or trade register of the relevant State in which established

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8

APPENDIX B

Voucher Agreement

Innovation Voucher Agreement Section A: Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Details Company Name Winner ID Number Innovation Theme Address

Main Contact Name Record ID Email address Telephone number Website address

Post Code Section B: Knowledge Base Provider Details Name

Main Contact Name

Address Post Code Academic Name

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Email address Telephone number Website address Academic email address Academic telephone number

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Section C: Arrangements for Voucher usage Please provide the details of the help you requested on your original application

Agreed duties to be undertaken by the knowledge provider ( amount of work agreed for the ÂŁ3,000 voucher value):

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Project Start Date ……………………… Project end date ……………………...

Are there any intellectual property (IP) issues?

Yes/No Please provide details and solutions:

Agreed date for completion of works …………………………………………………………………

Please specify the approximate number of hours/days that have been agreed ……….. ………………..

Please state where the work is being conducted, ie business premises, knowledge provider premises or other location: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Section D: Declaration I confirm that the above mentioned information is deemed correct and outlines the agreement made between the SME and the Knowledge Provider Signed for and on behalf of SME …………………………………………………… Date ………….

Signed for and on behalf of Knowledge Provider ……………………………………….

Date ……….

Please return this from to: NWDA Renaissance House PO Box 37 Centre Park Warrington WA1 1XB If you have any questions about this form, please contact:

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