REQUEST FOR QUOTATION PROJECT TITLE:
Provision of an FDI Database
REFERENCE NUMBER: ISSUED BY: DATE OF ISSUE: CONTACT DETAILS:
RG0002 Richard Gaston 11th September 2008 Northwest Regional Development Agency Renaissance House PO Box 37 Centre Park Warrington WA1 1XB Tel: 01925 400315 Email: Richard.Gaston@nwda.co.uk
QUOTATION RETURN DATE:
4pm Monday 6th October 2008
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED:
We require an electronic version of your submission, emailed to Richard.Gaston@nwda.co.uk
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT
The Northwest Development Agency’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract for Services shall apply.
PROJECT DETAILS 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
NWDA’s Investment Services team work to attract Foreign Direct Invesment (FDI) to England’s Northwest. For more information about NWDA’s role in attracting FDI to the Region and the work of the Investment Services team please see: http://www.nwda.co.uk/areas-of-work/business/internationalcompetitiveness/inward-investment.aspx http://www.englandsnorthwest.com/invest/home
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The Investment Services team require access to a database which tracks cross-border inward investment by companies to allow the team to monitor FDI inflows and outflows: • into/from our Region; • into/from other cities/regions/countries worldwide. The Contract will be in place for three years from 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2011, reviewed on an annual basis subject to performance and business demand. The Agency does not want to enter into a rolling contract which has automatic renewal. 2.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To procure access to an online database which will enable the tracking of cross-border inward investment by companies and monitoring of FDI inflows and outflows: • into/from our Region; • into/from other cities/regions/countries worldwide. 3.
CRITICAL ISSUES
The database must be populated with/contain data to deliver the following features: • Track cross-border investment; • Cover all sectors (on a worldwide basis); • Cover all countries (on a worldwide basis); • Be updated regularly and ideally on a real-time basis; • Allow historical (last five years minimum) analysis of investment trends by company, sector and country. Tenders which deliver an architecture only will not be considered; provision and maintenance of both the database and the data it contains are essential to this RFQ. 4.
METHODOLOGY
The database provided by the successful supplier will be accessed by members of the NWDA Investment Services Team and other designated colleagues within the remit of their roles. The database should be web based. We do not envisage that more than two members of staff would need to access the database at any one time, however we would welcome provision of costs of one person accessing at any given time and multiple users (up to a maximum of 5).
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5.
OUTPUTS
The database must be capable of providing data to achieve the aims outlined in point 3. Specifically the database should: •
•
6.
enable users to create customised reports and downloads within the system, and suitable for export into standard Microsoft applications, e.g. MS Excel. Data available for export should include: o the investing company country of origin; o the Northwest location of the project; o sector; o job numbers created/safeguarded (where available); o the value of the investment (where available). provide regular e-mail alerts in areas of interest in a format compatible with MS Outlook, for example, recent investment projects by companies into the Northwest. The alerts should highlight: o the investing company country of origin; o the Northwest location of the project; o sector; o job numbers created/safeguarded (where available); o the value of the investment (where available). PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The project will be managed on behalf of the NWDA Investment Services Team by Richard Gaston, Investment Services Manager Responses should include a named Contract Manager together with details of any technical support and training provision. Bidders should be prepared to come into the NWDA offices to demonstrate the database and answer questions from the team. It may be beneficial if a limited trial could be arranged for the database to ascertain its fit for purpose and to gain user feedback. Any subcontractors to be used must be stated in the contractor’s bid and cannot be changed without the prior written permission of the Agency. 7.
TIMESCALES
Interested parties should submit their response by 4pm on Monday 6 th October 2008. Responses should be emailed to Richard.Gaston@nwda.co.uk and respondents are advised to telephone on 01925 400315 to confirm receipt. Respondents should be prepared to come in and demonstrate their product if required during October 2008 and provide a limited trial of the product if necessary.
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It is proposed that the contract for access to the database runs from November 2008 and September 2011 and is renewed on an annual basis subject to performance and business demand. 8.
CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT
Criteria for appraising responses submitted for this project are: • • • • • • • •
Knowledge and expertise of the subject area; Credibility of the provider: this will be evidenced by national and international organisations who already use the data; Clarity of definition in terms of work required to fulfil the aims and objectives contained herein; The degree to which the outputs will be achieved in the required timescales and the ability of the Contractor to undertake the work specified in this request for quotation; Costs and subsequent value for money offered; Ease of use of database and its fit for purpose; Ability to deliver items specified in the list of critical issues; The Agency does not want to enter into a rolling contract which has automatic renewal.
CONTRACTOR RESPONSE 1.
FORMAT OF PROPOSAL Your proposal should be structured as follows: • • • • • • • • •
2.
Introduction Project Appreciation Details of database, the original source of data, the variables it contains, how it can be used, etc Details of whether the database answers any critical issues specified above Details of staffing and provision of technical support and training Details of any subcontractors to be used Demonstration of experience of providing similar services (A4 page summary of experience) References of 3 major contracts awarded within the last 2 years for services similar to those required by the Agency. Financial proposal (see below)
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL Suppliers must provide the following costs in response to this Request for Quotation:
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• • • • •
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Cost of database per annum for access by one person at a given time Cost of database per annum for access by multiple people at any given time (up to a maximum of 5 people) Cost for technical support and training (if not included in above) Other costs (to be specified); All costs should be quoted exclusive of VAT
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