INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION ON TENDERING PROCEDURES
1 These instructions are designed to ensure that all tenders are given equal and fair consideration. It is important therefore that you provide all the information asked for in the format and order specified. Please the Clerk to the Council if you have any doubts as to what is required or you have difficulty in providing the information requested. Pre-tender negotiations are not allowed.
Contract Period
2 The initial contract is to be for a period of 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 x 1 year periods.
Incomplete Tender
3 Tenders may be rejected if the information asked for in the ITT and Specification is not given at the time of tendering.
Returning Tenders
4 The Clerk to the Council: will send a confirmation of receipt of bid email.
Tenders should be sent to The Clerk to the Council at clerk@catworthparishcouncil.gov.uk. Tenders must be delivered by 12 noon on 31st January 2023.
Receipt of Tenders
5 Tenders will be received up to the time and date stated. Those received before the due date will be retained unopened until then. It is the responsibility of the tenderer to ensure that their tender is delivered not later than the appointed time.
Acceptance of Tenders
6 By issuing this invitation the Clerk to the Council: is not bound in any way and does not have to accept the lowest or any tender, and reserves the right to accept a portion of any tender, unless the tenderer expressly stipulates otherwise in their tender.
Inducements
7 Offering an inducement of any kind in relation to obtaining this or any other contract with the Clerk to the Council: will disqualify your tender from being considered and may constitute a criminal offence.
Confidentiality of Tenders
8 Please note the following requirements, you must not:
- Tell anyone else what your tender price is or will be, before the time limit for delivery of tenders.
- Try to obtain any information about anyone else’s tender or proposed tender before the time limit for delivery of tenders.
- Make any arrangements with another organisation about whether or not they should tender, or about their or your tender price.
Failure to comply with these conditions may disqualify your tender.
Costs and Expenses
9 You will not be entitled to claim from the Clerk to the Council: any costs or expenses which you may incur in preparing your tender whether or not your tender is successful.
Debriefing
10 Following the award of contract, debriefing will be included in the letter sent to unsuccessful bidders.
Freedom Of Information
13 Catworth Parish Council is committed to open government and to meeting their responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Accordingly, all information submitted to Catworth Parish Council may need to be disclosed in response to a request under the Act. If you consider that any of the information included in your tender is commercially sensitive, please identify it and explain (in broad terms) what harm may result from disclosure if a request is received, and the time period applicable to that sensitivity. You should be aware that, even where you have indicated that information is commercially sensitive, we may still be required to disclose it under the Act if a request is received. Please also note that the receipt of any material marked ‘confidential’ or equivalent by Catworth Parish Council should not be taken to mean that we accept any duty of confidence by virtue of that marking. If a request is received, we may also be required to disclose details of unsuccessful tenders.
Tender Period
14 Due to the evaluation process, Catworth Parish Council requires tenders to remain valid for 90 days.
Basis of the Contract
15 The specification in Document 2, and the terms and conditions in Document 3, together with any special requirements, will form the basis of the contract between the successful tenderer and the Catworth Parish Council
Personnel Security Standard
16 The successful contractor will need to assure the Catworth Parish Council that staff supplied under the contract including its own staff and those of sub-contractors who need unsupervised access to the Catworth Parish Council assets including but not limited to premises, IT equipment and classified information meet required Disclosure Barring Standards (DBS) at a Basic Level.
Detailed information on each check is in Document 3 – List of Attachments
17 This timetable is provisional and may be subject to change, but will be adhered to by Catworth Parish Council as far as reasonably possible.
| ACTIVITY | TIMESCALE |
| Advertise | 5/1/2023 |
| Start of clarifications stage / any questions about the specification or procurement process | 5/1/2023 |
| End of clarifications stage | 28/1/2023 |
| Submission deadline for receipt of bids | 31/1/2023 |
| Inform bidders of award | 14/2/2023 |
| Award contact | 28/2/2023 |
Format of Bids
18 Tenderers should present their proposals in the following format:
Section 1 Table of Contents
Section 2 Management Summary
Section 3 Meeting the Specification
Section 4 Cost and Charging Arrangements
Section 5 Declarations, Undertakings and Attachments (see Document 4)
Conclusions
19 Whilst every endeavour has been made to give tenderers an accurate description of the Catworth Parish Council requirement, tenderers should make their own assessment about the methods and resources needed to meet those requirements.
Please email the Clerk to obtain all Tender documents.