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Services - 603203-2020

14/12/2020    S243

United Kingdom-London: Market research services

2020/S 243-603203

Contract award notice

Results of the procurement procedure

Services

Legal Basis:
Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses
Official name: Cabinet Office
Postal address: 70 Whitehall
Town: London
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
Postal code: SW1A 2AS
Country: United Kingdom
E-mail: commercial@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5)Main activity
General public services

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement
II.1.1)Title:

Research in to Government Communications

II.1.2)Main CPV code
79310000 Market research services
II.1.3)Type of contract
Services
II.1.4)Short description:

The Cabinet Office (the ‘Authority’) has awarded a contract to the supplier for quantitative research regarding public attitudes towards and behaviours in relation to coronavirus.

II.1.6)Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: no
II.1.7)Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: 840 000.00 GBP
II.2)Description
II.2.3)Place of performance
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

The Cabinet Office (the ‘Authority’) has awarded a contract to the supplier for quantitative research regarding public attitudes and behaviours in relation to coronavirus.

II.2.5)Award criteria
Price
II.2.11)Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
II.2.14)Additional information

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below
  • The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
Explanation:

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below:

• extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the directive.The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a serious infectious respiratory disease and its consequences pose a risk to life.

1) The Covid-19 outbreak is a public health emergency of international concerns as declared by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020. The WHO Director General characterised Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, by this stage Europe was the centre of the pandemic.

2) There is an immediate need to give the public accurate, relevant information about the measures Government is implementing in response to the virus and the actions the public must take in order to comply with Government policy. In order to protect themselves and others and prevent the mass spread of the virus, it is crucial that the public understand and adhere to government messages.

There is an immediate need to give the public accurate, relevant information about the measures Government is implementing in response to the virus and the actions the public must take in order to comply with Government policy.

In order to protect themselves and others and prevent the mass spread of the virus, it is crucial that the public understand and adhere to government messages.

Audience research is therefore required to inform the content and delivery of Government messaging, ensuring it is effective, and to understand the public’s response in order to identify additional communications and policy needs. In these circumstances, a procurement following the usual timescales under the PCR 2015, including accelerated options, was impossible without an interruption to services.

3) Corresponding with the principles of Regulation 32 and the new process set out in (Policy Procurement 01/20), Cabinet Office is satisfied the principles of tests permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(c)) were met as follows:

A. As far as is strictly necessary:

Audience research was identified as being strictly necessary to inform the content and delivery of Government messaging, ensuring it is effective, and to understand the public’s response in order to identify additional communications and policy needs.

B. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency:

Cabinet Office are responding to Covid-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency.

C. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable:

As the EU Commission itself confirmed: ‘the current coronavirus crisis presents an extreme and unforeseeable urgency – precisely for such a situation our European rules enable public buyers to buy within a matter of days, even hours, if necessary.‘ (Commissioner Breton, Internal Market, 1 April 2020).

D. It was impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR: due to the urgency of the situation there was no time to run an accelerated procurement under the open, restricted or competitive procedures with negotiation that would allow the supplier to commence work.

E. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority:

Cabinet Office has not caused or contributed to the coronavirus crisis, which justifies the need for extreme urgency.

IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes
IV.2)Administrative information
IV.2.8)Information about termination of dynamic purchasing system
IV.2.9)Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice

Section V: Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: yes
V.2)Award of contract
V.2.1)Date of conclusion of the contract:
03/03/2020
V.2.2)Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no
V.2.3)Name and address of the contractor
Official name: Public First Limited
Postal address: Ashleigh Villa, 143 Tamworth Road, Long Eaton
Town: Nottingham
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
Country: United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME: yes
V.2.4)Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: 840 000.00 GBP
V.2.5)Information about subcontracting

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.3)Additional information:
VI.4)Procedures for review
VI.4.1)Review body
Official name: High Court
Town: London
Country: United Kingdom
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:
09/12/2020