Clarifications
There are 113 clarifications for this DPS
96. Is there a way to export the VCIS framework questionnaire with the answers I have included? I have been able to download the questions but I need to also export my answers.
There is no formalised method of downloading the answers from the DPS, however if you select Ctrl + P from within your application you can save the webpage as a PDF via the print preview page.
You will need to select 'View' underneath the questionnaire from the 'Profiles' tab on your Supplier Registration dashboard.
Under the 'Showing answers from' header you can then select which stage of the questionnaire you wish to download, e.g. Registered 1 or Registered 2.
Once you have selected the section you can Select Ctrl + P followed by 'Save as PDF' to export the webpage. This includes the questions and answers.
Answered
23/12/2021 15:03
95. We have a number of buyers wishing to engage with us to deliver small , focused consultancy based work packets. These are low value and are not suited to competitive tender. Please can CCS advise if this framework has a "minimum spend" level and the ability for the buyer to issue a direct award for services or infrastructure below this minimum value.
This agreement does not have a minimum spend and there is no provision for Direct Award.
Answered
21/01/2022 13:24
93. Hi,
We have submitted our responses back in November 2020. Could you please confirm if you have reviewed, and if we've been awarded a place on the Framework?
Many thanks.
CCS Has since made contact and your organisation is now appointed.
Answered
21/01/2022 13:23
92. question 129. on the SQ, what is the thresold?
Please refer to Paragraph 53. of the DPS Needs document:
'The report provided by the credit reference agency (Dun and Bradstreet) will be used to determine the level of financial risk you represent. If the score provided by the credit reference agency is 45 or more, then your Request to participate will continue to proceed in the DPS Selection process.'
Answered
17/12/2020 11:46
90. Is the parent company able to provide guarantee if necessary? / Would we be able to get guarantee elsewhere
5. Does ScottishPower need to provide this? - if we select no will this have an impact on our application?
And do we need to provide any other form of guarantor?
An answer of No to this question will not have an impact on the application, it will only be a requirment if your organisation's D&B score falls below the required threshold and if you cannot provide 2 years of financial accounts
Answered
01/10/2020 17:22
89. Upload documentary evidence for past performance information for any sub-contractors (or consortium members) who the supplier will rely upon to perform the contract
What type of performance do you mean here? Timescales, quality, health and safety?
151. On request, can you provide certificates of performance for your principal contracts from the relevant customers?
What do you mean by this? From relevant customers? Does this mean from scottishpower customers? Or does this mean subcontractors customers?
Question. 151 is not required as part of the application to the DPS, if it is not relevant then an answer of N/A will suffice
Answered
01/10/2020 17:21
88. What does CCS mean by Group of economic operators? We subcontract work therefore does that mean we are a group of economic operators?
Please refer to the DPS Needs document, Who Can Request to Participate heading.
You can submit a request to participate as a single legal entity. Alternatively, you can work together with other legal entities to form a Group of Economic Operators or use Subcontractors. If you do, we ask the Group of Economic Operators to choose a lead member who will submit the bid on behalf of the Group of Economic Operators and you will have to identify what each of the parties is contributing to the bid. You can do this in Your Request to Participate.
You are advised to select only the relevant criteria to your organisation. Buyers using the RM6213 Marketplace will assess your credentials for specific contract opportunities during call for competitions.
Answered
01/10/2020 17:19
87. SQ Question 148. With regards to the steel supply chain. For this VCIS scope, the EV chargepoint manufacturers will involve steel in their production. Does this need element need to be be included in this question response.
Paragraph 73 within the DPS Needs document sets out all of the questions that are not applicable for this DPS agreement.
Therefore, if any of the questions detailed in paragraph 73 appear in your SQ, you can leave these blank.
Answered
21/09/2020 11:52
86. Good morning
TQ for your consideration.
What is the estimated value of the Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Framework? Within the Customer Needs document it details the estimated value by year, totalling £13.5m over four years. However in the Contract Notice it has the estimated total value at £450m over four years. Please can the expected value be confirmed.
Regards
Bid Team
The value provided in Section II.1.5) of the OJEU Contract Notice is an estimate of the total value that may be delivered throughout the DPS duration. The £13.5 is a conservative conservative figure of spend across the 4 years. The higher value published in the OJEU notice allows for a greater level of spend before the need arises to re-advertise the agreement.
Answered
15/07/2020 10:21
85. I would appreciate if CCS could provide a detailed breakdown of the products/services filter categories listed in the DPS Category Export page of the Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions DPS Framework.
There is no detailed breakdown available. Buyers can determine what products/services they required based on their specific requirements. Annex 1 in buyer guidance details products and Services under the filters
Answered
15/06/2020 11:16
84. I have been registering our organisation for the Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions (VCIS) on the CCS site, but I have appeared to have submitted the form before it was checked instead of saving it. We have some changes to the PCS and the questions around Cyber Security as we have now had confirmation of joining the scheme, but I am unable to update our information. Please can you let me know how we can make changes to the Standard Selection Questionnaire for our organisation.
Please refer to emails sent by Commercial Manager on 9th June.
Answered
11/06/2020 10:39
83. As we are now an appointed supplier are we allowed to state this on our website/social media? Can you confirm if there is a marketing directive associated with this DPS that we need to adhere to?
Please refer to Welcome email issued from RM6213 mailbox on 05/06/2020.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:39
82. Good Morning,
We have been accepted onto the Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions, as an Appointed Supplier. In the email it states that 'Contracting authorities will now be able to download your details for inclusion in their procurements. To minimise any delays, you are encouraged to upload any related evidence/documentation that you have confirmed you can supply, so that it is readily available to contracting authorities wishing to make an award.'
I'm working through getting these uploaded onto the portal but once this is done can you confirm the next steps? What I'm keen to understand is where the procurements will be led from as I'm unsure that this landing portal where we've completed this content would be used as the tendering portal? Is there an additional portal for procurement and if so can you confirm the link?
Many thanks.
Please refer to Welcome email issued from RM6213 mailbox on 05/06/2020.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:38
81. In relation to clause 12 of the Guarantee, we note that CCS/Buyer may assign the benefit of the Guarantee.
We assume that this would only be assignable to anyone that the underlying contract has been assigned to?
It is unlikely that assignment of the benefit of the Guarantee would be to any person other than the party to whom the Order Contract had been assigned to.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:38
80. In the event that CCS or any Buyer wishes to obtain a Guarantee pursuant to Schedule 8, will CCS/Buyer specify which parent company it wishes to be the Guarantor?
It is likely that the Buyer would ask the Supplier to nominate a suitable Guarantor who would then either be accepted or rejected.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:37
79. Termination for convenience: We note that upon termination for convenience, the Buyer's payment obligations stop immediately (10.5.2). We do note however that in respect of cancellation, that the Buyer would cover the Supplier's committed costs (subject to mitigation etc).
Is it the case that CCS intends that termination would be dealt with in a similar manner to cancellation in respect of committed costs?
Core Term 10.5.2 relates to the Buyer's payment obligations under the terminated Order Contract following termination for one of the reasons listed in Core Term 10.4.1 and is therefore termination following a breach of contract. The breaches described are deemed to be areas under the reasonable control of the Supplier or areas where the Supplier has been given an opportunity to correct the failure but has not done so. Termination would therefore be treated differently from cancellation.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:37
78. Guarantee - We note that Clause 2 relates to all performance obligations.
We note that the obligations under the guarantee are open ended.
Would it be possible to limit the scope of the guarantee to any payment obligations?
We would request Clause 6 is amended to be subject to any financial cap and calendar expiry date and Clause 15 has an expiry date.
DPS Joint Schedule 8 - (Guarantee) is drafted to provide the assurances to Buyers that the Order Contract entered into will be performed as originally agreed. However, the Guidance Note states "this is a draft form of guarantee which can be used to procure either a DPS Guarantee or an Order Guarantee, and so it will need to be amended to reflect the Beneficiary's requirements." Therefore, the final wording can be agreed between the Buyer and Supplier. CCS does not intend to request a DPS Guarantee at this time.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:36
77. Financial Distress - We note the wide definition of Financial Distress Event.
We would be grateful if we could discuss narrowing the definition of Financial Distress Event - in particular, removing the concept of Key Subcontractors from scope. Please can you confirm if you are open to discussion around this point?
As public funds are being committed to Order Contracts entered into by Buyers it is important that the financial health of the "Monitored" companies are kept under close review and action taken where indications show any deterioration. Key Subcontractors are likely to be integral to the successful provision of the Deliverables and therefore need to be included in the definition of Monitored Company.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:35
76. Confidentiality - Pursuant to clause 15.3, Supplier's Staff must enter into a direct confidentiality agreement with the Relevant Authority at its request. We as the Supplier ensure that appropriate confidentiality provisions are contained within its contracts of employment.
Whilst we note that this is only an optional provision which may be exercised by a Buyer, we would suggest that where a Buyer requires any additional confidentiality, that the Supplier would be the appropriate counterparty to any enhanced confidentiality provisions.
It is anticipated that the confidentiality provisions incorporated in the Core Terms will only apply between the Relevant Authority and Supplier. In exceptional circumstances Core Term 15.3 may give an individual Buyer additional reassurance where particularly sensitive information needs to be disclosed as part of an Order Contract.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:34
75. Intellectual Property - We note that the contract requires that a royalty free, irrevocable, transferrable worldwide licence to use, change and sub-licence the IPR is required to be provided. Further, any new IPR created under a Contract will be owned by the Buyer.
Whilst we would of course be willing to explore such options with sub-contractors, in our experience, this position would be unlikely to be agreeable to sub-contractors, and in the event that we are able to achieve this, the price would be reflective of this wide position. In particular, we suggest that the right to change the IPR in the Goods may not be an acceptable position to a rights holder.
We suggest that it may work to a Buyer's favour if we were to consider whether the wide licence and ownership of any new IPR is required by the Buyer on a project by project basis. This would enable us to provide cost effective and efficient solutions to the Buyers' needs. Please can you confirm?
New IPR as defined will be created by the Supplier (or a third party on behalf of the Supplier) or arising as a result of the Supplier's performance under the Order Contract. Subcontractors would therefore not be subject directly to these provisions.
The licensing of the Supplier's Existing IPR is for the defined and limited purposes of receiving and using the Deliverables from the Supplier and any Replacement Supplier.
Answered
05/06/2020 13:33
