Clarifications
There are 113 clarifications for this DPS
35. While we expected to be asked questions about payment to subconsultants, the online portal did NOT ask us the questions which were asked in the file "Attachment 6 - DPSQ - RM6242 Construction Professional Services" which asked for evidence of: A copy of your standard payment terms for all of your supply chain contracts; Details of the systems which are in place to ensure that suppliers are paid Promptly; A copy of your procedures for resolving disputed invoices promptly and Effectively, Details of any payments of interest for late payments you have paid in the past 12 months(...); A copy of your standard payment terms used with sub-contractors on public sector contracts subject to PCR 2015. Could you confirm with urgency that this information is not needed at this stage please? Many thanks
CCS can confirm that the information you have enquired about is not required at point of application.
Please see page 161 of Attachment 6 of the bid pack in which it is confirmed that there is currently no evidence submission required.
This evidence may be sought by a customer at call for competition stage.
Answered
18/11/2021 16:11
34. I would like to query the requirements for submitting a response for the RM6242 Construction Professional Services DPS. After reviewing the documents, we are a bit confused as to what needs to be submitted for Stage 1. We have assumed that the document titled 'Attachment 2a Selection Questionnaire' gets submitted first? However, when you get to question 1.11 Part 2B Your Bidding Model continued there are no lots available for selection. We have done an extensive search throughout all the documentation provided and we can't see any reference to the Lots.
CCS can confirm that an attachment 2a is not applicable for this DPS. Instead, Bidders should apply to be appointed using the 'access as a supplier' tab on the Supplier Registration Service (SRS).
Please download the bid pack provided on the SRS page for RM6242 Construction Professional Services. Please also note that for a DPS, there are no Lots as such but rather Filters. Please see Attachment 1 of the bid pack for details of the filters and services that suppliers must complete as part of their bid to be appointed to this DPS.
Attachment 6 of the RM6242 bid pack provides Bidders with an overview of the questions Bidders must answer.
Answered
18/11/2021 16:12
33. Good Afternoon, Please could you confirm if the 2 projects examples have to be completed. Many thanks
CCS can confirm that 2 Contract examples must be completed if a Bidder selects Filters for more than 1 high level Service.
Answered
18/11/2021 16:12
32. Good Afternoon, Are we able to send contract comments to yourselves for consideration? Thank you
CCS can confirm that Contract Examples must be provided in line with the guidance in the DPSQ. Bidders must describe the contract and how its performance demonstrates construction professional services for customers in the free text box provided at the relevant question in the DPSQ
Answered
18/11/2021 15:02
31. Can we please ask in case we are not successful the first time when will we be able to apply again? Thank you
The DPS will remain open for anybody to apply during its lifetime. If your application does not initially meet the requirements set out, you will be able to re-apply to the DPS at any point after this
Answered
05/11/2021 10:45
30. Good morning, we have already submitted SQ1 and therefore cannot check the questions anymore. Was there a question on Carbon Reduction plan in SQ1 as a clarification question seems to suggest? We believe questions on the Carbon reduction plan are only in DPSQ. Can you please confirm ?
CCS can confirm that the questions regarding a bidders Carbon Reduction plan are numbers 51 and 52 of the DPSQ
Answered
02/11/2021 15:00
29. Can we please ask you to clarify whether by answering NO to Q51 "Please confirm that you have detailed your environmental management measures by completing and publishing a Carbon Reduction Plan which meets the required reporting standard." and YES to Q52 "Please confirm that your organisation is taking steps to reduce your GHG Emissions over time and is publicly committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050." would not constitute a FAIL. We are working on a Carbon Reduction plan and aimed to complete it in the next couple of weeks. Thank you
In accordance with the Guidance on adopting and applying PPN 06/21, CCS can confirm that should a bidder not provide a Carbon Reduction Plan, their bid will fail unless the reason that the bidder is unable to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan is that the bidders organisation is less than 12 months old.
If a bidding organisation is less than 12 months old and can confirm their commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and that they will publish a Carbon Reduction Plan as soon as possible (providing details as to when it will be published), then under these circumstances, their bid will not fail.
In all other circumstances, a bidder must provide a Carbon Reduction Plan in order to be appointed to the DPSQ.
For clarity, the question applies to all bidders to the DPS, regardless of the size of the bidder, because there is potential for contracts to meet the threshold of £5m annual value. The Carbon Reduction plan must include the bidder's current carbon footprint and its commitment to reducing emissions to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. SME bidders may find the list of potential resources & tools at the end of the FAQ document useful in establishing their footprint to begin developing their plan.
Answered
02/11/2021 15:00
28. Hi, In your response to the Carbon Reduction Plan query you stated that "PPN 06/21 references these plans for services with an anticipated contract value above £5m per annum". Is a Carbon Reduction Plan therefore not required if we select Contract / Fee Values less than £5m in response to Question 152 of the DPSQ? Regards, Jamie
In accordance with the Guidance on adopting and applying PPN 06/21, CCS can confirm that should a bidder not provide a Carbon Reduction Plan, their bid will fail unless the reason that the bidder is unable to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan is that the bidders organisation is less than 12 months old.
If a bidding organisation is less than 12 months old and can confirm their commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and that they will publish a Carbon Reduction Plan as soon as possible (providing details as to when it will be published), then under these circumstances, their bid will not fail.
In all other circumstances, a bidder must provide a Carbon Reduction Plan in order to be appointed to the DPSQ.
For clarity, the question applies to all bidders to the DPS, regardless of the size of the bidder, because there is potential for contracts to meet the threshold of £5m annual value. The Carbon Reduction plan must include the bidder's current carbon footprint and its commitment to reducing emissions to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. SME bidders may find the list of potential resources & tools at the end of the FAQ document useful in establishing their footprint to begin developing their plan.
Answered
02/11/2021 14:59
27. Please clarify if we are required to complete the letter of confirmation of services and if so, where do we submit these.
You are required to complete the letter of confirmation. This should be submitted by uploading the document at question 58. of the DPSQ.
Answered
28/10/2021 16:18
25. Q144 to 146 asks us to confirm 'Skills and Apprentices' through this contract. Please can you confirm whether or not this is a pass/fail question
CCS can confirm that this question is not Pass/Fail
Answered
19/10/2021 12:04
24. We understand that the requirement for a Carbon Plan is a mandatory requirement, however this is not stated in the READ ME FIRST document section 43. Please can you advise how we go back and include this in the questionnaire if we have submitted SQ1 Thanks
Thank you for raising this.
Unfortunately, the Standard Questionnaire cannot be amended once submitted and must be completed again.
We would advise you to contact support@nqc.com who will be able to assist in copying the information you have provided into a new application, saving you the trouble of re entering it all. At that point, you will be able to amend your responses accordingly.
For assistance with your application, could you please liaise with the support service for Supplier Registration at:
SRS service desk; +44 (0) 161 413 7982
Support@nqc.com
Answered
19/10/2021 15:12
22. Sq Q 58_Letters of Confirmation: Could you amend the letter template to omit the initial reference to an Agreement. It will make our clients think we are asking them to enter into some sort of contractual arrangement which is then not explained. We suspect that some clients would refuse to sign this as a result (we would if faced with the same terminology)
CCS can confirm that the Attachments 1a and 1b - Letter of confirmation of works will not be amended.
These are standard documents that are used across all of CCS' DPS bid packs and so in the interest of consistency, they will remain unchanged.
Answered
04/11/2021 10:19
21. SQ, Q 69 - 74 _Payment data: Would the CCS be able to provide the same data for Buyers on the framework? This would be both fair and balanced, and of material interest to many suppliers when choosing whether to bid for framework opportunities. Many thanks.
Government Buyers are legally required to pay all undisputed invoces within 30 days - they are also required to publish their own payment data on their websites.
Answered
28/10/2021 16:11
20. OJEU Minimum Standard of Reliability, Jnt Sched 9: Would you be able to provide a copy of this standard or a link to its source? We have been unable to locate one and the CCS document merely refers to the standard and does not say what it entails. Thank you.
Please see the relevant Procurement Policy Note - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417211/PPN04-15_Supplier_Past_Performance_.pdf
Answered
28/10/2021 16:10
19. JCT amendments: The version of the JCT that you have provided in Bid Pack 5 shows as being amended from the original and states that a comparison copy should be provided. We would be grateful if you could provide a list of the amendments made to the orginal contact and an explanation of the reasons for those amendments. Many thanks.
CCS does not track the amendments made on the JCT suite of documents. We suggest you contact them for this information. Standard government position is that IP remains with the Customer in the first instance.
Answered
28/10/2021 16:09
18. Intellectual Property Rights: We note that the standard boiler plate amendments to the NEC provided in Bid Pack 5 leave the IP in any new work vested with the designer whereas section 9 of the Core terms transfers the designers' IP to the client. Please clarify which would apply? And if it is a proposal of this framework that designer IP be transferred whereas the standard government amendments to NEC contracts allow retention by the designer, would you be able to explain what necessitates that transfer for this framework? Many thanks.
The order of precedence is the Core Terms first, so this will apply first. However as there will be no development work at a framework level, this will only apply at the contract award stage. This is standard government procedure re IP and has to be addressed individually at each Call Off if required.
Answered
28/10/2021 16:18
17. Please could you provide a response to our query (#7) below submitted on 11/10/21? 7. Where we have in the last 12 months submitted Certificates of Past Performance (COPP) that may be relevant to answer some of the DPS case study requirements, are we able to submit the same with the client already having signed previously? -- Unanswered
Please see previous response to question
Answered
18/10/2021 16:38
16. Q144 to 146 askes us to confirm 'Skills and Apprentices' through this contract. Please can you confirm as this value is below £10m whether or not this is a pass/fail question
CCS can confirm that this question is not Pass/Fail
Answered
19/10/2021 12:04
15. Good morning, I am working my way through the DPS Supplier Questionnaire and was wondering what the maximum contract value is on the DPS. Please can you confirm? I've tried to locate the information in the documents but haven't had much luck.
Please be advised there is no maximum contract value on RM6242 CPS DPS.
Answered
18/10/2021 16:37
14. Hi there, We see from one of the clarification responses dated 07/10/2021 that suppliers are required to complete questions 56 to 62 of the DPSQ to provide details of their Contract Example(s). However, we couldn't find these questions. Questions 56 - 62 are all subcontractor-related. Can you please, clarify this?
CCS can confirm that questions 56 to 62 of the DPSQ relate to contract examples.
The questions you appear to be referring to are located within the Standard SQ which is separate from the DPSQ.
Answered
18/10/2021 16:37
