Clarifications
There are 267 clarifications for this DPS
114. Where you ask for a list of relevant principal contracts in the last 3 years how many contracts are you looking for? We would have undertaken a large number of contracts during this time.
CCS can confirm as detailed in the DPS Needs which forms part of the bid pack, at point 36 relating to questions Q150 - Q154 , this question is not applicable and can therefore be disregarded.
Answered
12/02/2018 16:10
113. Where you ask for example contracts within the last 3 years, does the contract have to have started within 3 years or could it have completed in the last 3 years?
As detailed in Attachment 5 - Response Guidance for Contract Examples, contract examples must have been performed within the last three years. Contract examples that have been performed in the last three years and started more than three years ago will be deemed acceptable.
Answered
12/02/2018 16:19
111. Could you please confirm if the same organisation can be both a main supplier and sub-contractor?
CCS can confirm that a supplier can be a main supplier and a sub-contractor to a different supplier(s) who has also been appointed to the RM6018 Research Marketplace DPS.
Answered
12/02/2018 12:22
110. In the letters of confirmation of works where you ask for 'company registered in [insert]' - are you asking for the year of registration or the country in which the organisation was registered?
CCS can confirm this is the 'Country' the organisation was registered.
Answered
12/02/2018 12:24
109. For the selection questionnaire are there save and exit points where the information input will not be lost?
The option on the lower right hand side 'Save and view answers' (as shown below) allows the User to save their submission, and then Sign Out.
Answered
12/02/2018 12:11
107. If an organisation we wish to partner with for a future tender is already on the DPS framework would we need to list them as a subcontractor in our own framework application in order to subcontract work to them? Also if we list an organisation as a subcontractor in our application does this preclude them from applying to join the DPS framework in their own right?
Suppliers need only disclose those sub-contractors who directly contribute to their ability to meet the obligations under the DPS Agreement (including under any Contract), regardless of size as there is no minimum size of sub-contractor. Furthermore, there is no requirement to specify sub-contractors supplying general services to you (such as window cleaners etc.) that only indirectly enable you to perform the DPS Agreement. CCS can confirm if a supplier is listed as a sub-contractor by another supplier for this RM6018 Research Marketplace they CAN still request to join the DPS in their own right.
Answered
12/02/2018 12:19
106. For both our contract examples we have public sector organisations. What would you wish us to put in the Letter of Confirmation of Works regarding the registration date and company number, as Public sector organisations don't have a registration date or Company number?
Please input N/A in the Letter of Confirmation of Works where a registration date and company number are not applicable for your contract example.
Answered
12/02/2018 09:39
105. Are the buyers able to see our responses to the Selection Questionnaire and/or the Research Marketplace DPS Registration questionnaire?
Selection questionnaire responses and contract examples are only accessible to customers if approved by the supplier after the award of a contract through the DPS.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:30
104. There is nothing with the terms of the contract regarding publication of results. Given that this is a research framework is there an intention to publish?
CCS can confirm that all suppliers that are appointed to the RM6018 Research Marketplace DPS will be visible in the Supplier Registration marketplace at the 'Access Suppliers' link. Those suppliers that are awarded a contract as part of a call for competition will form part of the customers contract award notice.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:17
103. Are you happy for us to provide additional evidence to explain our statistics if elements of our Financial Assessment are below the expected level?
Please refer to the DPS needs documents for full financial assessment guidance at Part 3 - Economic and Financial Standing, points 21 - 30.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:14
102. In the homepage of the portal there is a Modern Slavery Assessment Questionnaire yet there is no mention in any of the DPS guidance notes about completing it. The questions in the Modern Slavery Assessment Questionnaire do not look relevant to us so should ignore this questionnaire?
If your organisation does not comply with the Modern Slavery Act criteria, please provide full details in the explanation comment box provided at question 139 of the 'Standard Selection Questionnaire'. In this instance your response would not be deemed as non compliant.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:11
101. With regards Q155 and Q156, we have the Cyber Essentials Plus certification but not the Cyber Essentials Basic certification. Can we check that Plus is accepted instead of Basic?
CCS can confirm the Cyber Essentials Plus will be accepted as a replacement for Cyber Essentials Basic.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:09
100. If our subcontractors are sole traders and do not have company registration numbers what do we enter in the company registration box which is mandatory to answer
In the event that a sub-contractor is a sole trader, suppliers should input N/A in the company registration box provided in the SQ.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:08
99. Can you confirm where to upload the various attachments for this framework, such as the research matrix and contract example/case study related documents. There does not appear to be a place to upload these in the questionnaire.
The only Attachment suppliers are required to submit is Attachment 1a and 1b - Letter of Confirmation of Works. The other Attachments are for information only.
Please refer to the DPS Needs document which forms part of the bid pack for full instructions of how to request to participate in the RM6018 Research Marketplace DPS.
Answered
12/02/2018 12:15
98. Part A Clause 3.15 - Social Value - please can you provide a definition. Clause 3.13 - If a supplier does not notify a customer of the existence of the DPS is it in breach? Clause 4.16 - does not have a minimum size of subcontractor responsibility - is it the intention to include generic suppliers such as reprographics, translation, copy editing etc? Clause 6.15 - please could CCS provide current website addresses for existing information that is published and examples of published management information. Please can you confirm why clause 6.20 implies that the MI may not be published outside the customer base whilst 6.15 does not explicitly state this? Further please can you clarify whether clause 6.20 requires information about un-related contracts to be published even though the preceding contracts may not have provided this or may in fact preclude such disclosures Clause 9.27 requires a number of clauses to survive termination including Clause 2 Services and Clause 6.1-6.11 - with the retention of these clauses it appears that the Supplier is required to continue to offer services and pay CCS in perpetuity - is this the intention? If it is not the intention where is it stated explicitly that these obligations come to an end? Clause 10.2 - If a default begins in one year that triggers a further contractual default in a subsequent year does this double the liability for the initial default - or is the concept of consequential default not possible under the agreement? Clause 11.2 - Please can you confirm that if no variation is agreed and CCS omits to give notice before the 31st day after notification that the agreement immediately terminates. Clause 14 - With the customers granted third party rights under the agreement what is to stop a customer recovering both under the agreement and their contract for the same loss. Both contracts are separate and therefore stand on their own but a single action by a supplier may amount to a loss technically recoverable under both agreements - and therefore provide them double recovery.
Clause 3.15 - The definition of social value is as follows:
'Social Values form an important part of the culture of a society. Social values, norms and institutions explain the way in which social processes operate in a given society. They are the social sources of patterned interaction'.
Please refer to the following link for further details re the Public Services Social Value Act:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/3/enacted
Clause 3.13 places a contractual obligation on the supplier to inform the customer in the event of such occurrence as detailed in clause 3.13 of the DPS Agreement.
Clause 4.16 - CCS does not require all sub-contractors to be disclosed. You need only disclose those sub-contractors who directly contribute to your ability to meet your obligations under the DPS Agreement (including under any Contract), regardless of size as there is no minimum size of sub-contractor. Furthermore, there is no requirement to specify sub-contractors supplying general services to you (such as window cleaners etc.) that only indirectly enable you to perform the DPS Agreement.
CCS can confirm that there is no direct website to view specific published MI. However the GOV.UK website is accessible to view numerous CCS corporate reports that may have been compiled using MI data.
Clause 6.20 has no reference to publishing and may used to inform contract performance management.
Clause 9.27 - CCS can confirm clause 9.27 and the subsequent clause references detailed within this clause refer explicitly to the obligations that the supplier is required to fulfill as part of their contract terms agreed at Call for Competition stage. If the DPS Agreement has expired or is terminated the supplier is obligated to fulfill their agreed contract terms and period.
Clause 10.2 - CCS would consider defaults in this instance on a case by case basis and the relationship between each default. For example if a default occurs in one year and continues in to a second year, this may be deemed as one default. However if a second default is triggered and references a completely different area, this may be deemed as a separate default.
Clause 11.2 - CCS can confirm if no variation is agreed, the right to terminate is at CCS's sole discretion and will be determined on a case by cased basis.
Clause 14 - Public Sector Departments have an obligation to perform its roles and responsibilities in accordance with the Civil Service core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. CCS can confirm anything recoverable from a supplier would be managed in accordance with the Civil Service core values and would not be recovered more than once.
Answered
09/02/2018 15:21
97. One of our central government clients is happy for their study to be used as a case study for this procurement exercise, but has raised concerns re: who might have sight of the case study examples. Please could you confirm who will have access to the two case studies / example project descriptions in future?
Selection questionnaire responses and contract examples are only accessible to customers if approved by the supplier after the award of a contract through the DPS.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:07
96. Thank you for your response on how the contract examples will be used. Please could you confirm if the contract examples will be available to prospective customers if the agency is successfully accepted onto the DPS? If so, could you confirm how they will be accessed? We need to confirm this with our client as our example includes sensitive content and is not in the public domain. Thank you.
Selection questionnaire responses and contract examples are only accessible to customers if approved by the supplier after the award of a contract through the DPS.
Answered
09/02/2018 16:06
95. Is it possible to have a word or PDF copy of the Research questions to view?
A PDF version of the RM6018 Research Marketplace Selection Questionnaire can be accessed in the bid pack in the Supplier Registration marketplace.
Answered
08/02/2018 11:15
94. Could you also confirm if we will be required to complete Attachment 3 - MI Template v1.0?
Attachment 3 - MI Template will be populated by the supplier if successfully appointed and following award of a contract through the DPS.
Answered
08/02/2018 10:03
92. Can you please confirm if we will be required to complete Attachment 2 - Research Services Matrix or will it be sufficient to tick the relevant services in the DPS questionnaire?
Attachment 2 - Research Services Matrix document is for information only. The document provides details of the services contained in the Selection Questionnaire which the supplier will select as part of their submission in the live SQ.
Answered
08/02/2018 09:55
