Clarifications
There are 67 clarifications for this DPS
49. I have received a message to resubmit the financial assessment but there is no means to do so. Please can you advise on how this is to be resubmitted.
Log into the Supplier Registration Service
Select the 'Profiles' tab.
Set the 'Questionnaires' filter to 'All questionnaires' and the 'Status' filter to 'Any'.
Locate the Selection Questionnaire, amend and resubmit
For navigation support contact support@nqc.com
Answered
04/04/2023 12:02
48. Q179 states "Upload documentary evidence for a list of relevant principal contracts for goods and/or services provided in the last three years" What level of detail are you after for this response. Just a client list or do you want a description of services, contract dates and contract value relevant to the services of this DPS?
This would be a list of contracts potentially relevant to the services under this DPS. This is evidence which would be have selected by you as evidence you can provide earlier in the questionnaire (Q160). If you are unable to provide this, return to the earlier question and deselect it. It only asks for evidence if you have previously selected you can provide it.
Answered
21/03/2023 17:06
47. Good afternoon,
We have completed the SQ and Evidence stages, but it is not clear on our view of the Client Portal if this is now in the assessing stage. Please can you advise what our current status is and what the next steps are?
Kind Regards,
Hi. No, you are not a the assessing stage as you have completed the SQ element only. Once the SQ is completed, you should be taken through to the DPSQ which asks specific questions relating to this agreement. Please access the portal again, clicking the questionnaire, and proceed to the DPSQ. Further information is found in the DPS Needs document in the bid pack. If this is not pulling through for you it may be a technical issue, which will need to be directed to support@nqc.com, CC'ing in Chris Chamberlain who is agreement manager - chris.chamberlain@crowncommercial.gov.uk.
Answered
06/03/2023 13:41
45. Please can you clarify what evidence you are looking for question Q172: Upload documentary evidence for parent company guarantee.
This relates back to question 131, where you have ticked 'yes' to 'would you be able to provide a guarantee from a parent company'. This is a document or certificate of guarantee than confirms support from the parent in the event of any issues the company has. If you are not able to provide this, please return to q131 and select 'no'.
Answered
15/02/2023 10:19
44. Could you please provide a definition for the type of funds that fall within the category of Commercial Payment, as referenced in Attachment 1 - RM6322 FAADS Products & Services Matrix, Customer Filter 3. Thank you
The term Commercial Payment is a general term that may be used by a Buyer in describing the fund that they are disbursing in their scheme or programme. It does not refer to any particular fund type. Occasionally there are funds that do not easily fall under a descriptor such as grant, loan or entitlement benefit etc.
Answered
02/02/2023 09:48
43. The bid pack README states that SQ qns 157 - 161 are not applicable and do not require a response. However we are unable to progress beyond these questions unless an answer is provided. How should we proceed?
This is not a part of the application and is not assessed, so please just select no to proceed. It will have no bearing on the application.
Answered
30/01/2023 09:07
42. We note that Order Schedule 22 (Lease Terms) has been included as an optional schedule. We wouldn't normally associate equipment leasing with services of this nature and would be grateful for some clarification as to why you think the leasing of equipment may be needed.
We have included all schedules within the Public Sector Contract (PSC). Whilst not all schedules may be relevant, and this one may not fit the typical services of this DPS, the option to include in the actual order contract with a buyer is at the buyers discretion. By including all possible PSC schedules, the buyer has the ability to use which schedules are relevant to their contract.
Answered
27/01/2023 14:31
41. Please can you provide a copy of DPS Schedule 7 (Order Procedure), which appears to be missing from the bid documents? We note that in the DPS Needs document you state that this schedule is to be completed by the Buyer but that appears to be inconsistent with the intent of the document, which sets out the order process that Buyers must follow, including the maximum weightings that they are permitted to apply in their award criteria. DPS Schedule 7 is included in the Grant Administration Services DPS and, as far as we are aware, all other CCS Frameworks and Dynamic Purchasing Systems.
DPS Schedule 7 should be included. We will update the bid pack immediately, thank you for flagging. The buyer must use this document to put forward the weightings for their competition, so it is to be used at ITT. We will update the bid pack immediately.
Answered
27/01/2023 14:33
40. How do we get back to our application? We have had to leave the questionnaire to complete the FVRA and upload later. But on going back into the questionnaire it is not bringing the FVRA viability assessment of the questionnaire up
The FVRA section is addressed from question 54 of the DPSQ section. Once you sign into the Supplier Registration platform, you are able to return to your partially completed selection questionnaire and continue. The FVRA template is found in the bid pack and can be completed offline. It is then uploaded as part of Q54 of the DPSQ.
Answered
25/01/2023 16:11
39. DPS Schedule 3 (DPS Pricing) states that DPS pricing will be fixed for the first 4 years following the DPS contract commencement date. Can you clarify what aspect of the pricing is fixed as supplies aren't being asked to provide rates, adn the margin increase percentage is set by the DPS
Any element of the pricing will be fixed until the 4 years is complete. For this agreement, the maximum margin percentage is fixed at that threshold for 4 years. After the 4 years, this may be reassessed.
Answered
23/01/2023 15:46
38. Please can you confirm who will supply rate cards at ITT stage (if required)? Would this be the approved organisation themselves? If so, how will the rates in the rate cards be determined?
Suppliers will provide a quote for required services at ITT stage. These would be outlined by the buyer within the ITT and specification. Prices are determined by the supplier when bidding, up to the 18% maximum margin threshold. These prices are then evaluated by the buyer.
Answered
23/01/2023 15:44
37. In the FVRA it asks for annual contract value. Is there any guidance on how we should answer this?
This does not need to be added by the supplier, as per the guidance note under the 'bidder instructions' tab of the FVRA template document.
Answered
23/01/2023 15:42
36. re previous, they system then says "minimum required documents 0" as reason why we cannot progress- but if the minimum is 0, why can we not progress to the next section?
please see previous answer.
Answered
18/01/2023 12:02
35. Regarding Clarification 18 confirming that 3 X contract examples are not required. So we have responded "no" accordingly at Qs 133, 134 and 135
However, at Q 179 At the "SQ Evidence Submission" stage of the PQ the system requires. "Upload documentary evidence for a list of relevant principal contracts for goods and/or services provided in the last three years"
And Q180 requires: "Upload documentary evidence for a certificate for each principal contract for goods and/or services provided in the last three years"
And Q181 requires: evidence for past performance information for any sub-contractors (or consortium members) who the supplier will rely upon to perform the contract.
And it seems as if we cannot leave this blank as it does not permit us to leave/save this section without uploading a document?
Evidence for these questions don't correlate to Q133,134 and 135. They correlate to the past performance section (Q150 - Q154). If you answer yes to those questions then you must provide evidence of those.
Answered
18/01/2023 12:02
34. In DPS Order Schedule 18 : Background Checks in 3.2. it notes the following:
"3.2 Notwithstanding Paragraph 3.1 for each member of Supplier Staff who, in providing the Deliverables, has, will have or is likely to have access to children, vulnerable persons or other members of the public to whom the Buyer owes a special duty of care, the Supplier must (and shall procure that the relevant Sub-Contractor must):
(a) carry out a check with the records held by the Department for Education (DfE);
(b) conduct thorough questioning regarding any Relevant Convictions; and
(c) ensure a police check is completed and such other checks as may be carried out through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS),"
Can CCS please clarify what records are held by DFE and how these records are accessed?
DfE will hold various information and records which may be sensitive and, if needed for that specific requirement, may require background checks. This order schedule is classed as optional, and would only come into play if the buyer considered their requirement to have elements which would require supplier personnel to conform to background checks as outlined b this requirement. CCS would not hold, or have access, to this information. It would be agreed at contract agreement between the buyer and supplier; including the specifics of exactly what information the supplier required access to and how it would be accessed.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:29
33. -DPS Joint Schedule 12, Key Subcontractors: we cannot access the Supply Chain Information Report template - can this be shared with us.
This is accessed in the bid pack. Attachment 7 - part 1 (general). Once you are in that folder, the file is Attachement 4 - Additional Sub Contractors. For a DPS, up to 30 sub contractors can be added directly within the selection questionnaire. Any over this amount are added, and submitted, via this attachment.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:30
32. -DPS Schedule 4, Management Levy and Information: we cannot access the MI Reporting Template - can this be shared with us.
This is in the bid pack. Attachment 7 - part 1 (general). Once in that folder, you will find this information under Attachment 2 - RM6322 FAADS Management Information (MI) Template.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:31
31. -DPS Schedule 4, DPS Management: paragraph 4.4 stipulates: "CCS reserves the right to use and publish the performance of the Supplier against the PIs without restriction" - can CCS please clarify where will this information be published.
CCS regularly publishes its agreement information if requested within a freedom of information request. Additionally, it may publish high level data within the public forum, such as financial reports, category strategies etc. As per that schedule, CCS can publish this information, relating to supplier performance on the CCS owned agreement, without restriction.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:33
30. -DPS Schedule 3 Pricing, the last paragraph mentions: "where Annex 1 states that a particular maximum price or any component is "subject to Indexation" in which event Paragraph 6 below shall apply". Can CCS share an updated version of the Schedule as the current one does not contain a paragraph 6.
This was answered in an earlier clarification. The reference was there in error. There is no paragraph 6. It may be worth re-downloading the bid pack to ensure you have the most up-to-date version as DPS Schedule 3 - Pricing no longer has this reference.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:38
29. What is the difference in the carbon reduction plans outlined in questions 101 to 103 and then again in questions 107 to 108. For a single bidder (not part of a consortium) are these the same or different documents?
They are the same if you have one overaraching CRP plan for your organisation. If you have the required information for each question, please submit it, even if you are a single bidder.
Answered
16/01/2023 09:41
