Official UK procurement notice
Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation (NVFi)
Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Ministry of Defence seeks to contract a single supplier (the "Neutral Vendor") to provide innovative technological goods or services from third-party Technology Providers to His Majesty's Government (HMG).
The successful Tenderer will enter into a Framework Contract (the Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation, “NVFi”) with the Ministry of Defence, from which Framework Users from across the Public Sector will be able to procure via Call-Off Contracts. This Framework Contract will set the overall terms and conditions for the Call-Off Contracts that follow.
The Neutral Vendor will be capable of delivering goods and services via its supply chain of Technology Providers across fourteen technology areas. The Neutral Vendor will not provide technological goods or services in its own right and must maintain and evidence neutrality when selecting suitable specialist Technology Providers to deliver the required goods and/or services under the scope. The Neutral Vendor will offer ancillary services to facilitate the provision of the required goods and services in the scope from Technology Providers.
Further detail of the ancillary services to be provided by the Neutral Vendor and the technology areas within scope can be found in the PQQ.
The Ministry of Defence intends to make this Framework available for use by Central Government Departments and all other UK Public Sector Bodies, including Local Authorities, Health, Police, Fire and Rescue, Education and Devolved Administrations. The authorised user list can be found in the PQQ.
It is highly recommended that Tenderers review the document "Introduction to the Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation (NVFi)" and the Statement of Requirement (Annex A of the ITN) before preparing their responses.
To register your interest in this tender and access the PQQ documents as well as further useful supporting information, please register for the Defence Sourcing Portal (www.contracts.mod.uk ↗), and search for the Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation. Quantity or scope: This requirement is not split into lots. The Framework Contract will be awarded to a single supplier.
This Framework is initially let for two years, with the option to extend for a further two years subject to relevant approvals.
The initial maximum total value of the call-off contracts placed under the NVFi is set at £50,000,000. There may be scope for this to increase up to £400,000,000 without further competition subject to relevant government departmental approvals.
The Ministry of Defence does not give any guarantee and/or warrant the actual value of services that will be placed with the Neutral Vendor by any Framework User accessing the Framework Contract pursuant to this process and accepts no liability thereof.
CPV: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support · Procurement consultancy services · Purchase · Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment · Research and development services and related consultancy services · Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment · Software package and information systems · Training services in defence and security materials
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 1 suppliers
- Framework period
- … – … (2 yrs)
- Framework value
- £400,000,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Suitability
Supplier Instructions
How to Express Interest in this Tender:
- Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once)
- Navigate to the eSourcing Portal - www.contracts.mod.uk ↗
- Click the “Click here to register” link
- Accept the terms and conditions and click “continue”
- Enter your correct business and user details
- Note the username you chose and click “Save” when complete
- You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure)
- Express an Interest in the tender
- Login to the portal with the username/password
- Click the "PQQs Open to All Suppliers" link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires open to any registered supplier)
- Click on the relevant PQQ to access the content.
- Click the “Express Interest” button in the “Actions” box on the left-hand side of the page.
- This will move the PQQ into your “My PQQs” page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only)
- Click on the PQQ code, you can now access any attachments by clicking the “Settings and Buyer Attachments” in the “Actions” box
- Responding to the tender
- You can now choose to “Reply” or “Reject” (please give a reason if rejecting)
- You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification
- Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ
- There may be a mixture of online & offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available…
- Suitability
Supplier Instructions
How to Express Interest in this Tender:
- Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once)
- Navigate to the eSourcing Portal - www.contracts.mod.uk ↗
- Click the “Click here to register” link
- Accept the terms and conditions and click “continue”
- Enter your correct business and user details
- Note the username you chose and click “Save” when complete
- You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure)
- Express an Interest in the tender
- Login to the portal with the username/password
- Click the "PQQs Open to All Suppliers" link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires open to any registered supplier)
- Click on the relevant PQQ to access the content.
- Click the “Express Interest” button in the “Actions” box on the left-hand side of the page.
- This will move the PQQ into your “My PQQs” page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only)
- Click on the PQQ code, you can now access any attachments by clicking the “Settings and Buyer Attachments” in the “Actions” box
- Responding to the tender
- You can now choose to “Reply” or “Reject” (please give a reason if rejecting)
- You can now use the ‘Messages’ function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification
- Note the deadline for completion, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the PQQ
- There may be a mixture of online & offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available…
- Economic & financial standing
Please refer to the PQQ and accompanying documents
- Economic & financial standing
Please refer to the PQQ and accompanying documents
- Technical & professional ability
Please refer to the PQQ and accompanying documents
- Technical & professional ability
Please refer to the PQQ and accompanying documents
- Successive reduction
- Candidates will be reduced successively across stages
- “Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation (NVFi)” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Negotiated
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32009L0081 Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (Directive 2009/81/EC)
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 6 Nov 2023, 11:37 GMT
- Last source update
- 6 Nov 2023, 11:37 GMT
- FTS notice number
2023/S 000-032749- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-041601Find a Tender
Publisher note: The Contracting Authority intends to use an e-Tendering system (the Defence Sourcing Portal) in this procurement exercise. Please visit www.contracts.mod.uk for full details and to register your interest in this procurement.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 7 Dec 2023
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission","written"}
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
6 Nov 2023 → 14 Dec 2023 · 3 dates- Notice published6 Nov 2023, 11:37 GMT
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown7 Dec 2023
- Invitations to tender expected14 Dec 2023
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.