Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s):
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research, Unit A.3, SDME 2/41, 1049Brussels, BELGIUM. Fax +32 22854082. E-mail: rtd-fwc@ec.europa.eu
Further information can be obtained at:
As in abovementioned contact point(s).
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained at:
As in abovementioned contact point(s).
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to:
As in above-mentioned contact point(s).
I.2)Type of the contracting authority and main activity or activities:
European institution/agency or international organisation.
Other: Research.
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no.
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1)Description
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
Call for tenders for a framework contract for the provision of services to the Commission in the fields of research evaluation and research policy analysis.
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance:
Services.
Service category: No 11.
Main place of performance: Contractor's premises.
II.1.3)The notice involves:
The establishment of a framework agreement.
II.1.4)Information on framework agreement:
Framework agreement with several operators.
Maximum number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 8.
Duration of the framework agreement:
Duration in year(s): 4.
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 33 000 000 EUR.
II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s):
The framework contract intends to provide a facility through which Commission services, the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) , the Research Executive Agency (REA) and the JTIs can obtain services in relation to the evaluation of European Union research activities and European research policy analysis.
Lot 1: evaluation of research programmes and policies.
Lot 2: data collection and performance indicators to monitor European research policy.
Lot 3: research and innovation policy analysis: provision of policy briefs and preparation of workshops.
II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):
73210000.
II.1.7)Contract covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA):
Yes.
II.1.8)Division into lots:
Yes.
Tenders should be submitted for: 1 or more lots.
II.1.9)Variants will be accepted:
No.
II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract
II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 33 000 000 EUR.
II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion:
Duration in months: 48 (from the award of the contract).
Information about lots
Lot No 1
Title: Evaluation of research programmes and policies
1)Short description:
The tasks covered by this lot relate in particular to evaluation activities ('ex ante' impact assessment, 'ex ante' evaluation, interim evaluation and 'ex post' evaluation) on the framework programmes and the European Research Area (ERA).
The tasks to be performed under this lot might relate to the evaluation of different aspects of the ERA, of the framework programmes as a whole, to specific programmes or action lines, or to dedicated activities implemented through the framework programmes or through the ERA initiatives.
The evaluation of research grant proposals is not covered by this call.
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):
73210000.
3)Quantity or scope:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 25 000 000 EUR.
4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion:
Duration in months: 48 (from the award of the contract).
5)Additional information about lots:
The maximum number of contractors in lot 1 is 8.
Lot No 2
Title: Data collection and performance indicators to monitor European research policy
1)Short description:
The tasks covered by this lot concern the provision of statistical data, indicators and analyses that will help user services in developing further an evidence-based monitoring system on progress towards the European Research Area and a knowledge and innovation-based economy, including benchmarking with countries worldwide.
This covers notably the building and/or update of indicators to measure objectives and impact, as indicated by the user services, as regards investment, performance and use of research, public research policies, the implementation of the framework programmes for EU research and the implementation of ERA initiatives.
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):
73210000.
3)Quantity or scope:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 6 500 000 EUR.
4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion:
Duration in months: 48 (from the award of the contract).
5)Additional information about lots:
The maximum number of contractors in lot 2 is 6.
Lot No 3
Title: Research and innovation policy analysis: provision of policy briefs and preparation of workshops
1)Short description:
The tasks covered by this lot consist of producing policy briefs and preparing workshops to explore issues related to research and innovation policy and to its interactions with other policies (policy mix) and with competitiveness issues.
2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):
73210000.
3)Quantity or scope:
Estimated value excluding VAT: 1 500 000 EUR.
4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion:
Duration in months: 48 (from the award of the contract).
5)Additional information about lots:
The maximum number of contractors in lot 3 is 6.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1)Conditions relating to the contract
III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions regulating them:
See terms of reference, Annex I, Article I.5 — 'Payment periods'.
III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
See terms of reference, point 10: 'Joint tenders'.
III.1.4)Other particular conditions to which the performance of the contract is subject:
No.
III.2)Conditions for participation
III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers:
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:
See terms of reference, point 12: 'Exclusion criteria'.
III.2.2)Economic and financial capacity:
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:
See terms of reference. The criteria on economic and financial standing (13.1) apply for all lots.
III.2.3)Technical capacity:
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if requirements are met:
See terms of reference. The criteria on professional and technical capacities is defined separately for each lot (13.2.1, 13.2.2, 13.2.3).
III.2.4)Reserved contracts:
No.
III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts
III.3.1)Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession:
No.
III.3.2)Legal entities should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service:
Yes.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure:
Open.
IV.2)Award criteria
IV.2.1)Award criteria:
The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document.
IV.2.2)An electronic auction will be used:
No.
IV.3)Administrative information
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
RTD/A3/FWC-2010.
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract:
No.
IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document:
Time limit for receipt of requests for documents or for accessing documents:
22.10.2010.
Payable documents: no.
IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate:
29.10.2010.
IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up:
Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.
IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender:
Duration in month(s): 12 (from the date stated for receipt of tender).
IV.3.8)Conditions for opening tenders:
Date: 9.11.2010 (10:30).
Place: square de Meeûs 8, room 3D, 1049 Brussels, BELGIUM.
Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: yes.
Representatives of tenderers only.
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)This is a recurrent procurement:
No.
VI.2)Contract related to a project and/or programme financed by EU funds:
Yes.
Reference to project(s) and/or programme(s): 7th research framework programme — specific programmes.
VI.3)Additional information:
VI.4)Procedures for appeal
VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures:
VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals:
Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: within 2 months of the notification of the plaintiff, or failing that, of the day on which it became known to them. A complaint to the European Ombudsman neither suspends this period nor opens a new period for lodging appeals.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:
25.8.2010.