There is no application form available for completion - Applicants are required to respond directly to this notice. Responses to the notice should consist of a maximum of 20 pages (40 sides) of A4 paper. Accounts and copies of certificates may be appended to the main body of the response. Applicants should submit one hard copies in a flat or spiral binder and one copy on CD Rom/USB stick. The envelope must be clearly marked with project number (FA1082). Storage is limited, and applicants are requested not to use lever arch folders or other bulky bindings, or to submit more than one copy. Applicants should not include non-requested sales literature with their applications. Packages weighing more than 10kgs cannot be accepted. Companies who are invited to negotiate may be required to demonstrate their services in practical trials or presentations at no cost to Thames Water Utilities Limited. Applicants who fail to supply all of the information requested in response to this Notice risk elimination. The contents of this notice are sufficient for submissions of pre-qualification data; all other communications are discouraged.
Applications must be clear and concise and contain all the information requested in this notice. The format of supplier's responses must be such that each point is restated and immediately followed by the supplier's answer.
Variants will be accepted, if submitted in addition to a compliant bid.
Contracts will be under English law.
We intend to invite up to 4 respondents to tender for each lot of this contract. Weighted selection criteria will be used to evaluate the responses to this notice as set out below, except for where it is stated that a minimum standard applies:
Selection criteria:
Economic operators to whom Regulation 26(5) of the Utilities Contracts Regulations are ineligible for selection.
Applicants are required to certify that none of the circumstances specified in Regulations 26(1) and 26(5) of the Utilities Contracts Regulations applies to the applicant.
Applicants are required to provide details of any court judgments and prosecutions within the last 3 years.
Financial & economic capacity:
— robust balance sheet – question 1.1,
— funding capability – question 1.2.
Technical / professional ability:
— relevant experience – questions 1.4, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17,
— sufficient capacity and operating model – questions 1.3, 1.8, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.18, 2.24 & 2.25,
— effective, implemented health & safety policy – questions 1.6 & 2.20,
— effective, implemented environmental policy – questions 1.7 & 2.21,
— robust quality assurance procedures - questions 1.5, 2.5, 2.6, 2.19, 2.22, 2.23.
1 Financial and economic capacity:
1.1 Supply audited accounts for the previous 2 years, where this is not possible (new organisation/joint venture), applicants must provide business plan information covering a 2 year period;
1.2 Provide evidence of turnover for the previous 2 years;
1.3 Confirm ability to provide a single dedicated point of contact or help desk for resolution of day-to-day queries and a dedicated, key account manager who will oversee the running of the agreement;
1.4 Experience: provide reference details of at least 2 contracts undertaken in the last 2 years for requirements similar to those outlined above. For each contract, describe the range, scope, value and duration, including referee contact details. Confirm your willingness for us to approach referees on receipt of your application. Please note that customer site visits may be required as part of the enquiry process;
1.5 Provide evidence of having an accredited quality assurance system, with the appropriate scope, at a minimum this must be ISO9001. Please provide copies;
1.6 Confirm a health and safety policy is in place;
1.7 Confirm an environmental policy in place;
1.8 Provide relevant contact name, address, telephone number and e-mail details of person responsible for this submission.
2 Technical and professional ability:
2.1 Our intention is to award to the minimum number of suppliers needed to service the requirements of each lot the agreement. Preference will be given to respondents that tender for multiple lots. Confirm which lots of work your company is applying for;
2.2 Please confirm the total number of depots and the geographic locations of your depots that could be used to service the Thames Water region;
2.3 Please confirm the total number of depots and their locations that can provide seven day cover with the capability to cover core hours of 7:00-19:00 in the Thames Water area;
2.4 Please confirm the total number of depots and their locations with the capability to cover core hours of 7:00-19:00, seven days a week and that can also provide an emergency four hour response in the Thames Water area if required;
2.5 All accommodation and equipment that is to be supplied against all lots of the agreement must be supplied with qualitative guarantees meeting minimum acceptable standards and conditions. Please provide information to describe how you define the criteria to evaluate the condition of all accommodation and equipment that you supply;
2.6 Please confirm that all plant & equipment will be supplied with all relevant and up to date inspection and safety certificates. For example; electrical safety inspections. Please describe how the certification in-date is recorded and describe how the process for any periodic inspections that are needed is managed;
2.7 Please confirm that if required as part of an accommodation layout or configuration plan, you can supply buildings and cabins with link-ways to connect buildings;
2.8 Please confirm that if required as part of an accommodation layout or configuration plan, you can supply stackable buildings and cabins with external staircases;
2.9 Please confirm that if required, you have the capability to provide services for any foundation works and the enablement of services that may be needed to support stackable buildings;
2.10 Do you anticipate that you will service the needs of the agreement based solely on utilisation of your own fleet of portable accommodation, or do you anticipate that your service offering will also be supported by cross hire from third parties. If you cross hire plant and equipment, how much of your service solution will be cross hired;
2.11 Please provide details of transport method used for delivery, offloading and collections. If you have third party agreements in place for transport, please confirm who your transport agreements are with. Also required, is your confirmation that all transport arrangements and agreements are sufficiently robust to provide seven day cover between the core hours of 7:00-19:00, and that if necessary as part of the agreement, that a four hour emergency response can be achieved in the Thames Water area;
2.12 For lots 1, 3 & 4, please confirm that you can provide services for management of fresh water tanks and effluent waste tanks. Confirm that these services comply with current waste regulations and that you or your service provider holds a current waste carrier licence. If you have third party agreements in place for this service, please confirm who your agreements are with;
2.13 For lots 1,3 & 4, please confirm that you can provide services for toilet pump outs. Confirm that these services comply with current waste regulations and that you or your service provider holds a current waste carrier licence. If you have third party agreements in place for this service, please confirm who your agreements are with;
2.14 For lots 1 & 3, please confirm that you can provide servicing for chemical toilets. Confirm that these services comply with current waste regulations and that you or your service provider holds a current waste carrier licence. If you have third party agreements in place for this service, please confirm who your agreements are with;
2.15 Preference will be given to respondents whose customer portfolio includes customers having a similar size and business to that of Thames Water. Please provide an overview of your customer portfolio;
2.16 Please confirm that you can supply technically proficient staff to provide site survey services, and that staff have the technical competency to make recommendations for the most economical service solutions and best use of available space on sites. Please provide details of relevant qualifications held;
2.17 Please provide details of all relevant people resources that will be utilised to support the agreement. Include number of staff, roles undertaken and length of service. Please stipulate all relevant staff qualifications held, eg; qualified trades people for maintenance, repair and support services and qualifications of technical staff that provide site surveying services;
2.18 Please confirm that if requested to do so, you can provide corporate branding and / or exterior painting solutions, eg; for site specific requirements or for integration with local surroundings;
2.19 Please provide the details of a typical service level agreement and KPI’s (key performance indicators) which you would put in place with an organisation that is of a comparable size to Thames Water;
2.20 Provide full details of your health and safety policy, records and systems, including:
a. A copy of your H&S; policy statement and arrangement for implementing the policy and minimising the risk of identifiable hazards;
b. An explanation of how the H&S; policy is audited;
c. Details of accidents and any convictions and court/tribunal awards in respect of any safety offences in the last 2 years – define types of accidents and incidents in accordance with UK Health and Safety Executive report requirements;
d. Details reported on or behalf or your organisation to the Health and Safety Executive of the number of Riddor (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) 1995 (SI 1995/3163) for the previous 3 years. Details should be for the operating division who will be carrying out the work;
e. Demonstrate how you manage Riddor accidents and what actions are undertaken to reduce these accidents;
f. Where training needs are identified as a result of the Riddor action how is this would be cross-referenced to the training matrix and requirements of each engineer servicing this contract;
g. Details of how risk assessments are carried out and provide a copy of a recently completed risk assessment report;
h. Provide the name and contact details of the person responsible for H&S; within your organisation, stating their qualifications and experience (as required by the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations).
2.21 Provide full details of your environmental policy, records and systems, including:
a. A copy of your environmental policy;
b. Describe how this policy is implemented and audited;
c. The name and positions of the person within your organisation who is responsible for the environmental policy;
d. Whether you currently hold or are you working towards ISO 14000 or similar environmental accreditation;
e. What steps have been taken to understand and assess the potential environmental effects of your operational activities?;
f. Describe how these potential environmental effects would be addressed and managed, including any procedures for identifying and achieving improvement objectives;
g. Whether details of your organisations environmental performance are available;
h. Details of any environmental infringements during the past 3 years including any convictions.
2.22 Provide full details of your quality assurance policy, records and system, including:
a. Top tier quality assurance document;
b. How the systems are administered and audited;
c. Length of time actively followed;
d. How the quality management system is reviewed and updated? Please demonstrate that a process of continuous improvement operates;
e. The name and position of the person responsible for quality within your organisation;
f. Examples of project documentation produced in accordance with quality management procedures;
g. Any established KPI’s and reports which are currently available and carried out for other customers, which would also be relevant to Thames Water.
2.23 Applicants should provide details of any court judgments and prosecutions within the last 3 years;
2.24 Confirm your capability to accept payment via a range of methods including individual and consolidated invoicing and purchasing cards;
2.25 Confirm your willingness to participate in TWUL’s electronic purchasing system.
3. Supplementary information:
Evaluation will not take place against the following questions. However, respondents are requested to answer each point as fully as possible.
3.1 Provide a one page covering letter to include relevant contact address, telephone, fax and e-mail details;
3.1 Your organisation: please provide the address of your registered office, and details of the UK locations you operate from, together with the named person responsible for this application. Please state whether your company is part of a group or is affiliated in any way with other companies. If so, please provide details of the group company structure or other company relationships. Alternatively provide details if you propose to develop a new partnership with another company to deliver this service;
3.2 Please provide brief details on how your organization is working towards meeting the ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti corruption. (www.unglobalcompact.org);
3.3 Please provide brief details on your corporate social responsibility and sustainable procurement policies and how your organisation is working towards implementing these policies.
General.
Thames Water operates an ongoing risk management approach with regard to the economic and financial capacity of its suppliers. Information will be obtained either from the supplier or an externally recognized provider. Information will be gathered upon commencement of the process and over the duration of the contract period.
Respondents should note that this process might require references to be provided and verified, attendances at meetings, talks and presentations at no cost to Thames Water.
Thames Water Utilities Limited reserves the right to award no contract(s) as a result of this award procedure. Except for the framework agreement(s), if any, concluded with successful tenderer(s), nothing in the procurement process shall create a contract, whether express or implied, between Thames Water Utilities Limited and any applicant.
Any agreement resulting from this contract notice may be modified to include further similar requirements at any site under the management of Thames Water Utilities Limited or its associated companies.
This contract notice does not preclude Thames Water Utilities Limited or its associated companies from issuing other contract notices for specific requirements from time to time.
Thames Water Utilities Limited (including its employees and advisors) does not make any representations, warranties or other commitments, whether express or implied, in relation to the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the information provided to applicants in this contract notice or otherwise in connection with this tender, except as may be specifically agreed in any contract concluded at the end of this tender process.