Framework Agreement-Open ITT
Introduction
The Forestry Commission’s (FC) mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment.
We, the FC, will always consider equality when conducting our procurement activities. We require you to meet your duties under the Equality Act 2010 and may ask for evidence that you are aware of and operate in accordance with those requirements
We take the lead in the development and promotion of sustainable forest management. We deliver the distinct forestry policies of England and Scotland through specific objectives drawn from the country forestry strategies.
More information is available on our website at www.forestry.gov.uk
1 Type and term of agreement
We will be awarding a framework agreement for the erection, maintenance and dismantling of Goalposts adjacent to OHPLs and other utilities on the Forestry Commission National Forest estate throughout Scotland. Our intention is to award this Framework Agreement for a period of four (4) years.
Break points are available within the Framework Agreement annually,, at which time we will decide on whether the Framework Agreement will continue. The Forestry Commission reserves the right to review progress prior to the annual break point if delivery is not working as FC envisaged
The decision on whether to use the break points will be at our discretion and we will base it on the following factors: call out response performance and operational requirements.
The total value of this Framework Agreement over the entire period will be in the region of £300,000 per year.
2 Timetable, enquiries and return arrangements
2.1 Timetable
Set out below is the proposed procurement timetable. This is intended as a guide, and, while we do not intend to depart from the timetable, we reserve the right to do so.
Stages / DatesClosing date and time for enquiries / 1st May at 12:30pm
Tender Return Date and Time / 8th May 2015 at 12:30pm
Expected Notification of Intent to Award / 26TH May 2015
End of Standstill Period / 11th June 2015
Expected Start Date / 22nd June 2015
2.2 Clarification
2.2.1 Clarification
Once we have evaluated submissions, we may need further clarification and may ask for this additional information or a clarification meeting. The purpose is to further explore the information you have provided in your submission.
2.3 Enquiries
Please send all enquiries in writing or by email, by the deadline stated at Section 2.1, quoting the framework agreement number printed at the front of this document to:
Mr Ken Sinclair, Operations Support Officer
Forest Enterprise Head Office Scotland, 1 Highlander Way, Inverness Business Park,
Inverness IV2 7GB
Telephone: 01463 252676
e-Mail:
If we consider any question or request for clarification is relevant to all interested parties, we will circulate both the query and the response to all potential tenderers, although your identity will remain confidential.
If you want to tender, and have not yet registered interest in the framework agreement, you must do so before the closing date for enquiries to make sure you are told about any questions and answers.
2.4 Return arrangements
Please return your completed tender as:
· four paper copies by post or hand delivered, and
· one copy on disk or USB type storage device in a read only format
Please note that we do not accept fax or email copies.
We must receive your completed tender before the closing time shown in the Timetable at Section 2.1. We will keep tenders received before this deadline unopened until after this time. We reserve the right to not consider any tenders received after the deadline. Please be aware that tenders may be copied for our use.
Mark your envelopes with the words ‘‘ITT’ for ‘Goalpost/2014’ - Not to be opened until 8th May 2015 at 12:30pm.
Submissions may be excluded if you do not mark the envelope in this way.
We must receive your completed tender by 8th May 2015 at 12:30pm. We will keep tenders that we receive earlier and not open them until after the deadline. We reserve the right to not consider any tenders received after the deadline. Please be aware that we may copy your documents, but only for our own use.
Send completed tender documents to the following address:
Mr Ken Sinclair, Operations Support Officer
Forest Enterprise Head Office Scotland, 1 Highlander Way, Inverness Business Park,
Inverness IV2 7GB
Telephone: 01463 252676
e-Mail:
3 Statement of Requirements
We intend to award a framework agreement for erection, maintenance and dismantling of Goalposts adjacent to OHPL on the Forestry Commission National Forest estate throughout Scotland.
A framework is an agreement with one or several providers. It sets out the general terms and conditions under which we can make specific purchases as and when we need them. The formal contract is formed when the customer places a call-off order against the framework asking for specific delivery of goods, services or works. A bidder can receive a call-off order directly, or we may ask them to take part in a mini-competition with the other bidders on the framework.
This particular Framework Agreement will operate as follows:
Work will be directly award to the bidder ranked in first place. If they do not accept the contract we will then offer it to second place and so on down the list.
For any contract which is deemed ‘non standard’ for any reason, the FC will run a mini competition between all contractors under the Lot. The FC reserve the right to run a mini competition at their sole discretion.
We intend inviting three (3) contractors per lot on to the Framework Agreement, although we reserve the right to take a more appropriate number where necessary.
LOTS
The following Lots are available to bid for. Bidders can bid for 1 or more Lots:
See Appendix 1 for location maps
Galloway FD / Lot 25 AGalloway FD / Lot 25 B
Dumfries and Borders FD / Lot 26 A
Dumfries and Borders FD / Lot26 B
Scottish Lowlands FD / Lot27
Tay FD / Lot 28 A
Tay FD / Lot 28 B
Cowal + Trossachs FD / Lot 29 A
Cowal + Trossachs FD / Lot 29 B
West Argyll FD / Lot 30
Lochaber FD / Lot 31
Inverness, Ross & Skye FD / Lot 32 A
Inverness, Ross & Skye FD / Lot 32 B
Inverness, Ross & Skye FD / Lot 32 C
Inverness, Ross & Skye FD / Lot 32 D
Inverness, Ross & Skye FD / Lot 32 E
Moray & Aberdeenshire / Lot 33 A
Moray & Aberdeenshire / Lot 33 B
Moray & Aberdeenshire / Lot 33 C
North Highland / Lot 34 A
North Highland / Lot 34 B
North Highland / Lot 34 C
3.1 Specifications of Task
The contractor will be expected to collect, transport, erect, maintain or dismantle goalposts and relevant warning notices (signage) throughout the National Forest Estate of Scotland. It would be expected that to erect or dismantle a goalpost/signage will be completed within a maximum of 5 working days from request. It would be expected that an emergency call out to maintain a goalpost will be within 24 hours of notification.
The presence of overhead powerlines constitutes a significant hazard where forest operations are planned. In addition powerlines outside the forest boundary may also adversely affect the safety of operations. There is a history of dangerous occurrences and near misses involving forest operations and powerlines. The majority of these comprise tree felling near to, and the passage of machines under, energised conductors. Therefore prior to operations commencing meetings are arranged by representatives of FES( or Standing Sales Customers) and the relevant DNO including other interested parties such as timber merchants and harvesting contractors. The purpose of these meetings is to clearly identify the hazard in terms of extent and voltage of the powerlines and to agree what control measures are necessary to significantly reduce the risk to all persons working on the site.
Where machinery is intended to pass under conductors the use of goalposts with signage alerts machine operators to their presence and ensures that cranes, loaders or booms are not raised to prevent contact or arcing occurring. As part of this contract it will be necessary for the successful contractor to erect goalposts along forest roads or within existing plantations where agreed crossing points need to be clearly marked.
Adequate maintenance throughout the period of operations must be done by the successful contractor as requested by call-out to ensure that all services are in place and fit for purpose.
On the occasion where the goalpost falls down of its own accord, it would be expected that the contractor re-erects without charge. If however, it falls down due to negligent working by a third party, the cost will be paid by the FC. These and costs may be recovered from the negligent parties.
The nature of the FC’s business means that there will be numerous occasions where the contractor will be expected to erect and dismantle goalposts on sites where the Call off Contract/Forestry Works Manager (FWM) is not FES but is a Timber Merchant/FC customer. The Framework Agreement is being procured so that the Timber Merchants/FC customers have the option to use this Framework Agreement and can engage with the Framework contractors directly. Framework contractors should therefore be aware that the Timber Merchant/FC customerwill be able to call of Contracts using the Framework and will, in those circumstances, be solely responsible for managing the contract in line with the Framework terms and conditions and the FC will have no involvement in the contract delivery and will have no liability to the contractor in respect of the Contract.
Contractors may have to attend site meetings to agree crossing point locations and specifications. There will be numerous occasions where the Forestry Works Manager can communicate the outcome of these meeting with Distribution Network Operators and Contractor will not need to attend.
FES intends to engage competent contractors with relevant experience, expertise and training to provide quality and continuity of service throughout the estate. These contracts will provide on-call services to both forest districts and the relevant business units and Standing Sales Customers within the National Forest Estate. Administration of the contract will reside with FES where work is commissioned by FES.
N.B. The Forestry Commission are not bound to use the contractor for every goalpost erection as in some cases the timber merchant or the NO may complete this task.
The execution of this contract requires driving on forest roads , and therefore drivers / operators of equipment require to hold a full driving licence and to hold appropriate insurance
3.2 Materials
The goalpost equipment specified by the Forestry Commission is UV stable bright yellow pipe (UG460 plain ended pipe 6mx110mm) which is supplied directly from our supplier Polypipe Building Products Ltd., Doncaster. The contractor would be expected to either store the goalpost materials themselves or where agreed, at a Forestry Commission location.
The Goalpost uprights and cross bar constructed of UG 460 yellow pipes and elbow joint will be provided by the Forestry Commission to successful contractors and should not be costed within your bids.
3.3 Outline Specification
The goalpost uprights and any rigid cross bar to be constructed of UV stable yellow pipe (UG460) joined by elbow joints.
For single passageways less than 6m wide, a rigid crossbar is required. This should be clearly visible. In exceptional situations where a single passageway is not sufficient, or the distance between goalposts exceeds 6m, you may use tensioned polypropylene ropes with high-visibility or red and white bunting attached to the tensioned ropes to improve visibility.
Goalposts should be positioned no closer than 10m from the nearest conductor. The Network Operator (NO) may advise a minimum distance greater that 10m, depending on the voltage of the overhead line. Where rope and bunting is used, at least 12m distance is required.
Goalposts should be parallel to the OHPL where possible and clearly visible.
On worksites, the entrance to the goalposts must be clearly marked with a barrier for 10m on either side of the goalpost. The NO may advise a greater distance.
Clearly defined and marked passageways between goalposts to show the route that must be taken will be required
On exposed sites, supports for uprights to withstand high winds may be required using for example polypropylene guy ropes on each guy post connect to the yellow uprights
The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate hazard warning signs are sited and maintained where identified at the pre-commencement meeting.
A. Yellow rigid plastic hazard warning signs reading ‘DANGER ELECTRIC LINES’ will be supplied by the relevant utilities engineer. These will be placed along forest roads on either side of the powerline at 20m distances (or other distances agreed with the DNO) from the outermost conductor. Signs will be supported on fencing stakes at the side of the forest road such that they are clearly visible to all road users. Signs must not be nailed to trees.
B. Corrugated plastic hazard warning signs reading ‘DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE HEIGHT RESTRICTION M will be supplied by the Contracts Manager. Where these are placed on the worksite the Contractor will clearly write the relevant height restriction on them in both metric and imperial units using a thick indelible black pen. These signs will be placed at the side of each set of goalposts, both in-wood and on forest roads. The signs may be nailed/stapled to goalposts on forest roads at head height but should not be positioned such that passing machinery is likely to strike them.
Health and Safety Expectations
The contractor will be expected to adhere to the strictest of Health & Safety Requirements appropriate to the site they are working. All workers must be made aware of the onsite dangers and the appropriate precautions and actions to take.
The contractor(s) must have had appropriate training and undertaken refresher training where appropriate, in how to operate any equipment or machinery and how to carry out the tasks required. See FISA 805 – Training and certification.