Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority ~ Grounds Maintenance Services

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has 24 fire stations serving local communities. This operational response is supported by staff based at a number of other sites, including Service HQ, the Control room (where 999 calls are answered), the Training & Development Centre, Fleet Services (including vehicle workshops) and Occupational Health.

The tender project is seeking to appoint a Contractor whose initiative and innovation will be welcomed for the provision of grounds maintenance services within the estate of the Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. The high quality service levels proposed, should maintain excellent standards throughout, resulting in a pleasant environment for both the staff and visitors.

Due to the changing requirements in each authority, total flexibility will be required from the successful contractor with regard to the changes in station layouts due to building works and station openings / closures, due to relocation.

The basis and rationale that the Clients require the successful contractor to operate to at all times, is being able to provide an environment that is fit for purpose and that the Contractor is proactive in the management of the contract, thus ensuring that all specifications are achieved and that the standard / frequency of services is as detailed within the Tender Specification.

The contract being tendered is for 3 years in duration from 1.4.2016 until 31.3.2019 and will be fixed price in nature, with the Contractor invoicing the Client for one-twelfth of the annual cost on a monthly basis. The contract may be extended for a further period of up to 2 years, by mutual agreement.

It should be noted that the successful contractor will be expected to bring to the contract: innovation; new equipment; and effective methods of working; thus ensuring that the highest standards are maintained in all areas at all times and also ensuring that the productivity of the teams are of the highest level, moving forward into the new contract term.

The value of the current WFRS contract is £28,358.70, which includes, but is not limited to the following tasks:

Grass Cutting, Edging up & Strimming Tasks Weed Control

Shrub Bed & Rose Bed & plant maintenance Selective Weed Killing Hedge Cutting

Maintenance of Trees

Maintenance of Ditches Leaf Clearance

Sweeping, Tidying & Litter Picking

There are numerous plans for changes and additional buildings throughout the Services over the next 3 years and this may increase the level of services required within these areas, when the work is being carried out and thereafter. Therefore the Contractor would be expected to provide advice and expertise and be flexible in their approach, in order to incorporate the changes.

Additional information: The current timetable of events for the process is:

Contract Notice published on Contracts Finder ~ 21.12.2015 Site visit at Fire Service HQ ~ 6.1.2016 at 10:00

Deadline for online submission via LTMS ~ 12.2.2016 at 12:00 Present analysis of bids to client ~ w/c 22.2.2016

Shortlisted contractors presentations ~ w/c 29.2.2016

Successful contractor notified ~ w/e 4.3.2016

Contract commences ~ 1.4.2016

In accordance with the Government’s Policy on Transparency and the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Potential Providers should be aware that the Fire and Rescue Service publishes details of tender documents and any subsequent contract on its website and on the Government’s Contract Finder.

Interest in the tender process should be expressed VIA EMAIL ONLY to admin@litmuspartnership.co.uk, clearly stating within this email which contract / notice you are referring to. Please also provide, as a minimum, a contact name, email address, full company postal address and telephone number.

Upon receipt of your expression of interest, a login will be provided in respect of the Litmus Tender Management System (LTMS) where tender documents may be downloaded.

The Tender must be submitted on the LTMS by the deadline for tender submissions (the timetable for the process is contained within the tender documentation available to download via the LTMS).

It will be the Tenderer’s responsibility to obtain any necessary documents in order to submit a response by the closing date and time.

The contracting authority reserves the right not to award any or part of the contract which is the subject of this OJEU notice and reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time.

The contracting authority will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in tendering for this contract opportunity.

The contracting authority will consider variant bids, evaluating them (so far as the variant or the evaluation of the variant is in the opinion of the contracting authority practicable) on the same basis as a conforming bid, but shall not be obliged to accept any such bid in preference to a conforming bid even if the variant bid scores more highly. No variant will be considered unless the bidder simultaneously submits a conforming bid.