UK SBS PS16184 - Newton Agritech Cross Project Impact and Outreach

The final date and time for the submission of bids is 22nd December 2016 at 11am. DO NOT apply directly to the buyer. All tender information MUST be submitted through the CCS eSourcing Portal. Any bids submitted directly to the buyer will be disregarded.

TED Reference 2016/S 220-401969

The STFC Newton Agri-Tech Fund is a 5-year programme with a budget of £13.5M. This initiative uses the UK's expertise in remote sensing and modelling in the area of agricultural technology (agri-tech) to work with and aid the Chinese farming community. The Agri-Tech programme will use the breakthroughs in satellite imaging, remote sensing and modelling to which they are helping to provide facilities and technologies that are supporting research driven, decision making tools for farmers and policy makers. STFC are seeking to secure Impact and Technical Team advice and support with the aim of ensuring the impact of the research in the area of agricultural technology to China. The Impact and Technical team will plan and be responsible for the delivery of a strategic programme of work to support and improve agricultural technology in China.

The over-arching strategic direction for the design of a coherent programme of activities designed to achieve three key deliverables:

• Establish and/or enhance a strong international profile for the research generated through the programme and projects.
• Build a reputation for the programme as centres of agricultural technology research and excellence in international development.
• Ensure findings from the programme's research are effectively cohered, disseminated and utilised by policy makers and users, particularly in China.

The successful bidder will be responsible for the successful delivery of this strategically-directed programme of activities. They will take the lead role in ensuring delivery of programme-level communications and the production, dissemination and delivery of appropriate knowledge products and activities. It will also build upon relevant activities being undertaken at individual grant level by maintaining oversight, facilitating, supporting and building capacity in relation to these.

Excluded: Impact and Technical Team will not play any part in decisions of academic substance in relation to the programme/projects or their intellectual leadership and future direction, or play any part in the awarding of research funding, other than providing strategic advice on ensuring policymaker and user demand is appropriately integrated.

Additional information: As part of the strategic alliance between UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) and Crown Commercial Service (CCS), UK SBS can use the CCS eSourcing Suite for future procurements.

If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link 'Register for CCS eSourcing'. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so.

Once you have registered on the eSourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailing Expressionofinterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Your email must clearly state: the name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; the name of the registered Bidder; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the Bidder to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.

The Sourcing documents can then be accessed on the eSourcing Suite at: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the instructions detailed in the Specification documents within Contracts Finder.

As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information.

For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact Crown Commercial Service Helpdesk : Telephone: 0345 010 3503 Training documents to support Bidders utilise Emptoris CCS eSourcing are available in the Contracts Finder Tender documents section.