Monitoring and control services

Tender description

Pre market engagement for media monitoring services to Translink. Translink is Northern Ireland’s main public transport operator and employs almost 4 000 people directly, as well as having a major impact on the local economy through its programme of service and infrastructure development. Translink is responsible to the department for infrastructure and has a large number of political and other stakeholders. A significant volume of information is generated by the company and its stakeholders, and a professional and comprehensive media monitoring service is key to enable us to measure the impact (positive and negative) of relationship building and management, appropriate sponsorships and reactive communications. Translink is undertaking this exercise prior to advertising an invitation to tender for media monitoring services in Q3 2018. The purpose is to inform Translink of developments in the media monitoring market, to identify potential suppliers, relevant technology development, contracting strategies, types of contracts in use and future market developments. The anticipated start date of the contract is 1.1.2019. It is anticipated that any meetings relating to the exercise will be held on 18.7.2018. A second date of 19th July will be held if interest is sufficiently high. Interested suppliers are requested to e-mail their expression of interest to: Rachel Lemon, Procurement Projects Advisor at rachel.lemon@translink.co.uk no later than 15:00 hrs on Monday 2.7.2018. Suppliers registering their interest in participating in this exercise should note that: — this notice is to initiate a market engagement and information gathering exercise and does not indicate the start of a procurement exercise. It is instead intended to act as an informal market research document providing a brief synopsis of Translinks’ future requirements. This document is not intended to provide a definitive list of requirements, — we intend to invite interested suppliers to present to Translink personnel to discuss the range of services each can offer. All parties agree that the matters discussed between them during the course of this early market engagement exercise will remain confidential to those particular parties, — this document is not a tender specification nor request for quotation. Translink is merely investigating market opportunities at this stage without entering into any contractual or financial commitments, — please note, progress in the project will be subject to the availability and timing of funding. If this requirement is given financial approval, it will be tendered under the utilities contracts Regulations 2016. Any documents, discussions, presentations, demonstrations or clarifications submitted for this market research will not be considered as any part of the tender exercise. If Translink does decide to proceed with a competitive tender process, a separate detailed tender specification document will be produced as part of that process, — nothing in this advertisement or any other documents or information provided by Translink or any of its advisers or agents is to be construed as implying a commitment by Translink to place any contract, now or in the future with any participating supplier in respect of the requirement under consideration, — Translink takes no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken, costs incurred or commitments made by interested parties in responding to this notice or by being involved in any subsequent discussions in this market engagement and information gathering exercise, — at this stage it is not possible to given an accurate timeframe for this requirement.