Research and development consultancy services

Tender description

Transport Scotland has identified a continuing need to appoint consultants to provide standards advice and professional services, relating to transport services. These will include the analysis, evaluation, reviews, reports and recommendations relating to construction, operation, improvement and maintenance of Scottish transport infrastructure. The principal services shall comprise the provision of a consultancy service for advice and guidance on the development in all aspects of the assessment of applications for departures from standards, design standards, specifications and materials typically but not exclusive to geotechnics, drainage, road safety, structures, maintenance operation of transport infrastructure assets, traffic and transportation, environment and sustainability and the provision of advice in relation to technical specifications and publications. Transport Scotland is an agency of the Scottish Government and contracts in the name of and on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland has identified the requirement to appoint a consultant to provide transport related technical assistance. It has been concluded that this requirement would be best met through the use of a multiple supplier framework agreement. The framework agreement/contract will be in place for a period of 4 years to award tasks and continue beyond that period until the satisfactory completion of tasks awarded. The agreement will require the provision of services including data collection, analysis, evaluation, reviews, reports and recommendations relating to the construction, operation, improvement and maintenance of the Scottish transport infrastructure. The work packages ordered through the agreement may include the following categories: geotechnical and drainage; design standards, specification and materials; structures; maintenance and operation of transport infrastructure assets; traffic and transportation; environment and sustainability. The intent of this competition is to procure 3 suitably experienced service providers (‘Framework Participants’) that will permit the execution of services in relation to projects of varying size, complexity and value. Having 3 framework participants will provide flexibility to cover situations where potential conflicts of interest or capacity issues arise. The consultancy services will be called off from the framework agreement on the basis of the appointment of a principal single supplier to provide the service with 2 further consultants who can be engaged when the first consultant is unable through any circumstance to commit to undertake the work offered. The consultant will be procured through a competitive tender procedure, in accordance with the restricted procedure as provided for in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. To be considered for this contract economic operators are required to complete the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) in accordance with this contract notice. Economic operators shall be evaluated in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, on the basis of information they have provided within the ESPD. The ESPD can be downloaded via the Public Contracts Scotland portal (www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk).The scope of works will include, but not limited to: Design standards advice and professional services. The framework agreement shall be the basis of the award of specific contract tasks for the provision of specialist technical services. The principal services shall comprise the provision of a consultancy service for departure form standards design advice and guidance on all aspects of DMRB design standards and other guidance, specifications and materials typically but not exclusive to geotechnical, drainage, road transport, safety, structures, maintenance operation of transport infrastructure assets, traffic and transportation, environment and sustainability. The services shall include analysis, evaluation, reviews, reports, research and recommendations relating to the construction, operation, improvement and maintenance of road transport infrastructure. This shall include both the performance of the service and the provision of advice in relation to the service. In addition, the service provider shall provide advice in relation to technical specifications or publications. Other services may be required to be undertaken from time to time, including similar services related to railway and other transport infrastructure. The service provider may be required to provide seconded staff to be located in the offices of Transport Scotland.