INVITATION TO TENDER

SPECIFICATION

NORTHWEST DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

COPYWRITING PANEL

NWDA00298

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 1 of 17Version 5Issue date

25 September 2009

Dear Sirs/Madams

INVITATION TO TENDERTITLE OF TENDER: Copywriting Panel

NWDA REF: NWDA00298

You are hereby invited by the Northwest Development Agency (“the Agency”) to submit a tender for the above services.

Tender Timetable

Tenderers’ clarification questions to be submitted by 9th October 2009The return date for this tender is 12 Noon on 16th October 2009Post Bid Clarifications w/c 19th October 2009The anticipated contract award / start 15th January 2010

Documentation

You are required to return two hardcopy proposals, one marked ‘Original’, one marked ‘Copy’ and one electronic version on CD or DVD of the response to the Invitation to Tender Document, clearly marked as such. Please note memory sticks are not accepted.

Please ensure all documents on the CD or DVD have your organisation’s name in the filename.

Tenders must be returned using the enclosed return label and in accordance with the ‘Instructions and Information for Tenderers’.

TENDER BOARDNorthwest Development AgencyRenaissance HouseCentre ParkWarringtonWA1 1QN

Whilst Tenderers are preparing their responses, questions will inevitably arise. It is requested that all queries be referred in writing to tender.board@nwda.co.uk. In order to allow the Agency time to offer appropriate answers, Tenderers must submit any queries by Friday 9th October 2009.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 2 of 17Version 5Issue date

If the Agency considers any question or request for clarification to be of material significance, both the query and the response will be posted on the Agency’s website at www.nwda.co.uk/tenders in an anonymous form. It is the responsibility of the interested party to check this website periodically before the tender return date to check for any updates and to incorporate these updates into its tender submission.

We look forward to receiving your tender response.

Yours faithfully

Dawn SmithProcurement Officer

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 3 of 17Version 5Issue date

1. INSTRUCTIONS & INFORMATION FOR TENDERERS

1.1 Submission Instructions

1.1.1 Tenders must be submitted in accordance with these instructions and any further instructions contained in other documentation issued by the Agency.

1.1.2 Alterations: The Tenderer may not alter this document. Any proposed alteration is to be given in a separate letter accompanying the tender.

1.1.3 Non-compliant or incomplete tenders: Tenders may be rejected if any of the requested information is not supplied with the tender or if the submission fails to comply with the format and presentation guidance given

1.1.4 The address label attached must be used for the return of the tender. Envelopes/packages should be plain and must not show any reference to the Tenderer’s identity. Please place the Tender Number label on the front of the return envelope. Tenderers should note that this also applies to any tenders sent via courier. Tenders without the label or in envelopes which in any way identify the Tenderer, may be rejected.

1.1.5 The date and time for return of tenders is shown on the Invitation Letter and the address label. Tenders will be received up to the time and date stated. It is the Tenderers’ responsibility to ensure that their tender is received on time. The Agency does not undertake to consider tenders received after that time unless there is sufficient evidence to pre-suppose its due delivery.

1.1.6 The Agency does not acknowledge receipt of tender documents and accepts no responsibility for loss or non-receipt of applications.

1.1.7 The Agency expressly reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this procurement process and it shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Tenderers. The Agency also reserves the right to accept all or any part of a tender.

1.1.8 All responses to this Invitation to Tender must be in English.

1.1.9 Tenderers should note that during this tender process they should not contact any of the Agency’s respective Board Members, Executive Directors, employees or advisers or any third parties connected to the Agency or any advisers to this procurement, outside of the process outlined within this section and elsewhere within this document.

1.2 Anti-Collusion Instructions

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 4 of 17Version 5Issue date

1.2.1 Confidentiality of tenders: The Tenderer, whether an individual supplier or a member of a consortium bid, must not inform anyone else of their tendered price. The only exception is if the Tenderer is required to obtain an insurance quotation to calculate the tender price then the Tenderer may give details of their bid to the insurance company or brokers, if requested.

1.2.2 The Tenderer must not try to obtain any information about any other party’s tender or proposed tender before the contract is awarded.

1.2.3 The Tenderer must not arrange with any other party the submission of a tender, except in the circumstances where sub-contracting and/or joint ventures are applicable.

1.3 Prices & Payment

1.3.1 Prices shown must be exclusive of VAT.

1.3.2 Trading names/invoicing: Where invoices will be rendered by, or payments made to, an entity whose title differs in any respect from the title in which the tender is submitted, full details must be provided in a letter accompanying the tender. Successful Tenderers who fail to provide this will experience non payment of their invoices.

1.4 Queries on the Invitation to Tender

1.4.1 Except where the Agency considers that questions are not material to the procurement process and the fullest understanding of its objectives, such questions and their subsequent replies will be disseminated to all Tenderers. Tenderers should note in relation to all responses to questions in connection with this Invitation to Tender that the Agency makes no guarantee that such information in response to questions will be made available and are not warranting its accuracy.

1.4.2 The Agency reserves the right, at its discretion, to request clarification in writing, or further relevant information, from any Tenderer post submission of the tender response by such Tenderer.

1.4.3 Eligibility of prospective Contractors: Any change that is considered material by the Agency as to the identity or control of a Tenderer, or in the eligibility of a Tenderer, happening before or after the Tenderer has submitted its response to the Invitation to Tender, will lead to its disqualification. Where the Tenderer is a consortium, the lead consortium member must remain the same as when originally shortlisted. The full consortium membership must be disclosed and set at the time of submission of the Invitation to Tender response and there must be no material changes in the consortium after the tender submission. The Agency must be advised of any change in the consortium membership or in the principal relationships between members of the consortium. Any change which is considered material will lead to the Tenderer’s disqualification.

1.5 Freedom of Information Legislation

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 5 of 17Version 5Issue date

1.5.1 The Agency may be obliged to disclose information provided by Tenderers in response to this Invitation to Tender under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all subordinate legislation made under this and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“the Freedom of Information Legislation”).

1.5.2 Tenderers should be aware that the information they provide could be disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Legislation. The Agency will proceed on the basis of disclosure unless an appropriate exemption applies. Tenderers should be aware that despite the availability of some exemptions, information may still be disclosed if the public interest in its disclosure outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemption. No response to this Tender should be covered by a general statement regarding its overall confidentiality; instead any specific areas of confidential information should be highlighted in accordance with paragraph 3 below. The Agency accepts no liability (including for negligence) for loss as a result of any information disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information legislation.

1.5.3 Tenderers should highlight information in their responses which they consider to be commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, and should state the precise reasons why they consider this.

1.5.4 The Agency will use reasonable endeavours to consult with Tenderers over the release of information which is highlighted by them as commercially sensitive or confidential.

1.6 Terms and Conditions of Contract

1.6.1 All goods/services supplied under this contract will be supplied under the NWDA Standard Terms and Conditions of contract specified within the ITT. No variations to the Standard Terms and Conditions will be considered. Tenderers must note that bids tabling proposed amendments may be rejected by the Agency without further consideration.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 6 of 17Version 5Issue date

2. INVITATION TO TENDER

2.1 Background Information

2.1.1 The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is one of nine regional development agencies established by the government to develop the English regions.

2.1.2 The Agency leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest, covering the 5 sub-regions of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire and is responsible for:

Supporting business growth and encouraging investment Matching skills provision to employer needs Creating the conditions for economic growth Connecting the region through effective transport and communication

infrastructure Promoting the region's outstanding quality of life

2.1.3 With a budget of £1.5 billion between 2007 and 2010, the Agency is responsible for directly influencing £1.2 billion of other public and private sector investment into the region to support the delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES).

2.1.4 The RES sets out a clear and measurable vision for the region, outlines to deliver this vision details the actions required. It will continue to address the key issues that affect the economic performance of the Northwest.

2.1.5 For further details of the NWDA’s role and activities visit www.nwda.co.uk.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 7 of 17Version 5Issue date

2.2 Specification and Scope

2.2.1 The Northwest Development Agency (Agency) has an established in-house Public Relations team, which as well as providing a dedicated media relations service, is responsible for the production of copy for a wide range of corporate and consumer material.

2.2.2 In order to support this, the Agency is seeking to establish a framework agreement (panel) for the provision of Copywriting Services.

2.2.3 It is anticipated that a maximum of 5 organisations will be selected for the panel. Being selected as a panel member does not guarantee the award of any individual contract under the panel. Work will be awarded following a mini-competition process, whereby, a detailed brief of the job will be issued and panel members will be asked to provide a project-specific quotation.

2.2.4 The successful Tenderers must have specialist knowledge and previous experience across many aspects of economic development. The following themes give an indication of the variety of copy requirements:

Economic climate Inward investment Business finance Science & Innovation Key growth sectors e.g. aerospace, automotive, energy, digital & creative Climate Change Policy Regeneration Skills and training Urban regeneration Rural regeneration Land regeneration Transport Planning Equality & Diversity Tourism Culture Major events

2.2.5 Specifically, the Panel will be required to provide high quality copy for the following material within agreed timescales:

Corporate publications Corporate website Consumer websites e.g. www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com Newsletters and e-newsletters Case studies Press releases Feature-type material Advertisements

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 8 of 17Version 5Issue date

2.2.6 Examples of current publications can be found at www.nwda.co.uk/publications. Examples of e-newsletters are available to view at www.nwda.co.uk/news.

2.2.7 In addition, the Panel will also be required to provide the following services:

Research material independently, conducting relevant interviews and effectively project manage commissioned work to ensure deadlines are met, when necessary.

Edit Agency documents or copy produced by the Agency e.g. editing strategy documents, refreshing existing copy and providing Executive Summaries of documents.

Proofread documents or copy produced by the Agency Supply copy as Word documents via email to the Agency Press Office for

approval, which shall remain the property of the Agency for use elsewhere as appropriate.

2.2.8 Tenderers must clearly demonstrate the experience, quality and creativity of their work through providing evidence of:

Journalistic knowledge of all members of staff or sub-contracted staff who will be involved in delivering services under this agreement

Copywriting experience in key subject areas as specified in the tender response

Previous editing experience of editing Project management experience and capabilities, including skills and

expertise in effectively undertaking independent research.

2.3 Project Management

2.3.1 Timescales for copywriting work vary and are largely dependent on the nature of the project. However, typical timescales are: corporate publication (4+ weeks), newsletter (1-2 weeks), advertisements (2-5 days), and case study material (4+ weeks).

2.3.2 Tight turnaround is often required for editing and proofreading, ranging from 24 hours to a week, depending on the size of the document.

2.3.3 The successful Tenderer would be expected to be available to attend meetings at Agency premises with key staff when required prior to the start of large projects, or those requiring more detailed briefing, upon which timescales would be agreed.

2.3.4 Where required, the successful Tenderer would also be expected to supply a timeline for project management of a piece of work directly to the NWDA Press Office.

2.3.5 The successful Tenderer must have effective methods of managing a project budget, ensuring costs do not exceed the agreed quote without prior agreement from the Agency.

2.4 Contract Management

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 9 of 17Version 5Issue date

2.4.1 As part of the contract management process the successful Tenderer will be required to provide a dedicated Account Manager who will have overall responsibility and accountability for the administration and delivery of the contract, including meeting all relevant timescales and the ensuring the quality of the service provided.

2.4.2 The successful Tenderer will have the appropriate procedures in place to ensure the quality of their work and outputs.

2.4.3 The successful Tenderer should also be committed to developing a good working relationship with Agency staff and partners and have appropriate complaints handling and escalation processes in place.

2.5 Sustainability

2.5.1 The Agency has a statutory purpose to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the region. The successful Tenderer will have the appropriate environmental policies and procedures in place in order to help the Agency achieve this aim.

2.6 Corporate Responsibility and Health & Safety Considerations

2.6.1 The successful tenderer will take due consideration to the following equality strands; gender, disability, age, race, religion and belief and sexual orientation, and will have the necessary policies in place to ensure their compliance.

2.6.2 The Agency requires the successful Tenderer to comply with all Health and Safety legislation and is required to have procedures in place for ensuring the safety of its staff and other personnel.

2.7 Contract Period

2.7.1 The Framework Agreement will run for 3 years commencing on 15 January 2010 and terminating on 14 January 2013 with an option to extend for up to a further 12 months subject to satisfactory performance and pricing.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 10 of 17Version 5Issue date

3. SCORING & EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

3.1 Scoring Mechanism

The following scoring methodology will apply to each of the questions asked:

100% - Usefully Exceeds The response exceeds the requirement. Excellent response, track record and capacity to meet and exceed our requirements.

90% - Fully Meets The response appears to meet the requirement50% - Reservations The response partially meets the requirement or

requires further clarification0% - Unacceptable The response does not appear to meet the

requirement0% - Unanswered The question has not been answered or has been

answered but the response does not answer the specific question.

FI Is for information only and will have no impactIn/Out Perceived as mission-critical requirements and thus

will not attract a score or weighting, but will determine whether a Tenderer remains in the process

3.2 Mandatory Requirements

Questions included in Section H are considered essential requirements, any bid which fails to meet these requirements, and therefore scores zero for any of these questions, will be rejected and will not be progressed any further in their evaluation.

3.3 Award & Evaluation Criteria

The Agency will award this contract on the basis of the “most economically advantageous tender”.

Tenderers will be evaluated using the following pre-determined evaluation criteria;

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 11 of 17Version 5Issue date

Evaluation Criteria Criteria Weighting %

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 12 of 17Version 5Issue date

Q1 Form of Tender In/OutQ2 Confirm read specification and understand FIQ3 Terms and Conditions In/OutA Organisation Identity FIB Organisation Information FIC Prime Contractor In/OutD Compliance with EU & UK procurement legislation In/OutE Financial and economic capacity In/OutF Insurance In/OutG Disputes In/OutH Mandatory RequirementsH1 References 14%H2 Previous Experience of Staff 20%H3a Previous Experience of Copywriting – Example A 5%H3b Previous Experience of Copywriting – Example B 5%H3c Previous Experience of Copywriting – Example C 5%H3d Previous Experience of Copywriting – Example D 5%H4 Previous Experience of Editing 6%H5a Previous Experience of Managing Projects 5%

H5b Previous Experience of Managing Projects: Research Capabilities 5%

H5c Previous Experience of Managing Projects: Financial Control 4%

I Additional RequirementsI1 Delivery of Service 4.5%I2 Contract Management 3.5%I3 Organisational Policies 1%

Pricing Schedule Costs 17%Total 100%

The overall evaluation process will be conducted in a fair and equitable manner, so that the Agency is able to consider the value for money of each proposal. This means that different clarification/information may be sought from different Tenderers.

The Agency will take up references and reserves the right to pay due heed to the Tenderer’s performance elsewhere and any past experience from the Agency or its staff.

The evaluation criteria described in this Invitation to Tender document will be used to inform the final decision as to which Tenderer will be awarded the Contract.

The Agency reserves the right to take into account any other relevant considerations that, in its absolute discretion, it may deem are appropriate.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 13 of 17Version 5Issue date

4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION

Please complete the accompanying tender response questionnaire following the instructions as given within the questionnaire document

All submissions must be bound appropriately and any appendices must be clearly indexed or labelled.

Please reply to each point, stating ‘Noted’ or ‘Agreed’, as appropriate, where no specific response is required.

Where responses are not offered or further information (e.g. an attachment) is missing, an evaluation rating of ‘Unanswered’ (scoring 0%) may be recorded.

All tenders must be complete and should offer the most economically advantageous bid available to the Agency.

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 14 of 17Version 5Issue date

5 PRICING SCHEDULE

5.1 The Pricing Schedule contains the Contractor’s tendered rates.

5.2 All prices quoted shall be fixed and firm and shall apply during the whole of the Contract period.

5.3 The prices in the Pricing Schedule shall include for all services shown or described in the Contract as a whole and for all services not described but apparent as being necessary for the complete and proper execution of the provision of the Services.

5.4 No quantity or continuity of work is guaranteed to the successful Contractor and this should be taken into account when completing the Pricing Schedule. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, any quantities given in this ITT are for information only.

5.5 Each item in the Pricing Schedule must be fully priced, with insertions for each item. If any item is unpriced (whether by leaving the rate and/or amount space blank or by entering “included” or otherwise), that item shall be deemed to be free of charge.

5.6 Applications for payment shall be made in accordance with the procedures described in the Agency’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.

5.7 All prices quoted shall be exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).

5.8 The daily rate indicated in the Pricing Schedule is for an 8 hour working day, during a normal working week (Monday to Friday).

5.9 The Contractor will not charge the Agency for travelling time in addition to daily fees. Any travelling time at the start or end of the working day is at the Contractor’s cost.

5.10 Tenderers must complete the Pricing Schedule with details all applicable personnel to this contract by denoting job title, function (brief overview of the role) and daily rate. Tenderers must ensure that all relevant personnel are detailed, as no other rates offered during the contract will be applicable.

5.11 Figures inserted into the Pricing Schedule must be a single figure and not a range of figures. A range of fees per job title will not be accepted. Where a range of fees are submitted, the Agency will evaluate this offer on the basis of the highest fee quoted within the range, thus attracting the lowest possible score.

5.12 Expenses

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 15 of 17Version 5Issue date

5.12.1 Business Mileage:Business mileage will be reimbursed at a rate of £0.40 per mile.Business mileage will only be paid from the Contractor’s nearest office to the Agency’s Head Office or place of arranged meeting, and must be agreed in advance.

5.12.2 Accommodation:Any requirement for accommodation must be agreed with the Agency prior to occurrence, otherwise the Agency reserves the right not to reimburse the Contractor.Accommodation will be reimbursed by the Agency upon production of an authenticated VAT receipt.Accommodation costs must be kept to a minimum through the use of budget hotels (eg travel lodges), where available. Accommodation will be on a bed and breakfast basis and will be refunded up to a maximum of £70 per night.

5.12.3 MealsLunch will not be provided by the Agency or reimbursed to the Contractor. When residing in a hotel the cost of a reasonable breakfast (if not booked on a bed and breakfast basis) and/or evening meal taken in the hotel will be met. Costs including light meals and beverages will be reimbursed, up to a maximum of £18 per day whether the meals are purchased at the hotel or out of the hotel. Reimbursement is subject to provision of supporting receipts.

5.13 No other expenses will be reimbursed.

5.14 The Contractor shall be responsible for making its own travel and accommodation arrangements.

5.15 Pricing Schedule

Please complete table below

Personnel Function Cost (£) Per Hour

Cost (£) Day Rate

(Insert Job Title) (Insert brief description)   

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 16 of 17Version 5Issue date

Please also provide a quote (complete table with full breakdown of costs and resources needed) for the following sample jobs:

1) Researching and drafting eight 300-word case studies on inward investment successes in the region, using a list of pre-approved companies provided by the NWDA.

Personnel FunctionNo of Hour

s

No of Days

Cost (£) Per Hour

Cost (£) Day Rate

Total

(Insert Job Title)

(describe task)  

Any Other Costs  

TotalTotal PriceExpected Lead-time

AND

2) Producing a 450-word executive summary for a 7,000 word NWDA strategy document.

Personnel FunctionNo of Hour

s

No of Days

Cost (£) Per Hour

Cost (£) Day Rate

Total

(Insert Job Title)

(describe task)  

Any Other Costs  

TotalTotal PriceExpected Lead-time

Invitation to Tender/KB Page 17 of 17Version 5Issue date