Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: 102135 - Rapid Evidence Assessment of Loot Boxes and Microtransactions in Video Games

UK-London: Research and development services and related consultancy services.

Section I: Contracting Authority

   I.1) Name, Addresses and Contact Point(s):
       Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
       www.gov.uk/dcms, 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ, United Kingdom
       Tel. +44 2072116000, Email: commercial@dcms.gov.uk
       Main Address: www.culture.gov.uk, Address of the buyer profile: www.culture.gov.uk
       NUTS Code: UK

   I.2) Joint procurement:
      The contract involves joint procurement: No          
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not Provided
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No

   I.4)Type of the contracting authority:
      Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions

   I.5) Main activity:
      General public services

Section II: Object Of The Contract

   II.1) Scope of the procurement

      II.1.1) Title: 102135 - Rapid Evidence Assessment of Loot Boxes and Microtransactions in Video Games            
      Reference number: 102135

      II.1.2) Main CPV code:
         73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services.


      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES

      II.1.4) Short description: The call for evidence will examine a range of issues including the size and variation of the market, the design of mechanisms, the context in terms of other types of in-game spending, the impact on consumers and particularly young people including links to problem gambling, and the effectiveness of the current statutory and voluntary regulation.

The rapid evidence assessment specified in this Invitation to Tender will produce a literature review to support the public call for evidence, making a vital contribution to our analysis of loot boxes and wider microtransactions, and help us develop an effective and proportionate response that represents the best outcome for DCMS's aims. These are: protecting consumers - particularly children - and promoting business growth and innovation.

      II.1.6) Information about lots
         This contract is divided into lots: No
            
      II.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
          Value: 40,000
                  
         Currency:GBP            

   II.2) Description

      II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s):
      Not Provided

      II.2.3) Place of performance
      Nuts code:
      UK - UNITED KINGDOM
   
      Main site or place of performance:
      UNITED KINGDOM
             

      II.2.4) Description of the procurement: The government takes concerns around harms in video games very seriously and in December 2019, committed to review online video games loot boxes alongside a wider review of the Gambling Act 2005.

To support this review of the Gambling Act 2005 and our wider programme of research about video games, and to ensure government policy is based on a sound understanding of the issue and its place in the wider policy framework, the government will run a public call for evidence on loot boxes. This was announced on 8 June 2020 in the government's response to the DCMS Select Committee Immersive and Addictive Technologies Inquiry report. The call for evidence will be launched during the summer with emerging conclusions expected by the end of 2020.

The call for evidence will examine a range of issues including the size and variation of the market, the design of mechanisms, the context in terms of other types of in-game spending, the impact on consumers and particularly young people including links to problem gambling, and the effectiveness of the current statutory and voluntary regulation.

The rapid evidence assessment specified in this Invitation to Tender will produce a literature review to support the public call for evidence, making a vital contribution to our analysis of loot boxes and wider microtransactions, and help us develop an effective and proportionate response that represents the best outcome for DCMS's aims. These are: protecting consumers - particularly children - and promoting business growth and innovation.

      II.2.5) Award criteria:
      Quality criterion - Name: Skills, Expertise and Capacity / Weighting: 15
      Quality criterion - Name: Methodology / Weighting: 20
      Quality criterion - Name: Project Management / Weighting: 10
      Quality criterion - Name: Understanding of the Sector / Weighting: 20
      Quality criterion - Name: Data Protection / Weighting: 5
                  
      Price - Weighting: 30
            

      II.2.11) Information about options
         Options: No
         

      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
         The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
         

      II.2.14) Additional information: Not Provided


Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

   IV.1.1)Type of procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below (please complete Annex D1)


   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
      The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement: No       
      

   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction
      An electronic auction has been used: No

   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2) Administrative information

   IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
       Not Provided
   

   IV.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
      The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice: No

Section V: Award of contract

Award Of Contract (No.1)

   Contract No: 102135    
   Lot Number: Not Provided    
   Title: 102135 - Rapid Evidence Assessment of Loot Boxes and Microtransactions in Video Games

   A contract/lot is awarded: Yes


   V.2) Award of contract

      V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract: 11/01/2021

      V.2.2) Information about tenders
         Number of tenders received: 5
         Number of tenders received from SMEs: 3 (SME - as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC)          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0          
         Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1          
         Number of tenders received by electronic means: 5

      V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

      The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
         
         Contractor (No.1)
             InGAME, Abertay University, N/A
             Kydd Building, Bell Street, Dundee, DD1 1HG, United Kingdom
             NUTS Code: UK
            The contractor is an SME: No

      V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
         Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: 40,000          
         Total value of the contract/lot: 40,000
         Currency: GBP

      V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
         The contract is likely to be subcontracted: No
         
Section VI: Complementary information

   VI.3) Additional information: To view this notice, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=568448515

   VI.4) Procedures for review

      VI.4.1) Review body
          Department of Culture, Media and Sport
          100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 4BQ, United Kingdom

      VI.4.3) Review procedure
         Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures: Not Provided

      VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
         Not Provided

   VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice: 08/02/2021




ANNEX D

   2. Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union

         The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive: Yes

   3. Explanation
          The total value of this procurement was £40,000. This contract was advertised on Contracts Finder in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.