Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Safety Tech Challenge Fund

UK-London: Administration services.
Section I: Contracting Authority
      I.1) Name and addresses
             Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport, United Kingdom
             100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ, United Kingdom
             Tel. +44 2072116000, Email: commercial@dcms.gov.uk
             Contact: DCMS Commercial
             Main Address: www.dcms.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.3) Communication
      The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Administration-services./99YW3M2MS2
      Additional information can be obtained from: the abovementioned address
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically via https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-title/99YW3M2MS2 to the abovementioned address       
      Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: Not provided
      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
            Recreation, culture and religion

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
      II.1.1) Title: Safety Tech Challenge Fund       
      Reference Number: 102451
      II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
      75100000 - Administration services.

      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
      II.1.4) Short description: Managed Service requirement for design and administration of the Safety Tech Challenge Fund. A competition challenging UK Safety Tech firms to develop innovative technological solutions addressing the challenges faced by the move by online platforms to end-to-end encrypted environments. The service required will fall into 3 distinct phases: 1) Design and Preparation of the competition; 2) Launch and Application and 3) Development and Assessment.       
      II.1.5) Estimated total value:
      Value excluding VAT: 650,000       
      Currency: GBP
      II.1.6) Information about lots:
      This contract is divided into lots: No       
   
II.2) Description
      
      II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
      Not Provided       
      II.2.3) Place of performance:
      UK UNITED KINGDOM
      
      II.2.4) Description of procurement: DCMS requires an external supplier to deliver the Safety Tech Challenge Fund, a competition challenging safety tech firms to develop innovative technological solutions to address online abuse.

The Supplier will be required to lead on the delivery of the competition, including designing and administering successive phases in line with the direction and timeframe specified by HMG, including the delivery, monitoring and assurance of grant funding to selected companies. The challenge should be launched and invite applications by August/September 2021, and be open until 31 March 2022.
Throughout these phases, the Supplier will:
●be required to lead on the design, delivery and administration of the competition, including allocation of grant prizes;
●provide publicity and communications for the competition, working with relevant Departmental Press Offices.
The Supplier will not:
●Make final decisions regarding the choice of firms to be awarded grants or prizes, except through the sift of applications at the assessment phase. The Fund sponsors (DCMS, Home Office, GCHQ) have decision-making authority in this regard

The outcome of the challenge will be the development of technological solutions with the potential to create lasting impact by improving the capability of companies to detect harmful and illegal content and behaviour, while respecting user privacy. In doing this, the challenge will also aim to create an environment for the forging of partnerships and the exchange of expertise between safety tech innovators and those who use their products.
      II.2.5) Award criteria:
            Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents            
      II.2.6) Estimated value:
      Value excluding VAT: 650,000       
      Currency: GBP       
      II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
      Start: 19/07/2021 / End: 31/03/2022       
      This contract is subject to renewal: No       
      Description of renewals: Not provided
      
      II.2.10) Information about variants:
      Variants will be accepted: No
      II.2.11) Information about options:
      Options:       No             
      Description of options: Not provided
      II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
      Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: 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       
      Identification of the project: Not provided             
      II.2.14) Additional information: Receipt of tenders MUST be no later than 12:00 noon (GMT) on 28 June 2021
The Department may extend the contract for a further one year in tree month increments
The estimated budget value of £650,000 is split into (1) Fund Administration of £225,000 maximum and (2) Prize fund pool of £425,000 minimum.       


Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
   III.1) Conditions for participation
      III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
      List and brief description of conditions:          
      Not Provided       
      III.1.2) Economic and financial standing          
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents       
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided    
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :       
      Not Provided    
      III.1.3) Technical and professional ability    
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided      
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :          
      Not Provided   
      III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)   
      The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No       
      The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No    
      
   III.2) Conditions related to the contract
      III.2.1) Information about a particular profession    
      Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:          
      Not Provided    
      III.2.2) Contract performance conditions          
      Not Provided          
      III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
      Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: No

Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1) Description OPEN
      IV.1.1) Type of procedure: Open   
   
   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system    
         The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO    
         In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided    
   
   
   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
      An electronic auction will be used: No
      Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
   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:
         Notice number in the OJ S: Not provided       
      IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
       Date: 28/06/2021 Time: 12:00
            
      IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,       
      IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender:
         Duration in month(s): 3
      
      IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders:
         Date: 28/06/2021
         Time: 12:00
         Place:
         UK
      

Section VI: Complementary Information
   VI.1) Information about recurrence
   This is a recurrent procurement: No    
   Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Not provided
   VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
   Electronic ordering will be used No       
   Electronic invoicing will be accepted No       
   Electronic payment will be used No       
   VI.3) Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.

Receipt of tenders MUST be no later than 12:00 noon (GMT) on 28th June 2021.

The Department reserves the right to extend the contract for a further 3 months and the estimated value of the contract value provided within the contract notice includes any possible contract extension.

The estimated budget value for these requirements is £650,000. This budget covers:
●the administrative cost of running, promoting and evaluating the fund, and supporting the fund participants (this must be no more than £225,000);
●the pool of prize funding, to be divided between five recipient companies (the prize fund pool must be no less than £425,000, which would provide £85,000 funding to each company).
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Administration-services./99YW3M2MS2

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/99YW3M2MS2
   VI.4) Procedures for review
   VI.4.1) Review body:
             Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
       100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ, United Kingdom
       Tel. +44 02072116000, Email: commercai@dcms.gov.uk
       Internet address: www.dcms.gov.uk
   VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Not provided
   VI.4.3) Review procedure
   Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:    
    Not Provided    
   VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Not provided
   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 28/05/2021

Annex A