Award

Assisting the Independent Assessor

DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

11 Oct 2017 at 11:17

Award

24 May 2017 at 10:09

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process titled "Assisting the Independent Assessor" was conducted by the Defra Network eTendering Portal, based in London, England. This contract falls within the legal services industry category and entails a total value of £25,000, with a contract period running from 29 November 2016 to 30 March 2018. The tender process was initiated in the context of addressing maladministration findings against Defra by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which has led to an ongoing assessment of business and personal losses claimed by an affected farmer. The procurement method used was classified as 'Other,' with the tender period concluding on 31 October 2016.

This tender offers significant opportunities for legal firms, particularly those with specialisations in advisory and representation services, as well as forensic accounting. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate, given the suitability criteria of the procurement process. Firms that are experienced in handling governmental compliance issues or are proficient in working with public sector organisations may find this tender especially relevant for growth and collaboration with a significant governmental body.

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Notice Title

Assisting the Independent Assessor

Notice Description

Devon farmer, Mr xxx, alleges that he suffered losses as a result of relying on incorrect information placed on an online portal provided by Defra which meant he was too late to apply for a derogation for 2011 from the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 (as amended). He complained to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) who in their report, found maladministration against Defra for the original mistake made on the online portal (for which Defra had already apologised) and a further maladministration for the delay in dealing with Mr xxx's complaint. The PHSO was however unable to assess the extent of Mr xxx business or personal losses but made a number of recommendations which Defra addressed through the implementation of an Action Plan (agreed with PHSO). The Plan was approved by the then Permanent Secretary in December 2014. It included the appointment of an Independent Assessor (IA) (barrister) to identify the extent of any losses incurred by Mr xxx's businesses as well as an assessment of his personal losses which relate to injury, distress and loss of amenity as a result of the maladministration. The IA would also consider whether Mr xxxx took steps to mitigate his losses. It has taken some time for those acting for Mr xxxx to provide submissions to the IA. Their claim against Defra for business losses currently stands at some PS8.5m. xxxxx of xxxx Chambers was appointed in November 2015 as the Independent Assessor and approval was given in December 2016 for xxxx(junior counsel) to assist him in the production of his report due to the length of time it had taken for Mr xxxx to provide additional material and Mr xxxx's court commitments. The Attorney General's Office gave approval to appoint xxxx at C panel rates (PS80/hour). The IA circulated a draft of his report in May. Mr xxxx's representatives have just submitted extensive comments on the report which will need to be considered by the IA with support from xxxx. The value of her contract is therefore increased to PS25k to reflect this additional, complex work and the length is extended to 31 March 2018. We have financial provision in 2017/18 to pay for these costs. The appointment of the IA was authorised by the Permanent Secretary as a fundamental part of the Action Plan. Additional information: Please note that Defra procurement uses e-tendering, provided by Bravosolutions. In order to access the Bravo system you will need to be registered. Could I therefore request that you register on the Bravo portal for Defra. If you're already registered on the Bravo portal please check that your registration includes Defra, as you have to specify us in order to correctly receive the tender documents. If you have any problems with the registration process, please contact the Bravo helpline on 0800 368 4850 or alternatively email them at help@bravosolution.co.uk. The link you require for new registration/amendments to registrations is - https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-c2bae477-e30e-4994-9a7e-a195f1cd5b22
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7504fc89-a082-4b03-97a7-96e57669629f
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Other -
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79100000 - Legal services

79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£25,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Oct 20178 years ago
Submission Deadline
31 Oct 2016Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
19 Dec 20169 years ago
Contract Period
29 Nov 2016 - 30 Mar 2018 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
network.procurement@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3JR
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HANNAH CURTAIN

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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