FOI 321_Marine Data Tender

Request

Project Name: Marine Data Handling and Analysis, Reference number: 2024/S 000-001091

Link: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001091-2024?origin=SearchResults&p=1

1. Copy of successful tender
2. Scoring table of all bidders, split by scores awarded for each question of bid  
3. Price/Cost Proposed by each Bidder – we want this information for all the bidders who submitted the response.
4. Name of the Winning Bidder.
5. Name & Rank of all bidders who submitted responses.
6. Approximate date that the tender will be reissued towards the end of the current contract period.

Response

For clarity, our response corresponds with the number in the request above.

1. Under exception 10(5)(f) – third party interests and 10(5)(e) – confidentiality of commercial or industrial information under EIRs, Crown Estate Scotland is withholding that information.  The tender information was provided by a third party which does not consent for that information to be in the public domain.  As this tender is quite recent, the commercial information contained within the tender will impact future tender competitions; undermining Crown Estate Scotland’s ability to procure best value for money. 

2. Under exception 10(5)(e) – confidentiality of commercial or industrial information under EIRs, Crown Estate Scotland is withholding that information.  The recent nature of this tender means the information contained in the scoring is still relevant and the format will be used again for near future tenders.  This information in the public domain means bidders can replicate their submissions which would result in less competition between bidders.

   Enclosed is more information on our scoring criteria and methodology.

3. Under exception 10(5)(e) – confidentiality of commercial or industrial information under EIRs, Crown Estate Scotland is withholding that information.  The recent nature of this tender means the costing information can be replicated by other bidders in future tenders, affecting competition for Crown Estate Scotland to achieve best value for money.  In addition, the bidders are applying for other tenders with other agencies/companies and this information in the public domain can harm their active bids.

4. This information is already made public: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR502303

   Enclosed is a pdf file of the award notice.

5. Crown Estate Scotland received three bids for this invitation to tender (ITT). The company names and organised by rank are below:

   1. ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) Ltd

   2. Ocean Ecology Limited

   3. Avineon Europe Limited (trading as Tensing)

6. Enclosed is our ITT Data Handling which has more information which will assist. The awarded contract is for 2 years with the option to extend for a further period of up to 2 years. Therefore, 2026 there’s the potential for retendering; or if the contract is extended, a retender would be 2028.