embl-ebi network storage and compute pqq web viewmicrosoft word (version 2003 or higher) open...

EMBL-EBI

November 2013

Datacentre ProcurementPre-Qualification Questionnaire

Return date; 12.00pm 13 January 2014

Contents1 Introduction 12 Instructions for Completion of this Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) 23 Background 34 Project Objective 35 Project Requirements 36 Submission of completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaires 47 PQQ Questions and Evaluation Criteria 8

1 IntroductionThis Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (“PQQ”) is issued by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-EBI) in connection with the procurement of data centre facilities.

The EMBL-EBI is exempted from being subject to Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 31st March 2004 and as the Directive is implemented in EU member states, including in the United Kingdom under The Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended). Therefore, any references or inferences that may at any time be derived from or in relation to this PQQ or any other documentation, information or material in any form relating to the procurement referred to in this PQQ is or are not intended to be taken as the EMBL-EBI being other than exempt as so provided, nor that the EMBL-EBI has waived its exempted status or its privileges and immunities from jurisdiction and suit including as apply under The Agreement with the Government of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1994 and The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Immunities and Privileges) Order 1994.

The adherence to a particular procedure for the procurement of data centre services which may or may not follow a procurement procedure in accordance with Directive 2004/18/EC or associated legislation or regulation of any EU member state, including but not limited to The Public Contracts Regulations 2006, is on an entirely voluntary basis on the part of the EMBL-EBI. Any recipient of this PQQ and any person relying upon the content of this PQQ is not intended to proceed or otherwise assume that the EMBL-EBI is other than exempted and privileged and immune from jurisdiction and suit as previously stated.

References in this PQQ to “Regulation/s” are intended to refer to The Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended) and as set out above, any such references are not intended to infer that EMBL-EBI is bound by the said Regulations or is other than exempted and privileged and immune from jurisdiction and suit as previously stated.

EMBL-EBI are also restricted by its unique status to trade within countries that have existing ‘host’ nation agreements such as The Agreement with the Government of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1994 and The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Immunities and Privileges) Order 1994. These exist within the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

Subject to the above, this PQQ sets out the information which is required by EMBL-EBI in order to assess the suitability of Candidates to provide EMBL-EBI’s requirements for data centre facilities. This PQQ will assess Candidates in terms of their technical knowledge, experience, capability, capacity, organisational structure and financial. During the PQQ stage, the intention is to arrive at a shortlist of between 5 and 10 qualified Candidates for formal invite to tender as advertised in OJEU Contract Notice 2013/S 222-386775 dated 15 November 2013.

No information contained in this PQQ, or in any communication made between EMBL-EBI and any Candidate in connection with this PQQ, shall be relied upon as constituting a contract, agreement or representation that any contract shall be offered in accordance with this PQQ. EMBL-EBI reserves the right to change without notice the basis of, or the procedures for, this procurement or to terminate the procurement at any time. Under no circumstances shall EMBL-EBI or its advisors incur any liability in respect of this PQQ or any supporting documentation.

Direct or indirect canvassing of any officials, EMBL-EBI employee or agent by any Candidate, concerning this requirement, or any attempt to procure information from any EMBL-EBI official, employee or agent concerning this procurement may result in the disqualification of the Candidate from further consideration.

This PQQ sets out the information to be provided by Candidates, explains the procedure by which PQQ responses will be assessed and sets out how EMBL-EBI will shortlist Candidates to be invited to tender. Only those Candidates who are short-listed through this PQQ process will be issued with an Invitation to Tender.

1

For the avoidance of doubt, as stated in the OJEU Contract Notice, organisations that wish to be considered for the EMBL-EBI contracts must submit a PQQ response in accordance with the instructions within. In assessing each Candidate’s response EMBL-EBI will be seeking evidence of the Candidate’s suitability in terms of economic and financial standing and suitability in terms of prior experience and technical capability.

2 Instructions for Completion of this Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)

Candidate: The term Candidate will be used throughout the PQQ to refer to person(s)/public entity or body which submits the response to this PQQ.

Candidates shall follow the instructions outlined below when completing this PQQ.

Candidates are invited to complete this PQQ and to submit it, together with any requested supporting information, to the EMBL-EBI named contact, by the due date for return in accordance with the procedures set out in the section 6 “Submission of Completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaires”. Candidates shall follow the instructions outlined below when completing this PQQ.

Candidates must adhere to the format of this PQQ when answering the questions i.e. Candidates must provide their answers in the same sequence and with the identical numbering as posed within this PQQ.

Candidates shall answer all questions as accurately and concisely as possible in the same order as the questions are presented. Where a question is not relevant to the Candidate’s organisation, this should be indicated, with N/A and with an explanation.

Candidates must not supply general marketing, promotional or similar material in answer to a question, unless such information is specifically requested or the material supplied is particularly relevant to the question as this may be detrimental to your submission. If such material is specifically requested it should be marked clearly to show the Candidate’s name, the number of the question to which it relates and, if appropriate, the page number of the section of the material which is relevant.

EMBL - EBI may require Candidates to clarify their answers in to the PQQ or to supply additional information if it considers this appropriate.

Where this PQQ refers to UK legislation, qualifications, codes or similar matters, the Candidate, if established outside the UK, should base his answers on the equivalent legislation, qualifications or codes that apply in the relevant domestic jurisdiction.

The information supplied will be checked for completeness and compliance with the instructions included herewith before responses are evaluated further.

Failure to provide the required information, make a satisfactory response to any question, or supply relevant documentation, within the specified timescale, may mean that a Candidate is not invited to participate further. In the event that none of the responses are deemed satisfactory, EMBL-EBI reserves the right to terminate the procurement and where appropriate re-advertise the procurement.

Candidates must be explicit and comprehensive in their responses to this PQQ as this will be the single source of information on which responses will be scored and ranked. Candidates are advised not to make any assumptions about their past or current supplier relationships with EMBL-EBI as such prior business relationships will not be taken into account in the evaluation procedure.

2

3 BackgroundThe European Bioinformatics Institute is a non-profit academic organisation that forms part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. The institute manages databases of biological data including nucleic acid, protein sequences and macromolecular structures. The EMBL-EBI is centre for services and research in bioinformatics, being unique in Europe and only one of two organisations worldwide that provides access to a comprehensive integrated set of bio molecular data collections. Bioinformatics resources at EMBL-EBI are used on a daily basis by scientists worldwide, with approximately 300,000 different users.

The Mission of EMBL-EBI is:

to provide freely available data and bioinformatics services to all facets of the scientific community in ways that promote scientific progress;

to contribute to the advancement of biology through basic investigator-driven research in bioinformatics;

to provide advanced bioinformatics training to scientists at all levels, from PhD students to independent investigators;

to help disseminate cutting-edge technologies to Industry; and to coordinate biological data provision throughout Europe.

4 Project Objective EMBL-EBI is seeking new data centre capacity to host its expanding IT infrastructure. EMBL-EBI manages large-scale biological databases, which are available to its clients via web services 24/7/365. The demand for rapid access to all publically available biological databases is constantly growing along with the biological information in held within the databases.

EMBL-EBI manages an infrastructure of extensive high performance compute infrastructure along with large data storage farms.

The public-facing services of EMBL-EBI are run out of a pair of high-availability data centres, with the research and production work of EMBL-EBI being managed within the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus data centre in Hinxton. A networking hub and a disaster recovery site support these ‘service’ sites.

5 Project Requirements The requirement is for a five year contract for data centre capacity which is carrier neutral and achieves Tier III standard or equivalent. The data centre will need to be located within a 4 hour drive (measured using AA Route planner www.theaa.com/route-planner) of the EMBL-EBI at Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SD to allow EMBL-EBI staff to undertake installation, maintenance and upgrade work on the IT equipment in the data centre.

EMBL-EBI will require the supplier to supply space and the infrastructure associated for 60 racks within a highly robust and secure environment. In addition, EMBL EBI requires the flexibility to increase this requirement by up to 40 racks during the contract term.

Suitable racks and PDU’s will be installed by the supplier into the provided data centre space prior to occupation, along with the flexibility for EMBL-EBI to install varied rack sizes if required, so that the technologies deployed within the data centre is not restricted.

EMBL-EBI’s power requirement is likely to total between 600-700kW, with an average rack draw of 8-10kW and a maximum, for compute racks, of 26kW. EMBL-EBI also require the ability to chose between 2x32 amp single phase or 4x32 amp 3 phase power to each rack.

6 Submission of completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaires 3

6.1 Expression of Interest

Candidates are requested to express their interest in this procurement and confirm their intention to submit a PQQ response by emailing EMBL-EBI, using the address given below, by 6 January 2014. If, having previously expressed their interest, the Candidate changes its intention to submit a PQQ responses then the Candidate should confirm this by emailing EMBL-EBI.

6.2 EMBL-EBI named contact point

The responses must be sent to the EMBL-EBI named contact, no later than 12.00pm noon 13 January 2014.

Manuela Menchi

DCC Space Contract Manager

EMBL- EBI

European Bioinformatics Institute

Wellcome Trust Genome Campus

Hinxton

Cambridge

CB10 1SD

Tel: 012234 492637

E-mail address: [email protected]

6.3 Content of Submissions

EMBL-EBI request that the Candidate’s response must include;

- Two paper copies of the completed PQQ response forms

- A electronic copy (CD or memory stick) of the completed PQQ response forms

PQQ responses must use the format set out in Annex A and be submitted in any of the following formats:

Microsoft Word (version 2003 or higher) Open Document File Format (ODF) PDF

6.4 Method of Submission

The completed PQQ shall be sent in a plain envelope with the following reference included in the bottom left corner and returned to EMBL-EBI’s named contact.

[Manuela Menchi: EMBL-EBI Data Centre PQQ Submission]

4

The completed PQQ shall be sent via recorded delivery to the EMBL-EBI address as stated above. NB: PQQ submissions emailed to the project email address will not be accepted. Please note that completed PQQ submissions received after the closing date may be rejected.

EMBL-EBI does not accept responsibility for the premature opening or mishandling of envelopes that are not submitted in accordance with these instructions.

6.5 Candidate PQQ named contact point

Candidates are asked to include a single point of contact in their organisation for their response to the PQQ. EMBL-EBI will not be responsible for contacting the Candidate through any route other than the nominated contact. The Candidate must therefore undertake to notify EMBL-EBI promptly of any changes relating to this single point of contact.

6.6 Queries about the procurement

All questions or requests for clarification in respect of this PQQ should be addressed to EMBL-EBI’s named contact point in writing (via email) no later than 12:00PM on 6 January 2014. EMBL-EBI shall aim to respond to queries within five days of their submission.

No approach of any kind in connection with this PQQ should be made to any other person within, or associated with, EMBL-EBI.

This PQQ is being provided on the same basis to all Candidates.

EMBL-EBI will not enter into detailed discussion of the requirements at this stage.

EMBL-EBI will publish all queries and responses, in a suitably anonymous form, to all Candidates on the project website (www.ebi.ac.uk/dcc-space).

All responses received and any communication from Candidates will be treated in confidence but will be subject to the above paragraph.

6.7 General Conditions

EMBL-EBI may seek independent financial and market advice to validate information declared, or to assist in the evaluation.

EMBL-EBI reserves the right to:

Cancel the PQQ and selection process at any stage; Require a Candidate to clarify its response in writing and/or provide additional information (EMBL-EBI

reserves the right to reject or disqualify a Candidate which fails to respond to any such request adequately or by the deadline set by EMBL-EBI);

Amend the terms, conditions and/or requirements of the PQQ selection process; Cancel, postpone, suspend or abort this procurement.

EMBL-EBI is concerned to avoid conflicts of interest. In particular Candidates should note that EMBL-EBI is likely to regard a conflict of interest arising where:

A Candidate and/or associated organisation has been involved in advising EMBL-EBI on matters relating to the EMBL-EBI Contracts or in the preparation of documents or information relating to EMBL-EBI Contracts;

A staff member from a Candidate and/or associated organisations is related to one of the EMBL-EBI staff.

EMBL-EBI reserves the right to disqualify or reject Candidates where there is an actual or potential conflict of interest involving a Candidate or an associated organisation. Candidates are therefore advised to review carefully their prior or current involvement with EMBL-EBI and to contact EMBL-EBI using the process

5

http://www.ebi.ac.uk/dcc

identified above prior to submission of the completed PQQ to discuss any actual or potential conflicts they have identified.

EMBL-EBI reserve the right to disqualify a Candidate where:

the PQQ is submitted late; is completed incorrectly, is incomplete or fails to meet EMBL-EBI’s submission requirements which

have been notified to Candidates; the Candidate and/or its supply chain members is/are unable to satisfy the terms of Article 45 of

Directive 2004/18/EC and/or Regulation 23 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2006 at any stage during the tender process. Applicants should note that an act of grave misconduct would include any anti-competitive practice prohibited under the Competition Act 1998 and / or Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Good Standing as annexed in Section B with their PQQ response;

the Candidate and/or its supply chain members is/are guilty of serious misrepresentation in relation to its application and/or the process;

there is a change in identity, control, financial standing or other factor impacting on the selection and/or evaluation process affecting the Candidate and/or its supply chain members;

there is a conflict of interest arising between EMBL-EBI and the Candidate and/or its supply chain member/s;

the Candidate is awarded a score of two or less for any PQQ question which is scored (see section 6.8.1, first bullet point);

the Candidate is awarded a ‘fail’ for any PQQ question which is pass/ fail (see section 6.8.1, first bullet point); or

the Candidate achieves an overall weighted score less than five. If there are any changes to the information supplied in the Candidates submission at any stage of the tender process, Candidates must promptly inform EMBL-EBI in writing. If a Candidate fails to do so, EMBL-EBI reserves the right to disqualify that Candidate. EMBL-EBI reserves the right to reassess a Candidate’s responses to this PQQ at any time and to exclude a Candidate during the further stages of this procurement if it no longer satisfies any minimum requirements or preliminary requirements.

Candidates will be required to confirm to EMBL-EBI at the ITT stage that there has been no material change to the information provided at the PQQ stage.

All Candidates are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of the PQQ and all future stages of the selection and evaluation process.

Under no circumstances will the EMBL-EBI, or any of its advisers, be liable for any costs or expenses borne by the Candidate or any of its supply chain members or advisers in this process.

6.8 Candidate Selection

The responses of Candidates who are not disqualified in accordance with the above grounds shall be evaluated against the qualification criteria.

The ten highest scoring Candidates (who achieve all minimum thresholds) will be shortlisted and be eligible to participate further in the procurement process. In the event that there are fewer than ten Candidates who achieve the required thresholds then the shortlist will be reduced. In the event that the shortlist is less than five then EMBL-EBI reserves the right to adopt an alternative procurement procedure or cancel this procurement.

Successful Candidates will be informed in writing by 21 February 2014.

Reference site visits or demonstrations and/or presentations are unlikely to be requested at this stage but EMBL-EBI reserves the right to request the same as a part of the tender process.

6

Each submitted PQQ will be evaluated consistently and objectively according to the selection criteria and weightings defined below. Responses to questions which are for information only will not be scored.

Participants should note, however, that any PQQ response, which fails to provide the required information in response to any question, will be non-compliant and may be excluded from further consideration by EMBL-EBI.

6.9 Selection Criteria

The decision of which organisations are selected will be based on the Candidates’ responses to this PQQ.

6.9.1 Key principles

Candidate’s responses to the questions set out below will be evaluated in two ways: (1) pass/ fail; or (2) scored. Each question indicates which method will be used.

Candidates should note that where the question is indicated as ‘scored’ then marks will be awarded based on the scoring matrix set out in Annex B. The weighting for each ‘scored’ question is indicated as part of the question. Marks will be awarded against each question independently and then a weighted score calculated. For Candidates which pass all of the ‘pass/ fail’ criteria their total PQQ Score will be the sum of their weighted scores.

6.10 Consortia and Sub-contracting

Where a consortium or sub-contracting approach is proposed, all information requested should be given in respect of the proposed prime contractor or consortium leader. Relevant information should also be provided (as indicated in the PQQ) in respect of consortium members or sub-contractors who will play a significant role in the delivery of the requirements under any ensuing contract. Responses must enable EMBL-EBI to assess the overall consortia or core supply base.

EMBL-EBI does not require any unincorporated consortium to form a legal entity at this stage, although it may be required to do so prior to awarding any contract.

6.11 Procurement programme

The following dates are anticipated:

Description Anticipated ProgrammePre-qualification release 18 November 2013

Deadline for expressions of interest 6 January 2014

PQQ return date 13 January 2014

PQQ assessment 14 January – 3 February 2014

Notification of the ITT shortlist 21 February 2014

Tender period 24 February – 21 April 2014

Tender evaluation and interviews 22 April – 22 May 2014

Notification of the award decision 26 June 2014

Standstill Period 26 June – 9 July 2014

Award contract 9 July 2014

7

7 PQQ Questions and Evaluation Criteria This section outlines the PQQ questions and how they will be evaluated. The PQQ Candidate Response Form is located in Annex A which must be completed and the declaration signed.

The PQQ questions are set out in two parts:

1. Statement relating to good standing

2. PQQ Questions

7.1 Statement relating to good standing

STATEMENT RELATING TO GOOD STANDING — GROUNDS FOR OBLIGATORY EXCLUSION (IN ELIGIBILITY) AND CRITERIA FOR REJECTION OF CANDIDATES in accordance with Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended).

A We confirm that, to the best of our knowledge, the Candidate is not in breach of the provisions of Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended) and in particular that:

The Candidate (or its directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the named organisation) has not been convicted of any of the following offences and is not current the subject of any investigation which could potentially lead to a conviction relating to any of the following offences:

(1) The Candidate has NOT been convicted of the offence:

“Yes” to confirm

else “No”

(1) Evaluation Criteria

(2) The Candidate is under investigation in relation to the offence:

“No” to confirm

else please provide further details.


A1 Conspiracy within the meaning of section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 where that conspiracy relates to participation in a criminal organisation as defined in Article 2(1) of Council Joint Action 98/733/JHA;

Pass/ Fail

Candidates must respond “yes” to all statements to achieve a ‘pass’.

Not scored. For information only.

A2 Offences Under the Bribery Act 2010.

A3 Fraud, where the offence relates to fraud affecting the financial interests of the

8

European Communities as defined by Article 1 of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests relating to the protection of the financial interests of the European Union, within the meaning of:

A4.1 The offence of cheating the Revenue; or

A4.2 The offence of conspiracy to defraud; or

A4.3 Fraud or theft within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006, Theft Act 1968 and the Theft Act 1978; or

A4.4 Fraudulent trading within the meaning of section 993 of the Companies Act 2006; or

A4.5 Defrauding the HM Revenue within the meaning of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and the Finance Act 2007; or

A4.6 An offence in connection with taxation in the European Community within the meaning of section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993; or

A4.7 Destroying, defacing or concealing of documents or procuring the extension of a valuable security within the meaning of section 20 of the Theft Act 1968; or

A5 Money laundering within the meaning of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007; or

A6 Any other offence within the meaning of Article 45(1) of the Public Sector Directive

9

B Discretionary grounds for rejection

The Candidate (or its directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the named organisation) confirms that it:

Answer


else “No”

Evaluation Criteria

B1 Being an individual is not bankrupt or has not had a receiving order or administration order or bankruptcy restrictions order made against him or has not made any composition or arrangement with or for the benefit of his creditors or has not made any conveyance or assignment for the benefit of his creditors or does not appear unable to pay or to have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay, a debt within the meaning of section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986, or article 242 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, or in Scotland has not granted a trust deed for creditors or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is not the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of his estate, or is not the subject of any similar procedure under the law of any other state;

Pass/ Fail


B2 Being a partnership constituted under Scots law has not granted a trust deed or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is not the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of its estate;

B3 Being a company or any other entity within the meaning of section 255 of the Enterprise Act 2002 has not passed a resolution or is not the subject of an order by the court for the company’s winding up otherwise than for the purpose of bona fide reconstruction or amalgamation, nor had a receiver, manager or administrator on behalf of a creditor appointed in respect of the company’s business or any part thereof or is not the subject of similar procedures under the law of any other state;

B4 Has not been convicted of a criminal offence relating to the conduct of his business or profession;

B5 Has fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions under the law of any part of the United Kingdom or of the relevant State in

10

which the organisation is established;

B6 Is not guilty of serious misrepresentation in providing any information required of him under this regulation;

B7 Fraud or theft within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006, Theft Act 1968 and the Theft Act 1978; or

B8 Fraudulent trading within the meaning of section 993 of the Companies Act 2006; or

11

7.2 PQQ Questions

1.0 Candidate Details Evaluation Guidance Evaluation Criteria

Weighting %

1.01 Candidate company name, address, telephone, fax number and website of the Candidate. Question for information purpose only. Not scored N/A

1.02

Address, telephone, fax no. of the company’s office where this OJEU response will be administered.

Name and title plus email address of the contact person in respect of this response.

Question for information purpose only. Not scored N/A

1.03

Current legal status of the candidate:

Sole Trader Private limited Company Public limited Company Partnership Other (please specify)


1.04 Candidate Company registration number, registered address of the company and date of registration. Question for information purpose only. Not scored N/A

1.05Enclose a copy of your Company’s Certificate of incorporation under the Companies Act 2006.1 (Where appropriate)


1.06If the Candidate is member of a partnership, state the relationship with other organisations and date when the partnership was formed.


1 Candidates established outside the United Kingdom may provide equivalent information. For a list of acceptable equivalent information please refer to in Regulation 23(7) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.

12


Weighting %

1.07 If applicable provide the full legal name and address of the parent / holding company. Question for information purpose only. Not scored N/A

1.08If the Candidate is a division or subsidiary, state the relationship with the parent company i.e. ownership, directorship, authority.


1.09

If the Candidate is a consortium joint venture or other arrangement, and if it is available, please provide details of the constitution and percentage shareholdings.

[Table provided in the response form]


1.10 Indicate which of the following applies:

(a) Your organisation intends to provide the services required itself

(b) Your organisation is bidding in the role of Prime Contractor and intends to use third parties to provide some services

(c) The Candidate is a consortium

Response is structured and clearly demonstrates the Candidate’s proposed operating model, including clear explanation, where necessary, of who will be the central point of responsibility in terms of interaction with EMBL-EBI.

Where the Candidate’s operating model includes subcontractors the response clearly articulates the responsibilities of all parties in the supply chain (including the

Scored against a scale of 0 to 10

10%

13


Weighting %

Candidate) and the process by which the supply chain is managed.

Higher scores will be awarded to Candidates who demonstrate strong control over the supply of components which are critical to providing data centre space (e.g. electricity and IT infrastructure).

1.10.1

Please set out your organisation’s current operating model (NB-Please do not set out how you will deliver the requirements for this contract as this will be requested during the ITT stage). In addition, if your answer is ‘YES’ to 1.10 (b) or (c) please indicate in the table provided (by inserting the relevant company/ organisation name) the composition of the supply chain/ consortium, indicating which member of the supply chain (which may include the Candidate itself or solely be the Candidate) will be responsible for which elements of delivering the requirement.

(In 500 words or fewer)

1.10.2

In the case your answer to 1.10 (b) is ‘YES’ and you are unable to confirm all sub-contractors (complete supply chain) at this stage, you will need to demonstrate a satisfactory methodology and prior track record of delivering data centre services as part of your response. Please give a brief outline on policy regarding the use of sub-contractors and, if applicable, the extent to which it is envisaged they may be used in any contract.


1.11 The EMBL was created under the Agreement establishing the European Molecular Biology Laboratory dated 13 February 1969. The Candidate should confirm if it is established as a corporate entity within any of the member states who are a party to the Agreement and if not, to what extent the Candidate is established outside of those member states.

Candidate who will be relying upon the capacities of other members in its group, including parent companies, to demonstrate its economic and financial standing should also address the above question in relation to the other members in its group.

As part of the response Candidates should provide a


14


Weighting %

diagram illustrating the ownership structure of the Candidate including relations to any other companies, parent group or holding companies.


1.12

Provide a brief history of the Candidate’s organisation, no more than 200 words, including details of any parent and associated companies and any changes of ownership over the last 5 years including details of significant pending developments, changes in financial structure or ownership, prospective take-over bids, buy-outs and closures, etc which are currently in the public domain.



1.13

Demonstrate concisely the Candidate’s experience within the data centre field. Include any case studies that highlight large scale data centre environments you have provided for clients or responses’ to clients specialised requirements.

Please indicate if a reference is available.


Based on response submitted considering:

Comparability to EMBL-EBI’s requirement

Evidence of providing high power density solutions

Availability of reference

Scored against a scale of 0 to 10 35%

1.14

Do you have the capability to provide space in a Tier III data centre, or equivalent? Please provide details.


Evidence provided of current ability to meet Tier III standard, or satisfactory explanation of how the Candidate will meet EMBL-EBI’s requirements if successful in this competition = Pass

Not currently able to meet Tier III standard and an unsatisfactory explanation of how the Candidate will EMBL-EBI’s requirements if successful in this competition = Fail

Pass/ Fail N/A

1.15 Do you have the capability to provide space in a data centre which meets EMBL-EBI’s requirements to be within a 4 hour radius of EMBL-EBI’s Outstation at Hinxton (measured using AA Route planner www.theaa.com/route-planner)? Please provide details.

Scores will be awarded using the following scoring matrix:


10%

15


Weighting %


Score Distance from Hinxton10 ≤1 hour8 ≤1.5 hours7 ≤2 hours6 ≤2.5 hours5 ≤3 hours4 ≤3.5 hours3 ≤4 hours2 >4 hours

1.16Do you have the capability to provide space in a carrier neutral data centre? Please provide details.


Satisfactory response which provides evidence that the Candidate currently provides space in a carrier neutral data centre for other clients or, the Candidate does not currently have the capability but provides a satisfactory explanation of how they would satisfy EMBL-EBI’s requirement for carrier neutrality if they were successful in this competition = Pass

Candidate does not currently have the capability to provide space in a carrier neutral data centre and provides an unsatisfactory explanation of how they would if they were successful in this competition = Fail

Pass/Fail N/A

1.17 Are you able to deliver power densities equivalent to EMBL-EBI’s requirements? Please provide details.


Satisfactory response which provides evidence that the Candidate currently provides similar power densities for clients, including an explanation of how high density racks are cooled, or a satisfactory response indicting how the Candidate would meet EMBL-EBI’s requirement if they were successful in this competition = Pass

Candidate does not currently deliver equivalent power densities and provides an

Pass/ Fail N/A

16


Weighting %

unsatisfactory explanation of how they would meet EBI’s requirements if they were successful in this competition = Fail

2.0 Candidate Financial & Legal Details Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria

Weighting %

2.01 Please provide the following financial information or an explanation as to why the Candidate cannot provide this information:-

(1) A copy of the most recent audited accounts for your organisation that cover the last three years of trading or for the period that is available if trading for less than three years.

(2) A statement of the organisation’s turnover, profit and loss, and cash-flow position for the most recent full year of trading (or part year if full year not applicable) and an end period balance sheet, where this information is not available in an audited form at (1).

(3) Where (2) cannot be provided, a statement of the organisation’s cash-flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining the current cash and credit facility position.

(4) If the organisation is a subsidiary of a group, (1) to (3) are required for both the subsidiary and the ultimate parent company. Where a consortium or association is proposed, the information is requested for each member company.

(5) A separate statement of the organisation’s turnover that relates directly to the supply of this service for the past three years, or for the period the organisation has been trading (if less than three years).

Financial assessment will be based on Dunn & Bradstreet Ratings and if required the financial information set out in Question 2.01 of the PQQ. A Dunn & Bradstreet Ratings assessment will be undertaken first and the following scoring principle applied:

D&B score of 1 or 2 = 10 marks (No reservations)

D&B score of 3 = 5 marks (Reservations and further financial information may be requested)

D&B score of 4/Undetermined = 0 marks (Further financial assessment required)

If your organisation does not have a Dunn & Bradstreet Rating or you received a score of 0 following the Dunn & Bradstreet Ratings, EMBL-EBI will undertake an assessment of the economic and financial standing of the Candidate using the supporting information such as accounts supplied with the PQQ response

The economic and financial standing evaluation will determine whether the Candidate is in a sound financial position to


25%

17


Weighting %

participate in this procurement, as detailed in Regulation 24 of the Public Services Contracts Regulations 2006.

EMBL-EBI with support from a financial adviser as required, will analyse this data to compile trends for the following:

• Sales turnover• Net margin• EBITDA to net debt (EBITDA/net debt)• Interest cover (EBITDA/net interest payments)• Cashflow available for debt service (cashflow before financing: capital and interest payments on financing).

Descriptive answers provided in the PQQ response will be examined for explanations of improving, stable, or worsening trends.Information will be assessed and scored. In the assessment of the financial information submitted, a classification of Pass, Pass with Reservations, or Fail will be applied to the Candidate and a corresponding score assigned as identified below:

There is evidence that the financial standing of the Candidate is strong, that the Candidate is well managed and that there is very low risk of the bidder experiencing financial stress that would constitute a risk to the programme. = 10 Marks (Pass)

There is good evidence that the financial standing of the Candidate is viable and that the candidate is well managed. There is some risk of the Candidate experiencing financial stress (e.g. due to the current economic downturn) that would constitute a risk

18


Weighting %

to the contract, but there is good evidence that risks are manageable. Reservations will be considered by the Project Board before a Candidate is confirmed as a Pass. = 5 marks (Pass with reservations)

There is evidence that the financial standing of the Candidate is poor and that the Candidate is not well managed. There is serious risk of the Candidate experiencing financial stress (due to the current economic downturn) that would constitute a risk to the contract, and there is evidence that risks are high, or no information has been provided as required in the PQQ. = 0 marks (Fail & disqualified)

2.02

Parent company and/or other guarantees of performance and financial standing may be required if considered appropriate as well as confirmation of the organisation’s willingness to arrange for a guarantee or a performance bond.

Where the Candidate is dependant financially on a parent company to support its application for this procurement, it must indicate whether a Parent Company Guarantee is available if requested.

To respond either – Yes/No

Question for information purpose only – response not scored

Response provided – Yes/NoN/A N/A

19


Weighting %

2.03

Provide details and evidence of your current Employer’s and Public Liability Insurance.

Provide details and evidence of your current Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Evidence of £10m Employer’s Liability Insurance (or a commitment to provide the same level of cover in the event that the Candidate is successful in this competition) and evidence of £10m Public Liability Insurance (or a commitment to provide the same level of cover in the event that the Candidate is successful in this competition) = Pass

Lack of any evidence and no commitment to provide the required level of cover if the Candidate is successful in this competition = Fail

Details and evidence of Professional Indemnity Insurance provided for information only and is not scored.

Pass/

FailN/A

20

3.0 Contractual Information Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria Weighting

%

3.01

Has the Candidate or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) ever had a contract or its employment prematurely terminated under the terms of said contract in the last three years?

In the case of a ‘Yes’ please provide a brief supporting statement.


No = PASS

Yes = FAIL (Unless supporting statement provides acceptable explanation)

Pass/Fail N/A

3.02

Has the Candidate or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) ever failed to receive a contract renewal on the basis of unsatisfactory performance in the last three years?



No = PASS

Yes = FAIL (Unless supporting statement provides acceptable explanation ) Pass/Fail N/A

3.03

Is there any material pending or threatened litigation or other legal proceedings connected with similar contracts against the Candidate and/or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) that may affect the Candidate’s ability to delivery EBI’s requirements?



No = PASS

Yes = FAIL (Unless supporting statement provides acceptable explanation )

Pass/Fail N/A

21

4.0 Sustainability & Environmental Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria Weighting

%

4.01

Does your organisation have a demonstrable environmental management system or policy accredited to ISO14001, or equivalent?

Provide a copy of the system/ policy and a copy of the current accreditation certification.


Scope of environmental policy

Evidence of ISO14001 accreditation, or equivalent, provided.

Scored against a scale of 0 to

105%

4.02

Describe how the Candidate achieves minimal environmental impact in providing data centre space. Responses should include:

Details of power supply sources.

Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) methods & PUE achieved by the proposed data centre over the last two years.

Recycling methodology for electrical supplies.

Waste management.



Green energy supplies Innovative PUE methods PUE achieved in the last two years Evidence of WEEE Directive disposal

methodologies used Green waste disposal methodology for

supply packaging and other site waste

Scored against a scale of 0 to

1015%

22

5.0 Health, Safety & Quality Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria Weighting

%

5.01Does your organisation have a demonstrable Health & Safety Policy accredited to OHSAS 18001, or equivalent?

Provide a copy of the policy and a copy of the current accreditation certification.


Scope of Health Safety and Policy

Evidence of OHSAS 18001 accreditation, or equivalent, provided.

Pass/ Fail N/A

5.02

Does your organisation have a demonstrable Quality Management System accredited to ISO9001, or equivalent?



Scope of Quality Management System.

Evidence of ISO9001 accreditation, or equivalent, provided.

Pass/ Fail N/A

23

6.0 Relationship to EMBL-EBI Employees or Board Members Evaluation Criteria Score Weighting

%

6.01

Please advise if you or any of your organisation’s directors or employees are related to a current or previous EMBL-EBI staff member.

This section is for information purposes only and not scored. N/A N/A

Please advise if you or any of your organisation’s directors or employees are related to a current or previous EMBL-EBI Board member.

This section is for information purposes only and not scored. N/A N/A

24

Annex A - PQQ Candidate response formComplete each section of the response form. Where additional supporting documentation is requested please identify the document is enclosed and number the document in line with the response form numbering plan.

Statement relating to good standingSTATEMENT RELATING TO GOOD STANDING — GROUNDS FOR OBLIGATORY EXCLUSION (IN ELIGIBILITY) AND CRITERIA FOR REJECTION OF CANDIDATES in accordance with Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended).

A We confirm that, to the best of our knowledge, the Candidate is not in breach of the provisions of Regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (as amended) and in particular that:

The Candidate (or its directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the named organisation) has not been convicted of any of the following offences and is not current the subject of any investigation which could potentially lead to a conviction relating to any of the following offences:

(1) The Candidate has NOT been convicted of the offence:


else “No”


(2) The Candidate is under investigation in relation to the offence:

“No” to confirm

else please provide further details.


A1 Conspiracy within the meaning of section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 where that conspiracy relates to participation in a criminal organisation as defined in Article 2(1) of Council Joint Action 98/733/JHA;

Pass/ Fail


Not scored. For information only.

A2 Offences under the Bribery Act 2010.

A3 Fraud, where the offence relates to fraud affecting the financial interests of the European Communities as defined by Article 1 of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests relating to the

25

protection of the financial interests of the European Union, within the meaning of:

A4.1 The offence of cheating the Revenue; or

A4.2 The offence of conspiracy to defraud; or

A4.3 Fraud or theft within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006, Theft Act 1968 and the Theft Act 1978; or

A4.4 Fraudulent trading within the meaning of section 993 of the Companies Act 2006; or

A4.5 Defrauding the HM Revenue within the meaning of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and the Finance Act 2007; or

A4.6 An offence in connection with taxation in the European Community within the meaning of section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993; or

A4.7 Destroying, defacing or concealing of documents or procuring the extension of a valuable security within the meaning of section 20 of the Theft Act 1968; or

A5 Money laundering within the meaning of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007; or

A6 Any other offence within the meaning of Article 45(1) of the Public Sector Directive

Name of organisation Name of person certifying information

26

Position Signature Date

B Discretionary grounds for rejection

The Candidate (or its directors or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control of the named organisation) confirms that it:

Answer


else “No”

B1 Being an individual is not bankrupt or has not had a receiving order or administration order or bankruptcy restrictions order made against him or has not made any composition or arrangement with or for the benefit of his creditors or has not made any conveyance or assignment for the benefit of his creditors or does not appear unable to pay or to have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay, a debt within the meaning of section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986, or article 242 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, or in Scotland has not granted a trust deed for creditors or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is not the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of his estate, or is not the subject of any similar procedure under the law of any other state;

B2 Being a partnership constituted under Scots law has not granted a trust deed or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is not the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of its estate;

B3 Being a company or any other entity within the meaning of section 255 of the Enterprise Act 2002 has not passed a resolution or is not the subject of an order by the court for the company’s winding up otherwise than for the purpose of bona fide reconstruction or amalgamation, nor had a receiver, manager or administrator on behalf of a creditor appointed in respect of the company’s business or any part thereof or is not the subject of similar procedures under

27

the law of any other state;

B4 Has not been convicted of a criminal offence relating to the conduct of his business or profession;

B5 Has fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions under the law of any part of the United Kingdom or of the relevant State in which the organisation is established;

B6 Is not guilty of serious misrepresentation in providing any information required of him under this regulation;

B6 In relation to procedures for the award of a public services contract, is licensed in the relevant State in which he is established or is a member of an organisation in that relevant State when the law of that relevant State prohibits the provision of the services to be provided under the contract by a person who is not so licensed or who is not such a member.

B7 Fraud or theft within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006, the Theft Act 1968 and the Theft Act 1978; or

B8 Fraudulent trading within the meaning of section 993 of the Companies Act 2006; or

Name of organisation Name of person certifying information Position Signature Date

28

1.0 Candidate Organisation Details

1.01

Name of the Candidate company in whose name the tender would be submitted:

Address:

Post Code:

Telephone number:

Fax number:

Website address (if any):

1.02 Name of the Candidate office where this PQQ submission will be administered:

Address:

Post Code:

Telephone number:

Fax number:

Contact Name:

Contact Mobile (if applicable):

29

Contact email address:

1.03

Is your organisation:[YES / NO]

i) a public limited company?

ii) a private limited company?

iii) a partnership

iv) a sole trader

v) other (please specify)

1.04

Company Registration number (if this applies):

Date of Registration:

Registered address if different from the above:

VAT Registration number:

1.05 Company’s Certificate of incorporation under the Companies Act 2006.2 Enclosed: [YES/NO]

1.06 Member of a Partnership: [YES / NO]

Relationship within the partnership:

2 Candidates established outside the United Kingdom may provide equivalent information. For a list of acceptable equivalent information please refer to in Regulation 23(7) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.

30

Date formed:

1.07 Legal name of (ultimate) parent / holding company (if this applies):

1.08If the Candidate is a division or subsidiary, state the relationship with the parent company:

1.09

If the Candidate is a consortium joint venture or other arrangement, and if it is available, please provide details of the constitution and percentage shareholdings.

1.10

Indicate which of the following applies:

(a) Your organisation is bidding to provide the services required itself

(b) Your organisation is bidding in the role of Prime Contractor and intends to use third parties to provide some services

(c) The Candidate is a consortium

[YES/NO]

(a) (b) (c)

1.10.1

Please provide details of your current operating model in a diagram, and in addition if your answer is ‘YES’ to 1.11 (b) or (c) please indicate in the table provided (by inserting the relevant company/organisation name) the composition of the supply chain, indicating which member of the supply chain (which may include the Candidate itself or solely be the Candidate) will be responsible for the elements of the requirement.

Organisations operating model enclosed [YES / NO]

(NB-Please do not set out how you will deliver the requirements for this contract as this will be requested during the ITT stage).

RequirementCompany / Organisation How much of the requirement

and what will they directly deliver (%)

31

1.10.2

In the case your answer to 1.11 (b) is ‘YES’ and you are unable to confirm all sub-contractors (complete supply chain) at this stage, you will need to demonstrate a satisfactory methodology and prior track record of delivering a service. Please give a brief outline on policy regarding the use of sub-contractors and, if applicable, the extent to which it is envisaged they may be used in any contract.


1.11

The EMBL was created under the Agreement establishing the European Molecular Biology Laboratory dated 13 February 1969. The Candidate should confirm if it is established as a corporate entity within any of the member states (UK, France, Germany and Italy) who are a party to the Agreement and if not, to what extent the Candidate is established outside of those member states.

Candidate who will be relying upon the capacities of other members in its group, including parent companies, to demonstrate its economic and financial standing should address the above question in relation to the other members in its group.

As part of the response Candidates should provide a diagram illustrating the ownership structure of the Candidate including relations to any other companies, parent group or holding companies.


32

1.12

Provide a brief history of the Candidate’s organisation, no more than 200 words, including details of any parent and associated companies and any changes of ownership over the last 5 years including details of significant pending developments, changes in financial structure or ownership, prospective take-over bids, buy-outs and closures, etc which are currently in the public domain.


1.13

Demonstrate concisely the Candidate’s experience within the data centre field. Include any case studies that highlight large scale data centre environments you have provided for clients or responses’ to clients specialised requirements


1.14

Demonstrate your capability to provide space in a Tier III data centre, or equivalent? Please provide details.


1.15

Demonstrate your capability to provide space in a data centre which meets EMBL-EBI’s requirements to be within a 4 hour radius of EMBL-EBI’s Outstation at Hinxton (measured using AA Route planner www.theaa.com/route-planner)? Please provide details.


1.16Demonstrate your capability to provide space in a carrier neutral data centre? Please provide details.


33

1.17

Demonstrate your capability to deliver power densities equivalent to EMBL-EBI’s requirements? Please provide details.


2.0 FINANCIAL INFORMATION

2.01Please provide the following financial information or an explanation as to why the Candidate cannot provide this information

Enclosed [YES / NO / N/A] Location within Document pack / Explanation why not included

(1)A copy of the most recent audited accounts for your organisation that cover the last three years of trading or for the period that is available if trading for less than three years.

(2)

A statement of the organisation’s turnover, profit and loss, and cash-flow position for the most recent full year of trading (or part year if full year not applicable) and an end period balance sheet, where this information is not available in an audited form at (1).

(3)Where (2) cannot be provided, a statement of the organisation’s cash-flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining the current cash and credit facility position.

(4)

If the organisation is a subsidiary of a group, (1) to (3) are required for both the subsidiary and the ultimate parent company. Where a consortium or association is proposed, the information is requested for each member company.

(5)

A separate statement of the organisation’s turnover that relates directly to the supply of this service for the past three years, or for the period the organisation has been trading (if less than three years).

34

2.0 FINANCIAL INFORMATION

2.02

Parent company and/or other guarantees of performance and financial standing may be required if considered appropriate as well as confirmation of the organisation’s willingness to arrange for a guarantee or a performance bond.

If asked would you be able and willing to obtain a guarantee or performance bond?

[YES / NO]

Where the Candidate is dependant financially on a parent company to support its application for this procurement, it must indicate whether a Parent Company Guarantee is available if requested

If asked would you be able and willing to obtain a guarantee or performance bond?

[YES / NO / Not Applicable]

2.03

Provide details and evidence of your current: Insurer Policy No. Cover £ Renewal Date Certificate enclosed

Public Liability

Employer’s Liability

Professional Indemnity

Brief explanation for non conformance

(if applicable)

3.0 Contractual information

[YES / NO] In the case of a ‘Yes’ please provide a brief supporting statement.


35

3.0 Contractual information

3.01Has the Candidate or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) ever had a contract terminated or its employment determined under the terms of the contract in the last three years?

3.02Has the Candidate or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) ever failed to receive a contract renewal on the basis of unsatisfactory performance in the last three years?

3.03

Is there any material pending or threatened litigation or other legal proceedings connected with similar contracts against the Candidate and/or any of its named supply chain members (sub-contractors) that may affect the Candidate’s ability to delivery EBI’s requirements?

4.0 Sustainability & Environmental

4.01

Does your organisation have a demonstrable environmental management system or policy accredited to ISO14001, or equivalent?

[YES / NO] Copy of system/ policy enclosed?

Evidence of accreditation enclosed?

4.02 Describe how the Candidate achieves minimal environmental impact in providing data centre space. Responses should include:

Details of power supply sources.

Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) methods & PUE achieved by the proposed data centre over the last two years.

Recycling methodology for electrical supplies.

Waste management.

36

4.0 Sustainability & Environmental


5.0 Health , Safety & Quality

5.01

Does your organisation have a demonstrable Health & Safety Policy accredited to OHSAS 18001, or equivalent?


[YES / NO] Copy of policy enclosed?


5.02

Does your organisation have a demonstrable Health & Safety Policy accredited to OHSAS 18001, or equivalent?


[YES / NO] Copy of policy enclosed?


6.0 Relationship to EMBL-EBI Employees or Board Members

6.01

Please advise if you or any of your organisation’s directors or employees are:

[YES / NO] In the case of a ‘Yes’ please provide a brief supporting statement.

(200 words or fewer)

Related to a current or previous EMBL-EBI staff member

Related to a current or previous EMBL-EBI Board member

37

7.0

I/We certify that the information supplied is accurate to the best of my/our knowledge and that I/we accept the conditions and undertakings requested in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. I/We understand that false information could result in my/our exclusion from consideration for this contract with EMBL-EBI.

I/We also understand that it is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment to give or offer any gift or consideration whatsoever as an inducement or reward to any servant of EMBL-EBI.

A Director or a Partner of the lead organisation should sign or counter sign the undertaking.

Name:

Position (Job Title):

Date:

Telephone number:

Signature:

39

ANNEX B - Scoring

Mark

Description How well does the Candidates response to the evaluation question demonstrate an ability to meet the relevant requirement

0 Unacceptable The answer provided is entirely unacceptable and does not meet the EMBL-EBI’s requirements at all

1 Unsatisfactory The answer provided is unsatisfactory and does not meet the EMBL-EBI’s requirements

2 Very Weak The answer provided is very weak, falling significantly short of meeting EMBL-EBI’s requirements

3 Weak The answer provided is weak, falling moderately short of meeting EMBL-EBI’s requirements

4 Poor The answer provided is poor, falling slightly short of meeting EMBL-EBI’s requirements

5 Acceptable The answer provided is acceptable, probably meeting EMBL-EBI’s requirements although some minor points have not been fully evidenced.

6 Satisfactory The answer provided satisfactorily meets EMBL-EBI’s requirements and is supported by clear evidence

7 Good The answer provided slightly exceeds EMBL-EBI’s requirements and is supported by clear evidence

8 Very Good The answer provided noticeably exceeds EMBL-EBI’s requirements and is supported by clear evidence

9 Outstanding The answer provided considerably exceeds EMBL-EBI’s requirements in one or more respects and is supported by clear evidence

10 Exceptional The answer provided significantly exceeds EMBL-EBI’s requirements in all respects and is supported by clear evidence.

40

embl-ebi network storage and compute pqq web viewmicrosoft word (version 2003 or higher) open...

Documents