Highways Agency

• 1 introduction
• 2 the project
• 3 legal, contractual and commercial matters
• 4 timetable and selection process
• 5 prequalification questionnaire : introduction and guidance
• 6 submissions and enquiries

5 prequalification questionnaire : introduction and guidance

5 PREQUALIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE : INTRODUCTION AND GUIDANCE

Introduction

5.1 This Section 5 gives information on the prequalification questionnaire to be submitted byCandidates. The form of PQQ is set out in Annex D.

5.2 The Agency will wish to be satisfied that organisations selected to be taken to the next stageof the procurement have the appropriate experience, qualities and resources to enable themto undertake the Project and help deliver the Agency's objectives for the Project.

5.3 The purpose of the PQQ is to elicit information to enable the Agency to assess the technicalcapability and financial and economic standing of organisations expressing an interest inbidding for the Project. On the basis of this information, the Agency will determine theorganisations qualified to be taken to the next stage of the procurement.

5.4 It is anticipated that, in order to offer the required level of resources and the necessary rangeand depth of skills, organisations might wish to group together in consortia, which would thenapply together for qualification. Where appropriate, the PQQ indicates whether information isrequired from individual organisations, consortia or both.

Terminology used

5.5 In this document Candidate refers to the entity expressing an interest in bidding for theProject (whether that is an individual organisation or a group of organisations) and whichwould ultimately become the DBFO Co contracting with the Agency. In the latter case,Consortium is used to refer to the group of organisations and Member Organisation is usedto describe the individual organisations that constitute the Consortium.

5.6 A Relevant Organisation means any organisation other than the Candidate that is connectedwith the bid. This covers the Member Organisations (where the Candidate is a consortium)and those with whom the Candidate has contracted - or will contract - in order to carry out theProject, where they have been identified. It includes, for example, service providers who arenot Member Organisations, legal and financial advisers, specialist design professionals andenvironmental consultants.

Completion of the PQQ

5.7 The content of the PQQ is summarised in the following table. Candidates must completesections 1 to 6 of the PQQ and supply additional information as required. Failure properly tocomplete the PQQ may lead to disqualification of the Candidate from the selection process.

5.8 The Agency may request a Candidate to clarify its submissions in writing. Any such requestwill be made in writing (including by e-mail) to the Candidate or its nominated representative.Failure to respond adequately and within the required period may lead to disqualification of theCandidate from the selection process.

5.9 The Agency reserves the right to reject any Candidate that fails to comply fully with therequirements of the selection process set out in this document or that is guilty of a materialmisrepresentation in supplying any information requested.

5.10 Prequalified Candidates will be required to certify that they will not collude with otherCandidates.

5.11 The Agency reserves the right to approach any contacts or references whose details are givenby the Candidate in response to the PQQ.

Guidance notes

5.12 The PQQ will be provided in electronic form as outlined in paragraph 6.1 and Candidates arerequired to complete it in electronic form. They should add additional pages and sections totables as needed.

5.13 Candidates should complete the PQQ in English.

5.14 All financial information should be denominated in Pounds Sterling, except where financialinformation is being provided in a supporting document such as a set of financial statements,where it is sufficient for the information to remain in its original currency.

5.15 Where information is relevant to more than one question in the PQQ, it need only be providedonce and its location within the submission should be referenced clearly in all other responsesto which it relates.

5.16 If any of the questions in the PQQ are not applicable to a Candidate or Relevant Organisation,insert "n/a" and briefly explain why it is not applicable.

5.17 Candidates are encouraged to comply with any limits on the length of responses set out in thePQQ. The Agency reserves the right not to consider any information that does not complywith the specified limits.

Evaluation of responses to the PQQ

5.18 This section sets out the basis of evaluation of responses to the PQQ. The purpose ofdefining the basis for evaluation of responses is to ensure that PQQs will be evaluatedconsistently and objectively.

Basis of evaluation - summary

5.19 The evaluation will be in two stages:

• Compliance and eligibility. This is a hurdle stage. An assessment will be made of whether each Candidate's responses to the PQQ are complete and compliant, whether there is any reason why the Candidate should be considered ineligible to tender under the provisions of Regulation 14 or might be the subject of a material conflict. Further details on this stage are given in paragraphs 5.20 to 5.24 below.
• Detailed evaluation. The responses to the PQQ questions will be scored on a scale of 0 to 10. The score for each question will then be multiplied by a weighting factor assigned to the question on the basis of its importance relative to other questions. The weighted scores will then be added together to give a total weighted score for the PQQ response. Further details on this stage are given in paragraphs 5.25 to 5.30 below.

Compliance and eligibility

5.20 This first stage of the evaluation is designed to determine whether a Candidate's response iscomplete and complies with the requirements in the PQQ.

Completeness of information

5.21 Candidates are required to submit complete data in the specified formats and covering thespecified periods. The Agency will notify a Candidate if required data appear to have beenomitted from their response, stating the period within which such information must beprovided. The Agency reserves the right to eliminate at this stage of the assessment anyCandidate who fails to provide information required in the right form and in sufficient depthwithin the specified period after a reminder has been issued.

Eligibility

5.22 Any Candidate who fails to answer any question in the PQQ relating to eligibility underRegulation 14 of the Regulations may be excluded from further consideration. However, in theevent that the Candidate declares that one or more of the grounds applies, the Agency willdetermine in the light of all the circumstances whether the matter(s) disclosed are so materialas to justify exclusion of the Candidate from further consideration.

5.23 Any Candidate who fails to answer any question in the PQQ relating to convictions underequal opportunities, health and safety or environmental/pollution legislation or any othercriminal prosecutions may be excluded from further consideration. However, in the event thatthe Candidate declares that it has been found guilty in any such prosecution, the Agency willdetermine in the light of all the circumstances whether the matter(s) disclosed are so materialas to justify exclusion of the Candidate from further consideration.

Conflicts

5.24 The declaration of a potential conflict of interest will not result in automatic disqualification of aCandidate. The Agency will assess the likelihood of any conflict affecting the robustness ofthe tender process, taking into account the Candidate's proposal for dealing with the conflict,in deciding whether or not to consider the Candidate ineligible. If it appears likely that theconflict will have such an effect, the Agency will discuss the matter with the Candidate andseek to agree a method for dealing with the conflict satisfactorily. In the event that agreementis not reached on terms acceptable to the Agency, the Candidate will be excluded from furtherconsideration.

Detailed evaluation

5.25 The detailed evaluation entails evaluating and scoring Candidates' responses to a series ofstructured questions according to pre-defined criteria in order to assess whether they satisfythe Agency's minimum standards of technical capacity and financial and economic standing.

5.26 It is recognised that Candidates might not yet have entered into relationships with RelevantOrganisations but they are expected to provide, as a minimum, information which describesthe structure of relationships which will be entered into and to demonstrate appropriateexperience in forming and managing such relationships in the context of appropriate projects.

5.27 Scores will be allocated to each response according to where it falls in the range indicated inthe table below.

5.28 The mark for each question is weighted, and the weighted scores will be combined into anoverall quantitative assessment of technical capacity (in terms of experience, managementsystems and resources) and financial and economic standing.

5.29 The responses to Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the PQQ will be weighted in the detailed evaluationaccording to the weightings given in the following table.

5.30 Any Candidate which fails to achieve the minimum score of 30 (with a score of at least 15 inrespect of relevant experience and a score of at least 7 in respect of financial and economicstanding) will not be taken forward to the next stage of the procurement.