Provision of Covid-19 Campaign Services

Concepts

• advertising campaign
• cabinet office
• provision of covid-19 campaign services
• campaign coordination services
• coronavirus

Location

London

Description

The Cabinet Office (the ‘Authority’) has awarded a contract to the supplier for campaign coordination services in relation to Coronavirus.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

This contract commenced on 8 April 2020 with an original expiry date of 7 October 2020. The contract was extended on 16 December 2020 to 7 April 2021 in accordance with Regulations 72(1)(f) and (5) PCR. This modification did not increase the value of the contract.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 79341400 - Advertising campaign services

Indicators

• Options are available.
• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a serious infectious respiratory disease and its consequences pose a risk to life. 1) The Covid-19 outbreak is a public health emergency of international concerns as declared by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020. The WHO Director General characterised Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, by this stage Europe was the centre of the pandemic. 2) There is an immediate need to give the public accurate, relevant information about the measures Government is implementing in response to the virus and the actions the public must take in order to comply with Government policy. In order to protect themselves and others and prevent the mass spread of the virus, it is crucial that the public understand and adhere to government messages. In these circumstances, a procurement following the usual timescales under the PCR 2015, including accelerated options, was impossible without an interruption to services. 3) Corresponding with the principles of Regulation 32 and the new process set out in (Policy Procurement 01/20), Cabinet Office is satisfied the principles of tests permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(c)) were met as follows: A. As far as is strictly necessary: To communicate to citizens the necessary precautions and measures being put in place to manage through the emerging crisis, in the absence of an existing agreement for the provision of strategic communications advertising campaign services. B. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency: Cabinet Office are responding to Covid-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency. C. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable: As the EU Commission itself confirmed: ‘the current coronavirus crisis presents an extreme and unforeseeable urgency – precisely for such a situation our European rules enable public buyers to buy within a matter of days, even hours, if necessary.‘ (Commissioner Breton, Internal Market, 1 April 2020). D. It was impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR: Due to the urgency of the situation there was no time to run an accelerated procurement under the open, restricted or competitive Procedures with negotiation that would allow the supplier to commence work. E. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority: Cabinet Office has not caused or contributed to the coronavirus crisis, which justifies the need for extreme urgency.

Other Information

Link to Contracts Finder publication re orgional contract https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bb1f1ec4-157d-4194-9536-b30bea.... Latest Information — LInkn to Contract Finder publication re time only extension https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/42724f2c-5ef7-4800-bd7a-1086c4... Link to Contracts Finder publication re orgional contract https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/bb1f1ec4-157d-4194-9536-b30bea.... Latest Information - LInkn to Contract Finder publication re time only extension https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/42724f2c-5ef7-4800-bd7a-1086c4...