Provision of Audience Insight Analysis on Government Covid-19 Communications

Concepts

• social research
• cabinet office
• provision of audience insight analysis
• real-time quantitative analysis
• audience analysis services
• analysis
• insight
• government covid-19 communications
• communications response
• prior publication

Location

London

Description

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

Total Quantity or Scope

The Cabinet Office (the ‘Authority’) has awarded a contract to the supplier for rapid, real-time quantitative analysis to support analysis and facilitate insight for the communications response to Coronavirus. Negotiated procedure without prior publication (OJEU) — Single tender action under Reg 32(2)(c).

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 79315000 - Social research services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

This procurement is to be treated as a negotiated procedure without prior publication under Regulation 32(2)(c) of the PCR 2015. The original contract was let as a Single Tender Action without prior competition (non-OJEU) with effect from 28 July 2020 — 1 November 2020 at a value of GBP 100 000 + VAT. A Contracts Finder Notice was issued reflecting this on 19 August 2020. 1) The Covid-19 outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern 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 advisory 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

Contracts Finder Link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7d8a0511-179a-46e1-a1f0-0655df...