DoJ FSNI Y-Str Profiling Kits for Use Within the Biology/DNA Workstreams

Concepts

• belfast
• clinical forensics equipment and supplies
• association of forensic science providers
• y-str analysis
• fsni
• local y-str service
• use
• doj fsni y-str profiling kits
• dna workstreams
• forensic casework

Location

BELFAST

Description

Y-STR analysis has become well established in Forensic casework in the UK and Ireland, including all laboratories within the Association of Forensic Science Providers, of which FSNI is a member. To this end, FSNI have decided to launch a local Y-STR service.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 33950000 - Clinical forensics equipment and supplies

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

This application fulfils the general grounds 2b (ii): 'competition is absent for technical reasons', as not awarding the contract directly to [WITHHELD] will result in: 1. FSNI losing the wealth of experience already built by the other main FSPs who use this technique routinely in case-work. If FSNI were to employ the alternative [WITHHELD] kit, FSNI would need to build this experience locally over time, therefore reducing the immediate and ongoing effectiveness to the Northern Ireland CJS. 2. FSNI having a reduced input to, and benefit from, joint research projects involving the other main FSPs on Y-STR analysis and interpretation will be extremely limited. Projects of this kind are very useful for providing supporting data to the evidence presented in Court. 3. Discriminatory power of FSNI database searches being reduced on the forthcoming FINDS (Home Office) database as the alternative [WITHHELD] system will not be fully compatible with this database. 4. Using [WITHHELD] there would be no reduction in the statistical power when calculations to estimate the occurrence of a profile in the general population are carried out using the forthcoming 10,000 sample survey from FINDS. For the [WITHHELD] system which will not be fully compatible with this database there will be a reduction. 5. Modifications will be required to the forthcoming FINDS (Home Office) database to allow Y-STR profiles obtained from the [WITHHELD] system to be loaded. This will have additional costs and time constraints associated with it. This application also fulfils the general grounds (iii): 'the protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights', as [WITHHELD] is the sole supplier of the [WITHHELD] kit.

Other Information

Please note that information relating to contractors engaged by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice,and associated bodies, is not published in any publicly accessible forum or publication. This is to protect such contractors, whose security and safety could be threatened by dissident terrorist organisations still active in Northern Ireland if their details became known. This is consistent with Regulation 50(6)(a). The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only and includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand and to future proof. There is no guarantee of any level of business under this contract. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a contractor should the actual demand be less than that stated. The successful contractor's performance on this contract will be managed as per specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 Contract Management: https://www.financeni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dfp/PGN-01012-Cont...). Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public Purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in Construction and Procurement Delivery for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance will result in the Contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of up to 3 years from the date of issue of the notice.