Management and Promotion of on-line countrywide court fee franking system

Courts Service

The Courts Service wishes to put in place an arrangement for the supply and management of court fee franking machines to solicitors firms in the Republic of Ireland. The machines to be supplied should be state of the art, highly automated, with an online re-crediting facility. The selected service provider will be responsible for supplying and maintaining the machines and also collecting fees, on behalf of the Courts Service, paid by solicitors firms in respect of charges for stamping court documents. Franking machines used by solicitors firms must be kept in credit otherwise usage will not be allowed.
The Courts Service cannot guarantee any level of business under this arrangement, as it will be a matter for any solicitor firm wishing to avail of these new machines, to opt to avail of this arrangement. Furthermore future changes, for example the introduction of electronic filing, could impact on the medium to long term viability of this arrangement.
Under the present system some 20 000 000 EUR (twenty million euro) is collected annually in fees by the Courts Service, whereby about 200 solicitors’ practices operate fee franking machine. Each of these subscribers uses a franking machine for the stamping of court documents prior to their lodgement into court, with the subscribers required to attend at the offices of the Courts Service in order for their machines to be re-credited under a manual system with payment being made monthly in arrears.
The new contract which will extend over a period of 5 years together with an option for extension, will be categorised as a service concession contract, as the appointed service provider will assume the full risk of extending the system countrywide to law firms, of which there are currently some 2000 in Ireland.
Under the proposed new system the appointed service provider will be commissioned to promote the development of the prepayment service to solicitors’ practices countrywide. Participating practices will have their advance payments credited to their machines on-line by the service provider, who will in turn transfer the relevant funds to the Courts Service, together with the appropriate financial reports and management information.
As a service concession, this contract is expressly excluded from Directive 2004/18/EC, under Article 17 thereof. This notice is therefore published strictly on a voluntary basis. The award process will be structured such that negotiations leading to the award will be carried out in accordance with the general structure of a competitive dialogue procedure.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the eTenders Web Site at http://www.etenders.gov.ie/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=232132.

Deadline

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2011-06-14. The procurement was published on 2011-05-18.

Suppliers

The following suppliers are mentioned in award decisions or other procurement documents:

Who? What? Where?
Procurement history
Date Document
2011-05-18 Contract notice
2012-06-14 Contract award notice
Contract notice (2011-05-18)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: law-courts-related administrative services
Quantity or scope:
Operation of a state of the art court on-line fee franking service with a possibility of extending the service to all solicitors' practices in Ireland.
Notice metadata
Original language: English 🗣️
Document type: Contract notice
Nature of contract: Services
Regulation: European Union
Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
Code: Law-courts-related administrative services 📦

Procedure
Procedure type: Negotiated procedure
Type of bid: Submission for all lots
Award criteria
The most economic tender

Contracting authority
Identity
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Awarding authority type: National or federal Agency/Office
Postal address: Phoenix House, 15/24 Phoenix St. North, Smithfield
Postal code: 7
Postal town: Dublin
Contact
Internet address: http://www.courts.ie 🌏
E-mail: jcleere@courts.ie 📧
Phone: +353 18886000 📞

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2011-05-18 📅
Submission deadline: 2011-06-14 📅
Publication date: 2011-05-20 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2011/S 97-159409
OJ-S issue: 97
Additional information
1) Interested parties must register their interest on the eTenders web site (www.etenders.gov.ie) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting authority will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties. 2) The contracting authority will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers. 3) Award of Contract will be subject to the approval of all the relevant competent authorities. 4) It will be a condition for the award that candidates and all sub-contractors produce a valid Tax Clearance Certificate from the Irish Revenue Commissioners promptly on request. 5) If for any reason it is not possible to conclude the contract with the tenderer selected following the competitive process, the contracting authority reserves the right to award it to the next highest scoring tenderer(s) during the currency of the tender validity period. 6) This contract will be subject to regular review and may be terminated if the service provider fails to meet the contractual obligations in any significant way. 7) Please note in relation to all documents, that where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, that this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words "or equivalent" will always be implied if not expressly stated. 8) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the contracting authority is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of applications with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return FULLY COMPLETED applications in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition. 9) The tender validity period will be 6 months from the closing date for formal submission of tenders. (ET Ref:232132).
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Object
Scope of the procurement
Short description:
The Courts Service wishes to put in place an arrangement for the supply and management of court fee franking machines to solicitors firms in the Republic of Ireland. The machines to be supplied should be state of the art, highly automated, with an online re-crediting facility. The selected service provider will be responsible for supplying and maintaining the machines and also collecting fees, on behalf of the Courts Service, paid by solicitors firms in respect of charges for stamping court documents. Franking machines used by solicitors firms must be kept in credit otherwise usage will not be allowed.
Show more
The Courts Service cannot guarantee any level of business under this arrangement, as it will be a matter for any solicitor firm wishing to avail of these new machines, to opt to avail of this arrangement. Furthermore future changes, for example the introduction of electronic filing, could impact on the medium to long term viability of this arrangement.
Show more
Under the present system some 20 000 000 EUR (twenty million euro) is collected annually in fees by the Courts Service, whereby about 200 solicitors’ practices operate fee franking machine. Each of these subscribers uses a franking machine for the stamping of court documents prior to their lodgement into court, with the subscribers required to attend at the offices of the Courts Service in order for their machines to be re-credited under a manual system with payment being made monthly in arrears.
Show more
The new contract which will extend over a period of 5 years together with an option for extension, will be categorised as a service concession contract, as the appointed service provider will assume the full risk of extending the system countrywide to law firms, of which there are currently some 2000 in Ireland.
Show more
Under the proposed new system the appointed service provider will be commissioned to promote the development of the prepayment service to solicitors’ practices countrywide. Participating practices will have their advance payments credited to their machines on-line by the service provider, who will in turn transfer the relevant funds to the Courts Service, together with the appropriate financial reports and management information.
Show more
As a service concession, this contract is expressly excluded from Directive 2004/18/EC, under Article 17 thereof. This notice is therefore published strictly on a voluntary basis. The award process will be structured such that negotiations leading to the award will be carried out in accordance with the general structure of a competitive dialogue procedure.
Show more
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the eTenders Web Site at http://www.etenders.gov.ie/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=232132.
Variants will be accepted ✅
Description of options:
An option is reserved to extend the concession by a further period of up to 2 years.
Duration: 84 months
Place of performance
Main site or place of performance: Ireland.

Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Conditions for participation
Suitability to pursue the professional activity:
a) Candidates must confirm that they do not satisfy any of the exclusion provisions in Article 45.1 of Directive 2004/18/EC regarding participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud or money laundering.
b) Candidates must also confirm that they do not satisfy any of the exclusion provisions in Article 45.2 of Directive 2004/18/EC regarding bankruptcy, conviction by a judgment, grave professional misconduct and obligations in respect of social security contributions and taxation in their country of establishment.
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c) Candidates are reminded that any serious representation in respect of the information being provided under section III.2 will result in their summary elimination from the competition.
Economic and financial standing:
i) Candidates should provide evidence of an annual financial turnover exceeding €2 million during the most recent financial year.
ii) Candidates should provide evidence of all relevant insurances currently in place.
iii) Candidates should show that they are currently in compliance with their legal obligations regarding the return of audited accounts to the Companies
Office or equivalent in their country of establishment.
Minimum level(s) of standards:
Please note that all of the above criteria, (i) to (iii) inclusive, will be subject to pass/fail assessment as minimum requirements.
Technical and professional ability:
i) Candidates should provide a detailed list of similar projects (at least one) which they have carried out over the past 3 years, describing the procedures carried out together with contact details for at least one (1) referee.
ii) Candidates should provide a description of the technical facilities and measures used by the candidate for ensuring quality.
iii) Candidates should provide the educational and professional qualifications of the persons responsible for providing the services.
iv) Candidates should provide a statement of the skill set and numbers of personnel including managerial staff over the past 3 years together with an associated organisational chart.
v) Candidates should provide a statement of the tools or technical equipment / systems for delivering the services.
vi) Candidates should provide a detailed description of their company profile, range of services and the markets in which they operate.
Minimum level(s) of standards:
Please note that all of the above criteria, (i) to (vi) inclusive, will be subject to pass/fail assessment as minimum requirements.
Contract execution
Deposits and guarantees required: Not applicable.
Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them: As per contract documents.
Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
A grouping if successful must be prepared to contract as a single entity having joint and several liability.
Names and professional qualifications of the staff ✅

Procedure
Minimum number of candidates: 5
Objective criteria for selection:
Following evaluation of applications, at least 5 firms will be invited to negotiation on the basis of a specification of requirements.
Date of dispatch of invitations: 2011-06-28 📅
Languages
Language: English 🗣️
Irish 🗣️

Contracting authority
Identity
Awarding authority name: Courts Service
Contact
Contact point: John Cleere
Internet address: www.courts.ie 🌏
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA01653 🌏
Name: Courts Service
Postal address: Phoenix House,, 15/24 Phoenix St. North, Smithfield
URL for further information: www.courts.ie 🌏
Contact point: John Cleeer
URL for documents: www.courts.ie 🌏
URL for participation: www.courts.ie 🌏

Reference
Additional information
1) Interested parties must register their interest on the eTenders web site (www.etenders.gov.ie) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting authority will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties.
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2) The contracting authority will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers.
3) Award of Contract will be subject to the approval of all the relevant competent authorities.
4) It will be a condition for the award that candidates and all sub-contractors produce a valid Tax Clearance Certificate from the Irish Revenue Commissioners promptly on request.
5) If for any reason it is not possible to conclude the contract with the tenderer selected following the competitive process, the contracting authority reserves the right to award it to the next highest scoring tenderer(s) during the currency of the tender validity period.
Show more
6) This contract will be subject to regular review and may be terminated if the service provider fails to meet the contractual obligations in any significant way.
7) Please note in relation to all documents, that where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, that this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words "or equivalent" will always be implied if not expressly stated.
Show more
8) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the contracting authority is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of applications with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return FULLY COMPLETED applications in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition.
Show more
9) The tender validity period will be 6 months from the closing date for formal submission of tenders.
(ET Ref:232132).

Complementary information
Review body
Name: The High Court
Postal address: The Four Courts Inns Quay
Postal town: Dublin
Postal code: 7
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Internet address: www.courts.ie 🌏
Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Name: Consult a legal advisor
Source: OJS 2011/S 097-159409 (2011-05-18)
Contract award notice (2012-06-14)
Object
Notice metadata
Document type: Contract award notice

Procedure
Type of bid: Not applicable

Contracting authority
Identity
Postal town: Dublin 7
Contact
Fax: +353 18886006 📠

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2012-06-14 📅
Publication date: 2012-06-19 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2012/S 115-189809
Refers to notice: 2011/S 97-159409
OJ-S issue: 115
Additional information
(ET Ref:447272).

Object
Scope of the procurement
Reference number: Service Concession for On Line Fee Franking Mchines Re-Crediting Serv

Procedure
Award criteria
Criterion: 1. Fitness for purpose for Soution Offered
2. Methodology & Timescale for implementation
3. Proposed Contract Management & Reporting
4. Quality & Quantity of Managerial & Staff for promoting the delivery of the Service
5. Approach to be adopted in Marketing & Incentivisation
6. Overall Financial Proposal

Award of contract
Date of contract conclusion: 2012-05-14 📅
Name: Neopost Ireland Ltd
Postal address: Unit 16 Fonthill Retail & Industrial Pk, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin
Postal town: Dublin
Postal code: Dublin 22
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Internet address: www.neopost.ie 🌏
Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Source: OJS 2012/S 115-189809 (2012-06-14)
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