Community Internal External Stakeholder Engagement Media Relations Services

Short description

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board entered into a contract with Q4 Public Relations Ltd for Community Internal External Stakeholder Engagement and Media Relations Services in connection with the New Children's Hospital (NCH) in February 2021. The Contract was awarded following an open tender competition published on eTenders in Nov 2020. The Contract was for a period of two (2) years with the option to extend for up to a further one (1) year. The services of Q4 Public Relations Ltd be required by NPHDB to assist with the commissioning phase and subsequent official opening of the NCH. The Board is of the view that the extension of the Contract to match the programme for the delivery of the NCH (incl. any extended/prolonged period of construction) is permitted under the principle of the derogation at Regulation 32(9) of the Regulations on the basis that the Board is awarding a contract for the same services as were provided under the original contract and tender documents

Description of the procurement

In February 2021, NPHDB entered into a contract with Q4 Public Relations Limited for Community Internal External Stakeholder Engagement and Media Relations Services in connection with the New Children's Hospital (the “Contract”).
The term of Contract is due to expire in February 2024. However the services of Q4 Public Relations Limited will to be required by NPHDB to assist with the commissioning phase and subsequent official opening of the New Childrens Hospital The Board is of the view that the extension of the Contract to match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital (including any extended/prolonged period of construction) is permitted under the principle of the derogation at Regulation 32(9) of the Regulations on the basis that the Board is awarding a contract for the same services as were provided under the original contract. The Board is of the view that the extension of the Contract to match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital (including any extended/prolonged period of construction) is permitted under the principle of the derogation at Regulation 32(9) of the Regulations on the basis that the Board is awarding a contract for the same services as were provided under the original contract.
The Board is also satisfied that the tender documents for the competition made provision for or flagged in a sufficiently clear and precise manner that the term of the Contract would match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital including any extended/prolonged period of construction. This is based on the position that the Board expressly reserved the right to award additional services using the principle of the derogation in Regulation 32(9) in the Request For Tenders (RFT), that the RFT expressly notes that (i) the New Children’s Hospital is behind schedule and that the NPHDB is engaging with the Main Contractor to obtain an updated programme of works and that there will be delays associated with Covid-19; and (ii) that the Main Contractor is assessing the full impact of the pandemic on the new children’s hospital project. In addition a key part of the scope was to design and develop a programme of communication that manages relationships with appropriate external audiences around the “Opening and Operating the paediatric outpatient and urgent care centre at Tallaght University Hospital and the new children’s hospital” which is a service that can only be provided once the development is completed.
As such, it is NPHDB’s view that the extension of the Contract to match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital (including any extended/prolonged period of construction) is permitted under the principle of the derogation at Regulation 32(9) of the Regulations on the basis that the Board is awarding a contract for the same services as were provided under the original contract and that the tender documents for the competition made provision for or flagged in a sufficiently clear and precise manner that the term of the Contract would match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital including any extended/prolonged period of construction.

Negotiated procedure without prior publication (explanation)

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (the “Board”) entered into a contract with Q4 Public Relations Limited for Community Internal External Stakeholder Engagement and Media Relations Services in connection with the New Children's Hospital in February 2021 (the “Contract”). The Contract was awarded following an open tender competition published on eTenders in November 2020. The Contract was for a period of two (2) years with the option to extend for up to a further one (1) year. The services of Q4 Public Relations Limited be required by NPHDB to assist with the commissioning phase and subsequent official opening of the New Childrens Hospital. The Board is of the view that the extension of the Contract to match the programme for the delivery of the New Children’s Hospital (including any extended/prolonged period of construction) is permitted under the principle of the derogation at Regulation 32(9) of the Regulations on the basis that the Board is awarding a contract for the same services as were provided under the original contract and this was provided for in the tender documents.