The Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011

The competitive dialogue procedure

19.—(1) In this regulation—

“particularly complex contract” means a contract where a contracting authority is not objectively able to—

(a)

define the technical means in accordance with regulation 12(6), (7) and (8) capable of satisfying its needs or objectives; or

(b)

specify either the legal or financial make-up of a project, or both; and

“participant” means an economic operator selected by a contracting authority using the procedure referred to in paragraph (2) to participate in the competitive dialogue procedure.

(2) Where a contracting authority wishes to award a particularly complex contract and considers that the use of the negotiated procedure with the prior publication of a contract notice or restricted procedure will not allow the award of that contract, the contracting authority may use the competitive dialogue procedure.

(3) A contracting authority using the competitive dialogue procedure shall comply with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

(4) The contracting authority shall publicise its intention to seek offers in relation to the contract by sending to the Official Journal, as soon as possible after forming the intention, a notice, in the form of a contract notice inviting requests to participate.

(5) The contracting authority shall specify its needs and requirements in the contract notice and shall define those needs and requirements—

(a) in the contract notice;

(b) in the descriptive document; or

(c) in both those documents.

(6) The contracting authority shall indicate that it may provide for the competitive dialogue procedure to take place in successive stages in accordance with paragraph (24)—

(a) in the contract notice; or

(b) in that notice and the descriptive document.

(7) Subject to paragraph (9), the date which the contracting authority fixes as the last date for the receipt by it of requests to be selected to participate shall be specified in the contract notice and shall be not less than 37 days from the date of the despatch of the notice.

(8) Subject to any minimum time limit specified by this regulation, the contracting authority shall take account of all the circumstances, in particular, the complexity of the contract when fixing time limits for the receipt by it of requests to be selected to participate in the dialogue.

(9) Where the contracting authority has transmitted a contract notice by electronic means in accordance with the format and procedures referred to in paragraph (3) of Annex VI to the Defence and Security Procurement Directive, the time limit referred to in paragraph (7) may be reduced by seven days.

(10) The contracting authority shall make its evaluation in accordance with regulations 23, 24, 25 and 26 and may exclude an economic operator from those economic operators from which it will make the selection of economic operators to be invited to participate in the dialogue only if the economic operator—

(a) may be treated as ineligible on a ground specified in regulation 23; or

(b) fails to satisfy the minimum standards required of economic operators by the contracting authority of—

(i) economic and financial standing; or

(ii) technical or professional ability.

(11) The contracting authority shall make the selection of the economic operators to be invited to participate in the dialogue in accordance with regulations 23, 24, 25 and 26.

(12) Where there is a sufficient number of economic operators suitable to be selected to participate in the dialogue, the contracting authority may limit the number of economic operators which it intends to invite to participate in the dialogue provided that the contract notice specifies—

(a) the objective and non-discriminatory criteria to be applied in order to limit the number of economic operators in accordance with this paragraph; and

(b) the minimum number of economic operators, which shall be not less than three, which the contracting authority intends to invite to participate in the dialogue and, where appropriate, the maximum number.

(13) The contracting authority shall ensure that the number of economic operators invited to participate in the dialogue is—

(a) sufficient to ensure genuine competition; and

(b) at least equal to the minimum number specified by the contracting authority in accordance with paragraph (12)(b).

(14) Subject to paragraph (13)(a), where—

(a) the contracting authority carries out a selection in accordance with regulations 23, 24, 25 and 26, and

(b) the number of economic operators selected to be invited to participate in the dialogue is less than the minimum number specified by the contracting authority in the contract notice,

that contracting authority may continue the award procedure with the economic operators which have been selected, provided that any economic operator not selected or which did not request to participate is not included.

(15) The contracting authority may require an economic operator to satisfy minimum levels of—

(a) economic and financial standing, or

(b) technical or professional ability,

provided that those minimum levels are specified in the contract notice and are related to and proportionate to the subject matter of the contract.

(16) Without prejudice to the ability of the contracting authority to cancel the ongoing procurement procedure and launch a new procedure, if the contracting authority considers that the number of economic operators suitable to be selected to participate in the dialogue is too low to ensure genuine competition, it may suspend the procedure and republish the initial contract notice in accordance with paragraph (4) and regulation 48.

(17) Where the contracting authority suspends the procedure and republishes the initial contract notice in accordance with paragraph (16), it must fix a new date as the last date for the receipt by it of requests to participate and the economic operators selected upon the first publication and those selected upon the second must be invited in accordance with paragraph (18).

(18) The contracting authority shall send invitations in writing simultaneously to each economic operator selected to participate in the dialogue and the invitation shall—

(a) be accompanied by the contract documents;

(b) specify the internet address which offers unrestricted and full direct access by electronic means to the contract documents; or

(c) where the contract documents are held by an entity other than the contracting authority, specify the address to which requests for contract documents should be sent including any final date for making such requests and the amount and any method of payment of any fee which may be charged for supplying that information.

(19) Where the contract documents are held by an entity other than the contracting authority, the contracting authority shall ensure that the contract documents are sent to economic operators by the most rapid means of communication possible.

(20) The contracting authority shall include the following information in the invitation—

(a) the date specified for the commencement of the competitive dialogue, the address to which replies must be sent and the one or more languages in which they must be drawn up;

(b) a reference to the contract notice published in accordance with paragraph (4);

(c) an indication of the information to be included with the reply which the contracting authority may require to be provided in accordance with regulations 24, 25, and 26; and

(d) the relative weighting of criteria for the award of the contract or, where appropriate, the descending order of importance for such criteria, if this information was not specified in the contract notice published in accordance with paragraph (4).

(21) The contracting authority or entity referred to in paragraph (18)(c) shall supply such further information to the economic operator relating to the contract documents or the descriptive document as may reasonably be requested by that economic operator provided that the request for such information is received in sufficient time to enable the contracting authority to supply it not less than six days before the date specified in the invitation to tender as the final date of the receipt by it of tenders.

(22) The contracting authority shall open with the participants selected in accordance with regulations 23, 24, 25 and 26, a dialogue the aim of which shall be to identify and define the means best suited to satisfying its needs.

(23) During the competitive dialogue procedure, a contracting authority—

(a) may discuss all aspects of the contract with the participants selected;

(b) shall ensure equality of treatment among all participants and in particular, shall not provide information in a discriminatory manner which may give some participants an advantage over others; and

(c) shall not reveal to the other participants solutions proposed or any confidential information communicated by a participant without that participant’s agreement.

(24) The contracting authority may provide for the competitive dialogue procedure to take place in successive stages in order to reduce the number of solutions to be discussed during the dialogue stage by applying the award criteria in the contract notice or in the descriptive document.

(25) Where the contracting authority provides for the competitive dialogue procedure to take place in successive stages in accordance with paragraph (24), it shall ensure that the number of economic operators to be invited to participate at the final stage is sufficient to ensure genuine competition to the extent that there is a sufficient number of economic operators to do so.

(26) The contracting authority may continue the competitive dialogue procedure until it can identify one or more solutions, if necessary after comparing them, likely to meet its needs.

(27) Where the contracting authority declares that the dialogue is concluded, it shall—

(a) inform each participant that the dialogue is concluded;

(b) request each participant to submit a final tender containing all the elements required and necessary for the performance of the project on the basis of any solution presented and specified during the dialogue; and

(c) specify in the invitation to submit a tender the final date for the receipt by it of tenders, the address to which they must be sent and the language or languages in which they must be drawn up.

(28) The contracting authority may request a participant to clarify, specify or fine-tune a tender referred to in paragraph (27)(b), but such clarification, specification, fine-tuning or additional information shall not involve changes to the basic features of the tender or the call for tender when those variations are likely to distort competition or have a discriminatory effect.

(29) The contracting authority shall assess the tenders received on the basis of the award criteria specified in the contract notice or descriptive document and shall award the contract to the participant which submits the most economically advantageous tender in accordance with regulation 31(1)(a).

(30) The contracting authority may request the participant identified as having submitted the most economically advantageous tender to clarify aspects of that tender or confirm commitments contained in the tender provided that this does not have the effect of modifying substantial aspects of the tender or of the call for tender and does not risk distorting competition or causing discrimination.

(31) The contracting authority may specify that payments may be made to a participant in respect of the participant’s expenses incurred in participating in the competitive dialogue procedure.