Enquiries and Communication

During the competitive dialogue and Solution preparation period, Bidders may submit questions and requests for clarification or further information.  Bidders should note the following procedure for obtaining further information or clarification on matters arising during the competitive dialogue and Solution preparation period:

•  Bidders should address their questions and requests for clarification or further information to the Project Director at the address given in Part 1 of these Instructions.  All questions and requests for clarification or further information must be made in writing and the Project Director will, so far as is practicable, respond in writing.  

•  All questions and requests for clarification or further information may only be made, and will only be entertained, if made at least • weeks prior to the Solution submission date.  If a question or request for clarification or further information is made by the Bidder at least • weeks prior to the Solution submission date, the Local Authority may, at its own discretion, endeavour to respond to the Bidder and provide such Bidder with any additional information to which the Local Authority has access, but the Local Authority shall not be obliged to comply with any such request and does not accept any liability or responsibility for failure to provide any such information.

•  All questions and requests for clarification or further information, and the corresponding responses, will be circulated to all Bidders.

•  When submitting a question or request for clarification or further information, Bidders should indicate whether or not they believe the question or request for clarification or further information is commercially confidential to them and should not therefore be shared with other Bidders.  This should be done through marking the question or request for clarification or further information 'Confidential - not to be circulated to other Bidders'.  At its absolute discretion, the Local Authority will respond to that specific request privately, providing that the principle of equal availability of information to all Bidders need not be breached.  

•  If the Local Authority considers that, in the interests of open and fair competition, it is unable to respond to the question or request for clarification or further information on a confidential basis, it will inform the Bidder who has submitted it.  The Bidder must as soon as practicable thereafter respond in writing requesting that either the query be withdrawn or treated as not confidential.  The Local Authority will deem that the question or request for clarification or further information has been withdrawn if the Local Authority is not contacted in writing within [three] Working Days following informing the Bidder as referred to above.

Subject to the above protocol, Bidders are welcome to contact the Project Director with reasonable frequency to discuss any aspect of the project.  

The Local Authority reserves the right not to answer requests for clarifying information made within • days prior to the deadline for receipt of Solutions.

The Local Authority will also set up a series of competitive dialogue meetings with each Bidder; the number of meetings offered will be the same for all Bidders.

The Local Authority will require a number of 'full team' competitive dialogue meetings with each Bidder during the Solution preparation period.  The proposed details of these meetings are set out in Part 4 of these Instructions.