Delivery Partnerships Framework 2

This tender for the Met Office's DPF2 framework exhibits significant issues regarding fairness, clarity, and completeness, primarily due to the absence of evaluation criteria, an SME exclusion for a specific lot, and the inclusion of an irrelevant document. While the tender's purpose and practical submission methods are clear, these critical deficiencies pose risks to competition and transparency.

Legal compliance is significantly hampered by the explicit exclusion of SMEs from the Data Platform lot, which raises concerns about equal treatment and non-discrimination. The absence of detailed mandatory exclusion grounds and the inclusion of an irrelevant document also indicate procedural shortcomings. The missing reveal date makes it difficult to fully assess the reasonableness of the submission period from publication.

The tender's clarity is severely compromised by the complete absence of specified evaluation criteria, making it difficult for bidders to understand how their proposals will be assessed. The 'Must be a partner' eligibility requirement is circular and ambiguous, and the lack of specific financial requirements or detailed mandatory exclusion grounds further reduces clarity.

While basic information like title, reference, organization, value, and duration are present, the tender is incomplete in several critical areas. The most significant issue is the absence of evaluation criteria. Furthermore, specific mandatory exclusion grounds and financial requirements are not detailed, and the inclusion of an entirely irrelevant document within the tender package indicates a lack of thoroughness.

Fairness is a major concern due to the explicit exclusion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from bidding for the Data Platform lot, which restricts competition. The complete absence of evaluation criteria also undermines transparency and equal treatment, as bidders cannot objectively understand the basis for award decisions. The circular eligibility requirement could also be interpreted unfairly.

The tender demonstrates good practicality by supporting electronic submission via the Proactis E-Tendering System and providing a direct URL. Key dates like contract start and duration are clearly specified. However, the inclusion of an irrelevant document in the provided package could create practical hurdles for bidders seeking accurate information.

Data consistency is moderate. While most key fields are populated and dates are logical, there is a notable discrepancy between the estimated value in EUR (120M) and the GBP range (£75-100M) stated in the description. The most significant consistency issue is the inclusion of a completely irrelevant document (Document 1) within the tender's associated files.

The tender explicitly highlights a focus on 'agility and innovation' and 'future technology solutions,' which aligns with innovation aspects of sustainability. However, it lacks any explicit mention or requirements related to green procurement or social criteria, indicating a missed opportunity to integrate broader sustainability objectives.