CR21021 - Fire Risks of Upholstered Products - Invitation to Quote

The final date and time for the submission of bids is Friday 26th February 2021 at 11:00.

**Do not apply directly to the buyer**

All tender information MUST be submitted through the Delta eSourcing Portal.

UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), wishes to establish a Contract for the provision of Safety Benefits of Domestic Smart Appliances

Overview:

This project is being recruited as part of the BEIS Office for Product Safety and Standards Strategic Research Programme (SRP), which was launched in March 2018. This programme provides high quality strategic science-based research to strengthen the evidence base for Safety and Standards policy development, delivery and enforcement, giving business the confidence to innovate and protecting consumers from unsafe products. The wide range of evidence based research supported by the SRP helps to address critical questions relating to current product safety, and/or issues that might arise due to future market developments.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (the FFRs) set fire safety requirements for upholstered domestic furniture sold in the UK. This includes fire resistance standards which aim to ensure safety in relation to accidental ignition from a match or cigarette.

The OPSS is developing a new approach to the regulations that will maintain and improve fire safety, bring the legislation into line with the approach taken for product safety for other product sectors that follow the new legislative framework (NLF), drive innovation of the ways products meet fire safety requirements to market and facilitate a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants as the primary means for making furniture fire resistant.

This research will be providing evidence that will inform policy position on the scope of products that will be included in the new approach to the FFRs. It is examining the fire risks of specific upholstered products.

Please ensure you review all attached information to ensure a full understanding of this requirement. All attachments can be found within the Stage One: Overview Section within the Delta eSourcing Portal.

This contract will be awarded based on the evaluation criteria set out in the ITQ document.

How to apply

UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) will be using the Delta eSourcing Portal for this procurement.

To register on the Delta eSourcing portal, please use the link https://deltaesourcing.com and follow the instructions to register.

If you are already registered on the Delta eSourcing Portal and wish to participate in this procurement, please use the link https://delta-esourcing.com and then follow the instructions to 'Login'.

Once you are logged into the system you will be able to link yourself into this procurement Reference: CR21021 using the Access Code: J998MXG8QA

Additional information: DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO BUYER

All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts)

Responses must be received by the date in the tender documentation; responses received outside of the deadline or not sent via the Delta eSourcing portal will not be accepted or considered further for this opportunity.

As a user of the Delta eSourcing Portal you will have access to the Delta messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific tender event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these messages on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information applicable to this opportunity.

The contracting authority expressly reserves the right:

i. not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;and

ii. to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the procurement; and in no circumstances will the contracting authority be liable for any costs incurred by any supplier. If the contracting authority decides to enter into a contract with the successful supplier, this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of bidders.

About UK Shared Business Services

UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) brings a commercial attitude to the public sector; helping our contracting authorities to improve efficiency, generate savings and modernise.

Where UK SBS is not named as the Contracting Authority within the documentation, UK SBS will be acting as an agent on behalf of the Contracting Authority.

Our broad range of expert services is shared by our customers. This allows our customers the freedom to focus resources on core activities; innovating and transforming their own organisations.

For full details of our partner base please review the following link: http://www.uksbs.co.uk/services/procure/contracts/Pages/default.aspx