The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016

Notices of decisions to award a contract or conclude a framework agreement

101.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), a utility shall send to each candidate and tenderer a notice communicating its decision to award the contract or conclude a framework agreement.

Content of notices

(2) Where it is to be sent to a tenderer, the notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall include—

(a) the criteria for the award of the contract;

(b) the reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the successful tender, the score (if any) obtained by—

(i) the tenderer which is to receive the notice, and

(ii) the tenderer—

(aa) to be awarded the contract, or

(bb) to become a party to the framework agreement,

and anything required by paragraph (3);

(c) the name of the tenderer—

(i) to be awarded the contract, or

(ii) to become a party to the framework agreement; and

(d) a precise statement of either—

(i) when, in accordance with regulation 102, the standstill period is expected to end and, if relevant, how the timing of its ending might be affected by any and, if so what, contingencies; or

(ii) the date before which the utility will not, in conformity with regulation 102, enter into the contract or conclude the framework agreement.

(3) The reasons referred to in paragraph (2)(b) shall include the reason for any decision by the utility that the economic operator did not meet the technical specifications—

(a) in an equivalent manner as mentioned in regulation 60(13); or

(b) because compliance with a standard, approval, specification or system mentioned in regulation 60(14) does not address the performance or functional requirements laid down by the utility.

(4) Where it is to be sent to a candidate, the notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall include—

(a) the reasons why the candidate was unsuccessful; and

(b) the information mentioned in paragraph (2), but as if the words “and relative advantages” were omitted from sub-paragraph (b).

Exemptions

(5) A utility need not comply with paragraph (1) in any of the following cases—

(a) where the contract or framework agreement is permitted by these Regulations to be awarded without a call for competition;

(b) where the only tenderer is the one who is to be awarded the contract or who is to become a party to the framework agreement, and there are no candidates;

(c) where a utility awards a contract under a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system.

(6) A utility may withhold any information to be provided in accordance with the preceding requirements of this regulation where the release of such information—

(a) would impede law enforcement or would otherwise be contrary to the public interest;

(b) would prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of any economic operator; or

(c) might prejudice fair competition between economic operators.

Meaning of “candidate” and “tenderer”

(7) In this regulation—

(a) “candidate” means a candidate, as defined in regulation 2(1), which—

(i) is not a tenderer, and

(ii) has not been informed of the rejection of its application and the reasons for it;

(b) “tenderer” means a tenderer, as defined in regulation 2(1), which has not been definitively excluded.

(8) For the purposes of paragraph (7)(b), an exclusion is definitive if, and only if, the tenderer has been notified of the exclusion and either—

(a) the exclusion has been held to be lawful in proceedings under Chapter 2 of this Part; or

(b) the time limit for starting such proceedings has expired even on the assumption that the Court would have granted the maximum extension permitted by regulation 107(4) and (5).