CR21005 - Safety Benefits of Domestic Smart Appliances - Invitation to Quote

The final date and time for the submission of bids is Monday 8th 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 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.

Faulty domestic appliances are responsible for an estimated 60 household fires a week across the UK (Home Office data). Large domestic appliances (LDAs), which include cookers, washing machines, tumble driers, dish washers and fridge/freezers, account for two thirds of these fires.

These appliances are becoming increasingly smarter as manufacturers incorporate new technologies such as internet-connectivity and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2018, almost 15% of large domestic appliance sales were recorded as having a smart connection, with this number expected to grow.

The current consumer driver for smart appliances is better control over the appliance. This might include new features or functionality or enable operation of the appliance to be time-shifted to take advantage of lower-priced electricity.

A reduction in the price premium of smart appliances, and the introduction of new internet-enabled services, could result in smart features becoming standard on even the lowest cost models. Therefore, the emerging smart appliance market presents a good opportunity to improve the safety of domestic appliances.

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://uksbs.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://uksbs.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: CR21005 using the Access Code: WQAF849H6X Please disregard any content in this notice that requests your organisation 'to apply directly to the buyer' as this is unfortunately a system generated error, that is outside of the Contracting Authorities control. 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/d...