ARCHER HPC Facility - Service Provision

ARCHER HPC Facility – Service Provision

In December 2011, the Minister for Science announced a new GBP 158 m capital investment in e-infrastructure which included GBP 43 m for ARCHER, the next national HPC facility for academic research.

UK-Swindon: Computer-related management services

2013/S 105-180303

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

UK Shared Business Services Ltd
North Star House, North Star Avenue
For the attention of: Joanne Thatcher
SN2 1FF Swindon
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: joanne.thatcher@ssc.rcuk.ac.uk

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.3)Main activity

Other: Scientific Research

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
SN2 IET Swindon
UNITED KINGDOM

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

PR120039 ARCHER HPC Facility – Service Provision.

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 7: Computer and related services
NUTS code UKM23

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

In December 2011, the Minister for Science announced a new GBP 158 m capital investment in e-infrastructure which included GBP 43 m for ARCHER, the next national HPC facility for academic research.
The overall vision for ARCHER is to build on the existing investments in national HPC facilities so that the UK is a recognised leader on the international scene for computational science and engineering. In order to achieve this, UK researchers must be able to carry out internationally competitive research across the remit of EPSRC and NERC.
The ARCHER service comprises the hardware, Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) support, Service Provision support, hardware accommodation support and external users.
EPSRC, as managing agent for the national HPC facility on behalf of the other Research Council, is now inviting bids for the Service Provision element of the facility.
The ARCHER service provider will be responsible for: integration with technology (in conjunction with the CSE support): front line service (via a help desk): service availability and reliability: scheduling and allocation of resources: and user registration and access.
Some aspects of the service provision will be based near Edinburgh.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

72510000, 72250000, 72253000, 72260000, 72611000

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 7 500 000 and 12 500 000 GBP

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: no

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

Please see tender documentation for further information.

III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:

Please see tender documentation for further information.

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

Please see tender documentation for further information.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: no

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

III.2.3)Technical capacity

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: no

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated no

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

PR120039.

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

Prior information notice

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

Payable documents: no

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

12.7.2013 – 12:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

in days: 120 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: no

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

VI.3)Additional information

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:30.5.2013