Internet Service Tender – Department of Finance
Department of Finance wishes to procure a contract for a high capacity, highly resilient, flexible internet service which is used to support the existing and growing range of data services for NICS.
United Kingdom-Belfast: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
2020/S 230-568442
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2014/24/EU
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name and addresses
Postal address: Room 78, Craigantlet Buildings, Stoney road
Town: Belfast
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
Postal code: BT43 SXC
Country: United Kingdom
E-mail: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Address of the buyer profile: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
I.3)Communication
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
I.5)Main activity
Section II: Object
II.1.1)Title:
ID 3227665 — DoF — IT Assist Provision of Internet Service
II.1.2)Main CPV code
II.1.3)Type of contract
II.1.4)Short description:
Department of Finance wishes to procure a contract for a high capacity, highly resilient, flexible internet service which is used to support the existing and growing range of data services for NICS. This must be provisioned via a minimum of two 10 Gb bearer circuits with network terminating equipment also sized for up to 10 Gb throughput, one to each leased Data Centre initially sized to allow combined throughput of 10 Gbps across both data centres (i.e. each circuit should be initially configured to carry 5 Gbps load balanced across both centres in an active/active configuration). The maximum combined throughput should be able to increase incrementally to the full combined throughput of both circuits of 20 Gb. Current demand for Internet services within the NICS is expanding rapidly. It is essential that we balance the flexibility and responsiveness of meeting the growing demand yet minimising the total cost of ownership to the NICS. It is expected that the demand will not exceed 20 Gb.
II.1.5)Estimated total value
II.1.6)Information about lots
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
Department of Finance wishes to procure a contract for a high capacity, highly resilient, flexible internet service which is used to support the existing and growing range of data services for NICS. This must be provisioned via a minimum of two 10 Gb bearer circuits with network terminating equipment also sized for up to 10 Gb throughput, one to each leased Data Centre initially sized to allow combined throughput of 10 Gbps across both data centres (i.e. each circuit should be initially configured to carry 5 Gbps load balanced across both centres in an active/active configuration). The maximum combined throughput should be able to increase incrementally to the full combined throughput of both circuits of 20 Gb. Current demand for Internet services within the NICS is expanding rapidly. It is essential that we balance the flexibility and responsiveness of meeting the growing demand yet minimising the total cost of ownership to the NICS. It is expected that the demand will not exceed 20 Gb.
II.2.5)Award criteria
II.2.6)Estimated value
II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
This contract could be due for renewal in 3 to 5 years.
II.2.10)Information about variants
II.2.11)Information about options
After the initial contract period, there are two optional extension of up to 1 year each.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:
IV.2.6)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
This contract could be due for renewal in 3 to 5 years.
VI.3)Additional information:
The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 — Contract Management — Procedures and Principles). Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. A central register of such notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website. Any contractor in receipt of a notice of unsatisfactory performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of 3 years from the date of issue of the notice. It may also result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy. The authority expressly reserves the rights:
(i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;
(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition;
(iii) to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the (services) covered by this notice; and
(iv) to award contract(s) in stages and in no circumstances will the authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
VI.4.1)Review body
Town: United Kingdom
Country: United Kingdom
VI.4.3)Review procedure
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: