Internet Service Tender - Department of Finance

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

Legal Basis:

Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses

Official name: Department of Finance
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

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

I.4)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.5)Main activity

General public services

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement

II.1.1)Title:

ID 3227665 — DoF — IT Assist Provision of Internet Service

Reference number: 3227665

II.1.2)Main CPV code

72000000 IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

II.1.3)Type of contract

Services

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

Value excluding VAT: 450 000.00 GBP

II.1.6)Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.2)Description

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

72400000 Internet services

72410000 Provider services

72420000 Internet development services

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKN0 Northern Ireland

II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

II.2.5)Award criteria

Criteria below

Quality criterion – Name: Award criteria / Weighting: 40

Price – Weighting: 60

II.2.6)Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: 450 000.00 GBP

II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 63

This contract is subject to renewal: yes

Description of renewals:

This contract could be due for renewal in 3 to 5 years.

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: yes

Description of 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

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

II.2.14)Additional information

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open procedure

IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes

IV.2)Administrative information

IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 22/12/2020

Local time: 15:00

IV.2.3)Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:

English

IV.2.6)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Tender must be valid until: 22/03/2021

IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 22/12/2020

Local time: 15:30

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published:

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)Procedures for review

VI.4.1)Review body

Official name: The UK does not have any special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015
Town: United Kingdom
Country: United Kingdom

VI.4.3)Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

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:

20/11/2020