Oracle Billing Systems Level 3 Support and System Upgrades

Provision of Level 3 Maintenance Support and the Upgrade of two Oracle based Customer Care Billing (CC&B) Systems operated by Viridian Group subsidiaries Energia and Power NI.

United Kingdom-Belfast: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

2014/S 199-351884

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

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

Viridian Group Ltd
Procurement Section, Greenwood House, 64 Newforge Lane
For the attention of: Jim Clendinning, Service Delivery and Contracts Manager
BT9 5NF Belfast
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 2890685051
E-mail: procurement@viridiangroup.co.uk

Internet address(es):

General address of the contracting authority: http://www.viridiangroup.co.uk

Address of the buyer profile: http://www.viridiangroup.co.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: Electricity Supply

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

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

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

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

Billing Systems Level 3 Support and System Upgrades.

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
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

NUTS code UKN01

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)

Provision of Level 3 Maintenance Support and the Upgrade of two Oracle based Customer Care Billing (CC&B) Systems operated by Viridian Group subsidiaries Energia and Power NI. The introduction of Smart Metering in the Republic of Ireland which is estimated to take place during 2018, may also necessitate an additional upgrades to the CC&B systems.

Applicants will be assessed in accordance with Part 4 of the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006, as amended, and Part 9 of the European Communities (Award of Contracts by Utility Undertakings) Regulations 2007, as amended, on the basis of information provided in response to a pre-qualification questionnaire (‘PQQ’) copies of which are available on request by email to procurement@viridiangroup.co.uk Completed PQQs must be returned to Viridian at the address in section I.1 before the deadline specified in section IV.3.4 below.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

72000000, 72210000, 72220000, 72230000, 72240000, 72250000, 72260000, 48000000, 48100000, 48400000, 48600000, 48800000, 48900000

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 5 550 000 and 14 600 000 GBP

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: yes
Description of these options: An option to upgrade the Customer Care and Billing Systems for Smart Metering implementation in the Republic of Ireland, which it is envisaged will take place by 2018, may be commissioned by Viridian Group. In addition, Viridian may also extend the initial contract duration period of 60 months up to a contract duration of 120 months in total.

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: yes
Number of possible renewals: 1
In the case of renewable supplies or service contracts, estimated timeframe for subsequent contracts:
in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

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

Duration in months: 120 (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:

Viridian’s particular requirements will be set out in the Invitation to Negotiate documentation and may include, inter alia, performance bond(s) and/or parent-company guarantee(s) and/or other form(s) of security.

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

To be determined. The financing and payment arrangements will be set out in the Invitation to Negotiate documentation.

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

Viridian’s particular requirements are to be determined, but Viridian may require that any contract(s) awarded shall be entered into by a single legal entity on the part of the successful candidate(s).

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

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Please see the PQQ and Project Information Memorandum.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: In order to be invited to negotiate, candidates must be able to evidence a turnover of at least GBP 5 000 000 per annum for the last 3 financial years.
Bidders have the option to satisfy these minimum turnover requirements by reference to their parent company’s turnover, provided that the parent company agrees to provide a Parent Company Guarantee in a form satisfactory to Viridian Group.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Please see the PQQ and Project Information Memorandum.

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

Negotiated
Some candidates have already been selected (if appropriate under certain types of negotiated procedures) no

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

Envisaged minimum number 3: and maximum number 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: Please see the PQQ and Project Information Memorandum.

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 yes

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:

VG14002

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

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

17.11.2014 – 17:00

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

4.12.2014

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

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

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

Viridian Group Limited is the contracting authority for the purposes of this project and the procurement process. Viridian Group is procuring the contract on behalf of Power NI and Energia and their affiliated subsidiaries and trading entities (collectively the ‘Participating Organisations’) that are wholly owned by Viridian Group, Viridian Power and Energy Holdings Limited. Viridian Group reserves the right to allow any of the Participating Organisations to enter into the contract with the Supplier.
Viridian and the Participating Organisations expressly reserve 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 one or more contract(s) in relation to part only of the requirements covered by this notice;
iv) to award a contract(s) in stages;
and in no circumstances will Viridian or any Participating Organisation be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: Viridian will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. Candidates which are unsuccessful shall be informed by Viridian as soon as possible after the decision has been made as to the reasons why the Candidate was unsuccessful. If an appeal regarding the award of the contract has not been successfully resolved, The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006 and the European Communities (Award of Contracts by Utility Undertakings) Regulations 2007 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Any such action must generally be brought within 3 months. If a declaration of ineffectiveness is sought, any such action must be brought within 30 days where Viridian has communicated the award of the contract and a summary of reasons to tenderers, or otherwise within 6 months of the contract being entered into. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order Viridian to amend any documents and may award damages. If the contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the circumstances, award damages, make a declaration of ineffectiveness, order Viridian to pay a fine, and/or order that the duration of the contract/s be shortened. The purpose of the standstill period referred to above is to allow the parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the contract is entered into.

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

See section 1 Contracting authority for details of Viridian Group Ltd contacts

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:

14.10.2014