Tender for Replacement ICT System – Appeals Service Northern Ireland
The Appeals Service require a service provider to deliver, implement, support and continue to develop a replacement ICT solution to its current Northern Ireland appeals Processing System.
United Kingdom-Belfast: Office automation software package
2019/S 018-038487
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2014/24/EU
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name and addresses
Causeway Exchange 1-7 Bedford Street
Belfast
BT2 7EG
United Kingdom
Contact person: ssd.adminfinance-ni.gov.uk
E-mail: ssd.admin@finance-ni.gov.uk
NUTS code: UKN0Internet 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:
DfC The Appeals Service Northern Ireland — Replacement ICT System
II.1.2)Main CPV code
II.1.3)Type of contract
II.1.4)Short description:
The Appeals Service (TAS) require a service provider to deliver, implement, support and continue to develop a replacement ICT solution to its current Northern Ireland appeals Processing System (NIAPS). The system will be the primary means of appeal case management/administration and the primary source of management information within TAS. A critical aspect is the ability to provide reports on performance against targets set by management. The primary objectives of the replacement ICT system are:
— to provide enhancements that will be of benefit to customers and users in the processing of TAS cases,
— improved access for customers, inline with “Digital First” policy,
— improved responsiveness to user/customer needs,
— improved operational efficiency delivering an improved and consistent quality of service to customers,
— improved productivity and cost reduction by eliminating eliminating duplicate data held outside of NIAPS, and
— improved management reporting facility.
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:
The Appeals Service (TAS) require a service provider to deliver, implement, support and continue to develop a replacement ICT solution to its current Northern Ireland appeals Processing System (NIAPS). The system will be the primary means of appeal case management/administration and the primary source of management information within TAS. A critical aspect is the ability to provide reports on performance against targets set by management. The primary objectives of the replacement ICT system are:
— to provide enhancements that will be of benefit to customers and users in the processing of TAS cases,
— improved access for customers, in line with “Digital First” policy,
— improved responsiveness to user/customer needs,
— improved operational efficiency delivering an improved and consistent quality of service to customers,
— improved productivity and cost reduction by eliminating eliminating duplicate data held outside of NIAPS, and
— improved management reporting facility.
II.2.5)Award criteria
II.2.6)Estimated value
II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
The contract will have an option to extend (subject to the terms of the contract and the performance of the successful economic operator) for 36 months and a second option to extend for 24 months.
II.2.10)Information about variants
II.2.11)Information about options
The contract will have an option to extend (subject to the terms of the contract and the performance of the successful economic operator) for 36 months and a second option to extend for 24 months.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
II.2.14)Additional information
The Contracting Authority reserves the right to award the Contract following submission of initial tender responses and the right to down-select economic operators following each round of negotiations.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.2)Economic and financial standing
III.1.3)Technical and professional ability
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.4)Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
IV.1.5)Information about negotiation
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
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
VI.2)Information about electronic workflows
VI.3)Additional information:
The Contracting Authority reserves the right:
— to hold additional rounds of negotiations with economic operators,
— to require the submission of any further or additional information or tender submissions,
— to award the contract following the submission of initial tenders,
— to award the contract following conclusion of the first round of negotiation sessions, and/or
— to down-select economic operators following each round of negotiations.
For the avoidance of doubt, final tenders will not be subject to any negotiation with the Contracting Authority (however, they may be subject to clarification, if required, at the Contracting Authority’s absolute discretion).
The Contracting Authority reserves the right:
— to reject any or all SQ or tender responses and to cancel or withdraw the procurement process at any stage,
— to award a contract without prior notice,
— to change the basis of, the procedure and the timescales set out or referred to in the procurement documents,
— to require an economic operator to clarify its SQ or tender response in writing and/or provide additional information,
— to terminate the procurement process, and/or
— to amend the terms and conditions of the SQ or tender evaluation process or negotiation process.
The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender.
Economic operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the economic operator in connection with taking part in this procurement process, regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time.
No legally binding contract shall arise (and an economic operator shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority. Economic operators should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them. The figure indicated in II.1.5 represents an estimated contract value 9 000 000 GBP.
II.2.4) Details the calculation for this estimation.
This reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account such changes to the scope/and or scale which may result from future operational requirements. The pricing strategy applied and the setting of cost/profit margins are a commercial decision for economic operators when submitting a bid for this competition. In addition, neither CPD nor the Contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. 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 the contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice of unsatisfactory performance will 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 for a period of 12 months from the date of issue of the Notice. This contract will not be awarded in lots as a single supplier is required.
VI.4.1)Review body
Belfast
United Kingdom
VI.4.3)Review procedure
The Contracting Authority will comply with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and, where applicable, will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar days standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to all economic operators.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: