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Tender for Replacement ICT System – Appeals Service Northern Ireland
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Tender for Replacement ICT System – Appeals Service Northern Ireland

Wednesday, 30 January 2019, 10:56

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

Legal Basis:

Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses

DfC Northern Ireland Appeals Service
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.2)Information about joint procurement

I.3)Communication

Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the abovementioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: 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:

DfC The Appeals Service Northern Ireland — Replacement ICT System

II.1.2)Main CPV code

48920000

II.1.3)Type of contract

Services

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

Value excluding VAT: 9 000 000.00 GBP

II.1.6)Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: no
II.2)Description
II.2.1)Title:

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

48100000
48610000
48780000
48810000
48920000
72000000
72200000
72230000
72250000
72262000
72263000
72265000
72268000

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKN0

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

Criteria below
Quality criterion – Name: Qualitative criteria / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion – Name: Quantitative criteria / Weighting: 40

II.2.6)Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: 9 000 000.00 GBP

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

Duration in months: 60
This contract is subject to renewal: yes
Description of renewals:

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.2.9)Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: yes
Description of 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.2.12)Information about electronic catalogues

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

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)Conditions for participation
III.1.1)Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.1.2)Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

III.1.3)Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.5)Information about reserved contracts
III.2)Conditions related to the contract
III.2.1)Information about a particular profession
III.2.2)Contract performance conditions:
III.2.3)Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Competitive procedure with negotiation
IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

IV.1.4)Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated

IV.1.5)Information about negotiation

The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
IV.1.6)Information about electronic auction

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.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure

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

Date: 25/02/2019
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: 25/08/2019
IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about electronic workflows

Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used

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)Procedures for review

VI.4.1)Review body

High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Royal Courts of Justice
Belfast
United Kingdom
VI.4.2)Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.4.3)Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

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.4.4)Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:

22/01/2019