Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Essex County Council
COUNTY HALL,MARKET ROAD
CHELMSFORD
CM11QH
Contact
Mark Glenister
Telephone
+44 3330136379
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH36 - Heart of Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Networking & Communications - Market Update
Reference number
CO0014
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 51300000 - Installation services of communications equipment
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This notice seeks to provide an update to the market regarding Essex County Council's (ECC's) direction of travel for its future Networking and Voice solutions.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £0.01
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 32400000 - Networks
- 32500000 - Telecommunications equipment and supplies
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice seeks to provide an update to the market regarding Essex County Council's (ECC's) direction of travel for its future Networking and Voice solutions.
In July 2020, following publication of Prior Information Notice ref: 2020/S 121-298041, ECC undertook early market engagement with a broad range of Networking and Communications suppliers to explore innovation, horizon scanning and service delivery models across the market.
In March 2021, following publication of Prior Information Notice reference: 2021/S 000-001471, ECC undertook further market engagement with five Networking suppliers through workshop sessions to explore in more depth: Network technologies; Technology products; Circuit provision and; Deployment. The learning from these sessions has highlighted to ECC the importance of trialling network technologies at an early stage and, therefore, ECC has identified three vendors' SD-WAN technologies it wishes to pilot: Cisco, Palo Alto and Silver Peak. Identification of these solutions for pilot is based on best-fit considerations and existing technology investments, as identified through market engagement.
Pilots will be delivered in partnership with ECC's current managed service provider, DUCL (Daisy Updata Communications Limited) early in 2022. ECC anticipates that the SD-WAN pilots will lead to identification of a preferred product, which ECC would then implement as part of a network transformation project either through its managed service contract with the existing provider or following a competitive tender exercise.
Regarding Voice, ECC recently commissioned discovery work to inform its Contact Centre requirements. Final outputs are due end of January 2022, following which ECC anticipates that it will engage with the market. ECC continues to undertake in-house discovery work in respect its future Mobile requirements. Also, ECC has recently transitioned its Unified Comms solution from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams, through its incumbent supplier.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
1 April 2022
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes