Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Business Services Organisation I T S
Centre House,79 Chichester Street
BELFAST
BT14JE
Contact
Catherine Fegan
Telephone
+44 2895362561
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
SOSCARE Support and maintenance
Reference number
STA9362
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The SOSCARE application serving a business area that is wide, varied and complex in nature. It covers areas such as:
• Looked After Children
• Child Protection
• Foster Parent Enquires and Approvals
• Fostering Finance payment to Foster Parents
• Adoption
• Home Care services including :
o rostering of staff
o production of the correct working/leave hours data file for direct transfer to HRPTS for payment of Trust home helps every fortnight .
The application also links to other business systems such as LCID and eNISAT for additional functionality such as assessment outcomes, as well as providing key risk data to the ECR application for the Out of Hours Social Work Service and hospital-based staff.
The system is critical to the safe delivery of services and any system errors/failures or delays can have far reaching implications for both HSC employees and the service users and providers.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Lowest offer: £668,156.48 / Highest offer: £1,125,599.11 taken into consideration
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The SOSCARE application serving a business area that is wide, varied and complex in nature. It covers areas such as:
• Looked After Children
• Child Protection
• Foster Parent Enquires and Approvals
• Fostering Finance payment to Foster Parents
• Adoption
• Home Care services including :
o rostering of staff
o production of the correct working/leave hours data file for direct transfer to HRPTS for payment of Trust home helps every fortnight .
The application also links to other business systems such as LCID and eNISAT for additional functionality such as assessment outcomes, as well as providing key risk data to the ECR application for the Out of Hours Social Work Service and hospital-based staff.
The system is critical to the safe delivery of services and any system errors/failures or delays can have far reaching implications for both HSC employees and the service users and providers.
BRM have an excellent understanding of the technology underpinning the SOSCARE application having worked for over 17 years in the social services business area and with the UNIDATA/UniBasic technology. In that time, BRM staff turnover was minimal.
Crucially, over the 17 years, BRM have built up extensive business knowledge across all programmes of social care. They have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the intricate rules and associated inter-dependencies that apply to the planning and delivery of the social work service. They are acutely aware of the reliance trust staff place on the system and have grown the capability to accurately and quickly design and deliver system enhancements as well as quickly and accurately resolve incidents as and when they arise. (This has been particularly valuable during the COVID-19 period when enhancements were requested for delivery in a very short timeframe)
The older PICK-based technology used within the application, an toolset which dates from 1985, means that the skillset required to support it is extremely difficult to source especially at the level of expertise required to support an application as complex as SOSCARE.
Given the technology and the bespoke nature of the application, it would not be possible to find a replacement supplier capable to providing the required services. Further, to build the required level of expertise and knowledge into a replacement supplier would be an extremely long process and would require substantial input from BRM, as the main source, over a long period of time. This task, assuming BRM were agreeable, would take several years.
Whilst BSO staff would be able to support certain elements of the application, it does not have the skillset or experience to support large components of the system.
A strategic decision has been made to replace the core functionality provided by the SOSCARE application with encompass, which has now been procured. However encompass has confirmed that the replacement of the Domiciliary/Home Care module of SOSCARE will not form part of the encompass implementation and will be achieved via a new, separate project. Detailed business knowledge will be required to help encompass and any other supplier to deliver the new solutions in their required timescales.
There is documentation on many of the modules within SOSCARE but it is requires a level of system and business knowledge to ensure the correct understanding. Only BRM can supply the detailed level of knowledge and the details of the intricacies involved across the various SOSCARE modules to ensure a successful service delivery
In conclusion, only BRM has the requisite knowledge and experience to support the SOSCARE system.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
Explanation:
Only BRM can supply the detailed level of knowledge and the details of the intricacies involved across the various SOSCARE modules to ensure a successful service delivery
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
STA9362
Title
SOSCARE Support and Maintenance
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
9 February 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
BRM Systems Limited
18 Windsor Avenue Place
Lurgan
BT67 9FD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKN - NORTHERN IRELAND
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,125,599.11
Lowest offer: £668,156.48 / Highest offer: £1,125,599.11 taken into consideration
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Business Services Organisation
2 Franklin Street
Belfast
BT2 8DQ
Country
United Kingdom