Award

Business World/Unit 4 product (now called ERPCR)

  • London Borough of Sutton

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-002744

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04d686

Published 27 January 2025, 3:55pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

London Borough of Sutton

Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way

Sutton

SM1 1EA

Contact

Mr Steve Hoy

Email

steve.hoy@sutton.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 2087705911

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKI63 - Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.sutton.gov.uk/

Buyer's address

http://www.sutton.gov.uk/

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

Business World/Unit 4 product (now called ERPCR)

Reference number

DN757310

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 48000000 - Software package and information systems

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

This notice sets out the London Borough of Sutton (on behalf of the London Borough of Sutton and The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames) intention to award a contract to Unit 4 Business Software Limited for the provision of a cloud based enterprise resource planning solution (ERP Solution). The contract is for the council’s Business World financial management system, associated hosting and support to ensure the council continues to have an effective and fully supported mechanism to maintain and monitor the overall financial health of the organisation. The proposed contract is for a period of 4 years. The total value of the proposed contract £1,601,359 ex vat (£736,466 ex vat for the London Borough of Sutton and the remainder for the Royal Borough of Kingston), this includes committed and non-committed spend.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £1,601,359

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKI63 - Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The award of a contract to Unit4 is pursuant to Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) and (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, using a negotiated procedure without prior publication.

LB Sutton and RB Kingston have shared a single instance of the Unit4 Business World system. The application is used by the Councils for all aspects of financial management enabling them to comply with their statutory requirements including: core financial processes, accounting, sales orders and invoicing, management Information and financial and audit reporting. The provider has developed a unique solution and only they have the means to deliver the full requirements of the Councils. Unit4 has the proprietary ownership of the Business world system and therefore is the only company able to provide hosting, support and maintenance for the financial management system used by RBK and LBS.

This transitionary period will enable the Councils to migrate their on-premise solution to the Unit4 SaaS (Software as a Service) cloud hosted platform minimising technical risk through continued support during the transition. The Councils’ intention is to evaluate all viable options for the re-procurement of their financial management solutions in the intervening period to align with the Council's best interests and value for money obligations.

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: 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:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

As set out in II.2.4 above (Description of the procurement), the award of a contract to Unit4 is pursuant to Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) and (iii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, using a negotiated procedure without prior publication.

LB Sutton and RB Kingston have shared a single instance of the Unit4 Business World system. The application is used by the Councils for all aspects of financial management enabling them to comply with their statutory requirements including: core financial processes, accounting, sales orders and invoicing, management Information and financial and audit reporting. The provider has developed a unique solution and only they have the means to deliver the full requirements of the Councils. Unit4 has the proprietary ownership of the Business world system and therefore is the only company able to provide hosting, support and maintenance for the financial management system used by RBK and LBS.

This transitionary period will enable the Councils to migrate their on-premise solution to the Unit4 SaaS (Software as a Service) cloud hosted platform minimising technical risk through continued support during the transition. The Councils’ intention is to evaluate all viable options for the re-procurement of their financial management solutions in the intervening period to align with the Council's best interests and value for money obligations.

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

DN757310

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

7 January 2025

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

UNIT4 Business Software Limited

Swansea

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,601,359


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The High Court of Justice

London

Country

United Kingdom