Awarded contract

Crown Hosting II

  • Crown Commercial Service

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice reference: 2022/S 000-003201

Published 3 February 2022, 10:45pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Crown Commercial Service

9th Floor, The Capital Building, Old Hall Street

Liverpool

L3 9PP

Email

supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3150103503

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/ccs

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Crown Hosting II

Reference number

RM6262

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 70220000 - Non-residential property renting or leasing services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This single supplier framework relates to the rental of managed premises (data centre colocation facilities) and provision of associated products and services. Specifically, rental of highly secure premises across at least three locations separated by no less than 15km, suitable for HMG data at all security classifications and critical to the continued running of the nation. Associated products and services will include; data network connectivity on-site, between and from Crown Hosting Data Centres, on-site assistance to remote IT service personnel, ICT relocation services and procurement assistance.

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: £250,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 30200000 - Computer equipment and supplies
  • 31000000 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting
  • 39000000 - Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products
  • 42992000 - Special-purpose electrical goods
  • 44000000 - Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)
  • 50300000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to personal computers, office equipment, telecommunications and audio-visual equipment
  • 50600000 - Repair and maintenance services of security and defence materials
  • 50700000 - Repair and maintenance services of building installations
  • 51000000 - Installation services (except software)
  • 51600000 - Installation services of computers and office equipment
  • 64200000 - Telecommunications services
  • 65300000 - Electricity distribution and related services
  • 65400000 - Other sources of energy supplies and distribution
  • 65500000 - Meter reading service
  • 70000000 - Real estate services
  • 70332300 - Industrial property services
  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • 79700000 - Investigation and security services
  • 90900000 - Cleaning and sanitation services
  • 92222000 - Closed circuit television services
  • 98390000 - Other services
  • 98391000 - Decommissioning services
  • 98392000 - Relocation services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The rental of managed premises (data centre colocation facilities) and provision of associated products and services. Specifically, rental of highly secure premises across at least three locations separated by no less than 15km, suitable for HMG data at all security classifications and critical to the continued running of the nation. Associated products and services will include; data network connectivity on-site, between and from Crown Hosting Data Centres, on-site assistance to remote IT service personnel, ICT relocation services and procurement assistance

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:

CCS is intending to start negotiations with a single supplier (Crown Hosting Data Centres Ltd) for the provision of colocation premises for the ICT of its public sector customers.

Please note in V.2.1 above the publication date of this VEAT notice was inserted due to the mandatory requirements for completing this notice.

The actual proposed contract start date will be on or around 15 March 2023.

The purpose of this VEAT notice is to provide sufficient notice of the intention to award a seven (7) year framework in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the PCR 2015, which permits the contract to be awarded without prior publication where competition is absent for technical reasons.

Having reviewed its requirements for this framework, CCS has concluded that an award to the supplier is permissible under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) because this supplier is the only supplier in the market that can provide the collocation premises product types suitable to meet (i) the high security classification requirements and/or (ii) support services critical to the national interest, of customers that will require rental data space/premises services.

By way of additional information, the digital transformation aspects of the UK HMG Cloud First Policy formed part of CCS’s decision making process. This policy directs customers to migrate their data centre workloads away in favour of those provided from public cloud services. The net effect of this policy is an

overall diminishing of potential data centre business, especially that with a security classification of OFFICIAL, and so a greater proportion of continued data centre requirements are those that are critical to the national interest and or have higher security classifications.

Consequently requirements include:

• Very high physical, operational and electronic security requirements associated with critical HMG ICT

operating at all security classifications and across all threat levels;

• The mandated provision of facilities within the maximum lead times ranging from 1 month for multiple rack spaces immediately able to accept customer ICT, to 6 (six) months for multiple large data halls including whole data centre buildings; and

• The ability of customers to terminate for convenience without penalty some or all of their license to occupy premises with as little as 30 (thirty) days notice, providing the supplier no benefit of assured occupancy.

CCS has determined that a seven (7) year framework is justifiable. It enables multiple customers to start and complete their four (4) year relocation programmes. This provides for three (3) years where customers can start and complete relocation within the framework agreement period. The alternate of the more common four (4) year framework agreement period would be insufficient for a large data centre relocation programme to start and finish before the framework agreement had expired.

Other Information

Subject to CCS receiving no responses to this VEAT notice, it shall commence negotiations with the supplier with the intention of awarding the contract on or around 15 March 2023.

Crown Hosting Data Centres Limited (CHDCL) is a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Ark Data Centres Ltd (Ark).

four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

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

RM6262

Title

Crown Hosting II

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

3 February 2022

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

Crown Hosting Data Centre Limited

Westwells Road

Corsham

SN13 9GB

Email

info@crownhostingdc.co.uk

Telephone

+44 3332070703

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Internet address

https://crownhostingdc.co.uk/

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: £250,000,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The Minister for the Cabinet Office acting through Crown Commercial Service

9th Floor, The Capital, Old Hall Street

Liverpool

L3 9PP

Email

supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3450103503

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/