Award

Provision of IBM SPSS Licences and Support

  • BLUELIGHT COMMERCIAL LIMITED

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-003298

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04da9c

Published 31 January 2025, 2:18pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

BLUELIGHT COMMERCIAL LIMITED

5-8 The Sanctuary Lower Ground

LONDON

SW1P3JS

Contact

Jake Laurie

Email

jake.laurie@bluelight.police.uk

Telephone

+44 2045704661

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKI32 - Westminster

Companies House

12517649

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://bluelightcommercial.police.uk/

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Public order and safety


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Provision of IBM SPSS Licences and Support

Reference number

BLC-0183

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 48100000 - Industry specific software package

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

BlueLight Commercial Ltd (the "Authority") intends to enter into an agreement with IBM United Kingdom Limited (the "Supplier") for the provision of IBM SPSS licences and support for IBM SPSS Products. The Authority is entering into this contract as a national contracting body for UK Policing and wider public sector agencies who have expressed an interest in participating in a single contract ("User Organisations").

This software is used by the User Organisations for the development and presentation of complex statistical data analysis. User Organisation utilise the software for a variety of purposes such as predictive crime analysis, user research and statistical model production.

The proposed contract is for a period of three years.

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: £1,946,709.41

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 48461000 - Analytical or scientific software package
  • 48462000 - Mathematical or forecasting software package
  • 48463000 - Statistical software package
  • 72261000 - Software support services
  • 72267000 - Software maintenance and repair services
  • 72268000 - Software supply services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Authority intends to enter into an agreement with the Supplier for the provision of licences and support for IBM SPSS Software only.

The proposed contract is for a period of three years and has a total anticipated value of 1,946,709.41 GBP excluding VAT.

The main items / services to be provided by the Supplier shall include the following:

• The provision of IBM Software Subscription and Support for on-premise installations of IBM SPSS software based on the requirements of the User Organisations.

• The re-instatement of Software Subscription and Support Coverage for lapsed coverage.

• The provision of SPSS software-specific support to resolve incidents and bugs identified by User Organisations in their day-to-day usage of the SPSS software.

• Access for User Organisations to ongoing updates of the IBM SPSS products in use.

The value of the procurement noted at II.1.7 above is up to £1,946,709.41. This is made up of:

• The contract price;

• Indexation;

• Potential downstream additional licences;

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:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

The Authority intends to enter into this agreement with the Supplier on the basis that regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 applies, i.e. that only the Supplier can provide the services required because the competition is absent for technical reasons. The Authority considers that no reasonable alternative substitute exists, and the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement. This is for the following reasons:

• The critical nature of the IBM SPSS software in use as part of operations, investigations, and demand analysis undertaken by the User Organisations.

• Due to the proprietary nature of the IBM SPSS software owned solely by the Supplier, no other supplier is able to provide new features, updates, patches or licences for the products.

• The Authority is satisfied that there is no comparable licence available to allow User Organisations to continue to use the IBM SPSS.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract/concession

Contract No

BLC-0182

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

31 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

IBM United Kingdom Limited

Building C IBM Hursley Office, Hursley Park Road,

Winchester

SO21 2JN

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ - South East (England)
Companies House

00741598

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: £1,946,709.41


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

BlueLight Commercial work in collaboration with blue light organisations to maximise commercial benefits to UK emergency services. The current membership of BlueLight Commercial consists of policing bodies, as well as bodies responsible for Fire and Rescue services and other bluelight sector members.

For the avoidance of doubt, at the time of publication, BlueLight Commercial has not entered into a new agreement with IBM United Kingdom Limited for these services.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The High Court of England and Wales

7 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane

London

EC4A 1NL

Telephone

+44 2079476000

Country

United Kingdom