Contract

FCP: Rural Payments Service Continuity Project

  • DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-009603

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-048671 (view related notices)

Published 17 March 2025, 11:25am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Contact

Navid Ghamsari

Email

navid.ghamsari@defra.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

Buyer's address

https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

FCP: Rural Payments Service Continuity Project

Reference number

C27326

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

Defra is responsible for responsible for improving and protecting the environment. We aim to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities. We also support our world-leading food, farming and fishing industries. For further information please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. We pay out over £2 billion each year to support a thriving farming and food sector, supporting agricultural and rural communities to create a better place to live. The Rural Payments service (RPS) is Defra’s online registration system for farmers, animal keepers and rural traders and businesses.

At its core is the payments policy and rules engine application ABACO Agri (previously known as SITI Agri). This has been developed over a number of years and delivers > 80% of the large, complex, reoccurring land-based grants/schemes offered by Defra such as Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship (CS), Combined Offer (CO), Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) among others for more than 90,000 farmers.

As part of Defra’s digital strategy this application will be replaced with a new solution/service as part of the Farming Countryside Programme (FCP) that is also delivering major policy changes over the next few years.

To provide sufficient time to implement, transition and migrate to a new solution/service, the Authority requires a contract for the support, maintenance and development of schemes/grants on Defra’s existing deployment of ABACO Agri for up to 3 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: £27,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Defra is responsible for responsible for improving and protecting the environment. We aim to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities. We also support our world-leading food, farming and fishing industries. For further information please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. We pay out over £2 billion each year to support a thriving farming and food sector, supporting agricultural and rural communities to create a better place to live. The Rural Payments service (RPS) is Defra’s online registration system for farmers, animal keepers and rural traders and businesses.

At its core is the payments policy and rules engine application ABACO Agri (previously known as SITI Agri). This has been developed over a number of years and delivers > 80% of the large, complex, reoccurring land-based grants/schemes offered by Defra such as Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship (CS), Combined Offer (CO), Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) among others for more than 90,000 farmers.

As part of Defra’s digital strategy this application will be replaced with a new solution/service as part of the Farming Countryside Programme (FCP) that is also delivering major policy changes over the next few years.

To provide sufficient time to implement, transition and migrate to a new solution/service, the Authority requires a contract for the support, maintenance and development of schemes/grants on Defra’s existing deployment of ABACO Agri for up to 3 years.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Technical / Weighting: 60

Quality criterion - Name: Sustainability / Weighting: 10

Cost criterion - Name: Commercial / Weighting: 30

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

Open procedure

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2024/S 000-024005


Section five. Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

31 October 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

ABACO(UK) LIMITED

5th Floor, Aldermary House 10-15 Queen Street, C/O Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati Ltd, London

London

EC4N 1TX

Email

procurement@abacogroupuk.com

Telephone

+44 7757038203

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
National registration number

14444842

Internet address

www.abacogroupuk.com

The contractor is an SME

No

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £27,000,000

Total value of the contract/lot: £27,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs