Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Finance
Waterside House, 75 Duke Street
Derry/Londonderry
BT47 6FP
StrategicDelivery.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
DoF - Civil Service Pensions (CSP) Systems Project
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 Department of Finance’s Civil Service Pensions (CSP) has a requirement for the provision of a replacement solution for Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Pension Schemes member administration, pensioner payroll, accounting, financial reporting, on-line web services, electronic document management and workflow case management. It is anticipated that the Contract will be for a maximum contract period of 11½ years (which includes a development and implementation period of up to 18 months). This is likely to be on the basis of an implementation period from the effective date (i.e. contract award/ signature) to the operational service commencement date (i.e. “go-live”) followed by an initial contract period of seven years (7) years with the option to extend, at the Contracting Authority’s discretion, for up to three (3) further periods of one (1) year each. All optional extensions will be subject to review and satisfactory performance assessment conducted by CSP. Please see the procurement documents which provide further information.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £20,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 66500000 - Insurance and pension services
- 66520000 - Pension services
- 72100000 - Hardware consultancy services
- 72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services
- 72227000 - Software integration consultancy services
- 72230000 - Custom software development services
- 72260000 - Software-related services
- 72300000 - Data services
- 72320000 - Database services
- 72400000 - Internet services
- 72500000 - Computer-related services
- 72600000 - Computer support and consultancy services
- 75320000 - Government employee pension schemes
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Department of Finance’s Civil Service Pensions (CSP) has a requirement for the provision of a replacement solution for Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Pension Schemes member administration, pensioner payroll, accounting, financial reporting, on-line web services, electronic document management and workflow case management. It is anticipated that the Contract will be for a maximum contract period of 11½ years (which includes a development and implementation period of up to 18 months). This is likely to be on the basis of an implementation period from the effective date (i.e. contract award/ signature) to the operational service commencement date (i.e. “go-live”) followed by an initial contract period of seven years (7) years with the option to extend, at the Contracting Authority’s discretion, for up to three (3) further periods of one (1) year each. All optional extensions will be subject to review and satisfactory performance assessment conducted by CSP. Please see the procurement documents which provide further information.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £20,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
102
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged number of candidates: 3
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Regulation 58 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 as set out in the Information Memorandum. A selection process will be used to identify economic operators, who having submitted a response to the Selection Questionnaire, sufficiently demonstrate to the Department’s satisfaction the appropriate technical and professional ability, economic, financial and legal standing to meet the requirements of the contract.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
This contract will have the option to extend, at the Contracting Authority's discretion, for up to three (3) further periods of one (1) year each. All optional extensions will be subject to review and satisfactory performance assessment conducted by Civil Service Pensions.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
The estimated contract value indicated in Section II.1.5 and II.2.6 represents the potential value of the contract over the maximum contract period which ranges from £8,000,000 GBP to £20,000,000 GBP exclusive of VAT. This is an estimated range only and the Department reserves the right to award for a lower or higher amount. This range reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account changes and potential modifications to the contract that may be required that could not be identified or foreseen at the time of this procurement exercise but which are complementary to the services to be provided to ensure that the CSP operational service is maintained, upgraded and enhanced over its lifetime. It is envisaged that such modifications would be made without requiring a new procurement procedure in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. This range does not however take into account the application of indexation or increases to charges due to increases in the Real Living Wage. Neither CPD nor the Contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Economic Operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Economic Operator in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and an Economic Operator shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority. Economic Operators should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Regulation 58 of the Public Contract Regulations. 2015 as set out in the Information Memorandum. A selection process will also be used to identify economic operators, who having. submitted a response to the Selection Questionnaire, sufficiently demonstrate to the Department’s satisfaction the appropriate technical. and professional ability, economic, financial and legal standing to meet the requirements of the contract.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per Tender documentation
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per Tender documentation
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The appointment to the contract will be subject to the preferred supplier demonstrating that the minimum requirements specified in the selection questionnaire continue to be met and that there being no material adverse change to the standing of the supplier. The appointment will also be subject to all other necessary due diligence being carried out by the Authority. Contract performance will be subject to the conditions specified in the contract and the successful Supplier’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive dialogue
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: 2021/S 000-012391
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
22 July 2024
Local time
3:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until: 18 January 2025
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
six.3) Additional information
This competition is being conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and the Department for Finance (DoF) will use the Competitive Dialogue procedure which is governed by Regulation 30 of the Regulations. Further information on the competition and how the dialogue phase will be structured will be set out in the Information Memorandum and the Instructions for Competitive Dialogue (ICD) which will be issued to those economic operators who advance in the procurement following the evaluation of the responses to the Selection Questionnaire. The Authority expressly reserves the rights:(I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; (II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition; (III). to award a contract in respect of any part(s) of the services covered by this notice; and (IV). to award contract in stages and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates. The successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored in line with the tender documentation. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance can result in the Contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of three years from the date of issue.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belffast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.