Opportunity

Integrated HR, Payroll, Finance and Procurement Solution for the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission BR-040-2021

  • NI Assembly

F02: Contract notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-016836

Published 16 July 2021, 5:14pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

NI Assembly

Parliament Buildings

Belfast

BT4 3XX

Contact

procurementniassembly.gov.uk

Email

procurement@niassembly.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

Buyer's address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

www.etendersni.gov.uk

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

www.etendersni.gov.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Other type

Legislature

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Legislature


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Integrated HR, Payroll, Finance and Procurement Solution for the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission BR-040-2021

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 Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (the Assembly Commission) is seeking to procure a single contractor to provide, implement and maintain a cloud hosted SaaS integrated HR, payroll, finance and procurement solution. This is likely to be an off-the-shelf solution with minimal customisations. The procurement exercise will be conducted in accordance with the competitive negotiation procedure pursuant to Regulation 29 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) (PCR). The Assembly Commission wishes to conduct an efficient, effective and streamlined competitive negotiation process and does not wish to engage in any unnecessary negotiations that imposes costs on all parties and causes delay. Accordingly, it is envisaged that certain limits will be placed on the extent of negotiations that will be permitted. The Assembly Commission will only accept tender bids that propose a solution model that meets the key requirements for HR, payroll and finance and is within our estimated maximum budget of £3M for the entire duration of the contract. A single solution may be proposed by a single contractor or a consortium of suppliers may come together propose a solution, but must be led by a single lead contractor. Alternatively, a series of solutions may be proposed again by one supplier or a consortiums of suppliers, but must also be led by a single lead contractor. To be clear, the Assembly Commission will only enter into one contract for this solution. The lead contractor will be responsible for any other suppliers/sub-contractors with whom they propose to work together to provide a solution for the Assembly Commission. The lead contractor will act as the single point of contact for the Assembly Commission and will hold responsibility for dealing with all contractual matters for the Assembly Commission. As the over-arching objective of the Systems Review Project is a move to having one version of the truth, prevention of duplication of data and access to information across the solution in real time, the decision was taken to appoint a sole contractor to manage, maintain and underwrite the solution configuration who will take overall responsibility for the implementation, maintenance and support of the entire configured solution so that these project objectives are achieved. Awarding multiple contracts or splitting the in-scope functions into separate contracts will not be facilitated. This contract will be awarded to one supplier for a period of 5 years. There will be five optional extension periods of up to one year each. It is the intention that the highest ranked tender submission will be awarded this contract. The Assembly Commission recognise that they are a number of solutions in the marketplace that can provide an integrated solution that will meet our needs. In order to manage expectations of potential Tenderers, the Assembly Commission are placing a cap on the overall IT solution implementation and ongoing licensing, support and maintenance costs over a ten year period of £3m.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
  • 72250000 - System and support services
  • 72260000 - Software-related services
  • 72261000 - Software support services
  • 72262000 - Software development services
  • 72263000 - Software implementation services
  • 72264000 - Software reproduction services
  • 72265000 - Software configuration services
  • 72267000 - Software maintenance and repair services
  • 72268000 - Software supply services
  • 72210000 - Programming services of packaged software products
  • 72211000 - Programming services of systems and user software
  • 72212000 - Programming services of application software
  • 72212100 - Industry specific software development services
  • 72212440 - Financial analysis and accounting software development services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
  • UKN - Northern Ireland
  • UKN0 - Northern Ireland
  • UKN06 - Belfast
Main site or place of performance

Belfast, Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (the Assembly Commission) is seeking to procure a single contractor to provide, implement and maintain a cloud hosted SaaS integrated HR, payroll, finance and procurement solution. This is likely to be an off-the-shelf solution with minimal customisations. The procurement exercise will be conducted in accordance with the competitive negotiation procedure pursuant to Regulation 29 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) (PCR). The Assembly Commission wishes to conduct an efficient, effective and streamlined competitive negotiation process and does not wish to engage in any unnecessary negotiations that imposes costs on all parties and causes delay. Accordingly, it is envisaged that certain limits will be placed on the extent of negotiations that will be permitted. The Assembly Commission will only accept tender bids that propose a solution model that meets the key requirements for HR, payroll and finance and is within our estimated maximum budget of £3M for the entire duration of the contract. A single solution may be proposed by a single contractor or a consortium of suppliers may come together propose a solution, but must be led by a single lead contractor. Alternatively, a series of solutions may be proposed again by one supplier or a consortiums of suppliers, but must also be led by a single lead contractor. To be clear, the Assembly Commission will only enter into one contract for this solution. The lead contractor will be responsible for any other suppliers/sub-contractors with whom they propose to work together to provide a solution for the Assembly Commission. The lead contractor will act as the single point of contact for the Assembly Commission and will hold responsibility for dealing with all contractual matters for the Assembly Commission. As the over-arching objective of the Systems Review Project is a move to having one version of the truth, prevention of duplication of data and access to information across the solution in real time, the decision was taken to appoint a sole contractor to manage, maintain and underwrite the solution configuration who will take overall responsibility for the implementation, maintenance and support of the entire configured solution so that these project objectives are achieved. Awarding multiple contracts or splitting the in-scope functions into separate contracts will not be facilitated. This contract will be awarded to one supplier for a period of 5 years. There will be five optional extension periods of up to one year each. It is the intention that the highest ranked tender submission will be awarded this contract. The Assembly Commission recognise that they are a number of solutions in the marketplace that can provide an integrated solution that will meet our needs. In order to manage expectations of potential Tenderers, the Assembly Commission are placing a cap on the overall IT solution implementation and ongoing licensing, support and maintenance costs over a ten year period of £3m.

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: £3,000,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

60

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited

Envisaged minimum number: 3

Maximum number: 5

Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:

At selection stage (stage 1) tenderers who pass all eligibility criteria (pass/fail scoring) will progress to have their responses to selection questions evaluated. There are two selection crtieria. 1 - Company Experience (weighted at 80 percent of total score) and 2 - Multiple Employment Contracts for Payroll (weighted 20 percent of total score). This will be scored on a 0-5 scale. . These objective and non-discriminatory selection criteria to be applied by the Assembly Commission for the pre-qualification of candidates. Where there is a sufficient number of candidates who are eligible and sufficiently qualified to participate in the award stage of the competition, the Assembly Commission will limit the number of candidates which it will invite to tender to a maximum of the five highest-ranked candidates. In the event that score are tied at fifth position (i.e. equal marks), the Assembly Commission reserves the right to extend the shortlist to the requisite number.

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

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 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

None

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Competitive procedure with negotiation

four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated

four.1.5) Information about negotiation

The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations

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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

20 August 2021

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

Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

None

None

Country

United Kingdom