Award

HR and Payroll Systems VEAT Notice

  • East Lothian Council

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-017933

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-050a0d

Published 30 April 2025, 12:05pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

East Lothian Council

John Muir House

Haddington, East Lothian

EH41 3HA

Email

procurement@eastlothian.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 620827827

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00181

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

HR and Payroll Systems VEAT Notice

Reference number

ELC-24-0325

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79631000 - Personnel and payroll services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency(VEAT) notice. East Lothian Council intends to award of contract for it's HR and Payroll System to MHR International for 5 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: £646,609

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79631000 - Personnel and payroll services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM73 - East Lothian and Midlothian

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency(VEAT) notice. East Lothian Council intends to award of contract for it's HR and Payroll System to MHR International for 5 years.

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

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

  • The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations

Explanation:

East Lothian Council’s HR and Payroll System is essential to organisational service delivery. In this instance, cost and resource implications of changing to a new platform would have significant cost of change implications.

The business rationale for continuing with MHR International products links to the costs of change, which is not necessarily limited to the direct costs of licensing new software, but holistic costs pertaining to the migration of data, implementation of organisation wide training to embed a new system.

The current system is embedded within processes and cross departmentally. Given the costs outlined above, an alternative system would need to be a consolidation of software systems to deliver efficiencies which provide the most economically advantageous solution. It was not judged that this could be achieved in this contractual cycle.

For these reasons, there are no financially, administratively reasonable, viable alternative, substitute systems, or products other than the iTrent software that can meet East Lothian Council's needs during the period of the proposed contract.

The required licensing and support of this product can only be provided by MHR International for technical reasons and due to the supplier’s exclusive rights in and to the proprietary [iTrent products.

Accordingly, it is considered that the proposed award of contract to MHR International meets with the requirements Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, Regulation 33(1)(b)(ii) and (iii).

The Council will continue, during the life of the contract, to carry out market testing for tendering opportunities beyond this contract.

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

ELC-24-0325

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

27 March 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

MHR

Ruddington Hall, Loughborough Road

Ruddington

NG116LL

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
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: £646,609


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=797518.

(SC Ref:797518)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Edinburgh Sherriff Court

Edinburgh

Country

United Kingdom