Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Finance - Digital Shared Services
Craigantlet Buildings, Stormont Estate
BELFAST
BT4 3SX
Contact
SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.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
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
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
ID 3533511 - DoF - IT Assist Server Patch Management Tool
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
IT Assist currently use a patch management system to patch approx. 1900 servers, the majority being virtual. The patch management system scans all devices on the network and identifies the versions of each. The patches are either downloaded manually or automatically as required. Patches can be applied in bulk or individually and on a schedule or on-demand. IT Assist requires a 5 year contract for the supply and delivery of a patch management system which will allow servers to be patched as described above. Please see document entitled “ID 3533511 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement”.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £150,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 48700000 - Software package utilities
- 48800000 - Information systems and servers
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 72260000 - Software-related services
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
IT Assist currently use a patch management system to patch approx. 1900 servers, the majority being virtual. The patch management system scans all devices on the network and identifies the versions of each. The patches are either downloaded manually or automatically as required. Patches can be applied in bulk or individually and on a schedule or on-demand. IT Assist requires a 5 year contract for the supply and delivery of a patch management system which will allow servers to be patched as described above. Please see document entitled “ID 3533511 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement”.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £150,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
60
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
This contract will be potentially be due to be re-procured after 3-5 years.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
After the initial contract period of 3 years there are two optional extension periods of 1 year each.
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
6 September 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
Tender must be valid until: 5 December 2021
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
6 September 2021
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 — Contract Management — Procedures and Principles). 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 this contract may be terminated. A central register of such notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website. Any contractor in receipt of a notice of unsatisfactory performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of 3 years from the date of issue of the notice. It may also 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. 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(s) in respect of any part(s) of the (services) covered by this notice; and (iv) to award contract(s) in stages and in no circumstances will the authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement competitions. 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.
United Kingdom
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.