Contract

Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - Maintenance and Support of Legislative Work Bench 3 (LWB3)

  • NI Assembly Commission

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-026102

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03f069

Published 4 September 2023, 4:17pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

NI Assembly Commission

Parliament Buildings

Belfast

BT4 3XX

Contact

procurementniassembly.gov.uk

Email

procurement@niassembly.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

Buyer's address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

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

Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - Maintenance and Support of Legislative Work Bench 3 (LWB3)

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

BR-075-2023 Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - Maintenance and Support of Legislative Work Bench 3 (LWB3)

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: £204,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

BR-075-2023 Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - Maintenance and Support of Legislative Work Bench 3 (LWB3)

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

After the first 12 month contract there is one option to extend for a further 12 month period.

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 Northern Ireland Assembly Commission requires Propylon Ltd. to provide productmaintenance and support ensuring continuity of service during the period in which a newsolution will be procured and implemented, in accordance with Regulation 32 of the PublicContracts Regulations PCR 2015.


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 services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission is relying on derogation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 as an exception to open competition that allows for contracts to be awarded without competition in circumstances where competition is absent for technical reasons. In this case, Propylon Ltd. own the rights to the underlying computer program therefore support and maintenance of the program is exclusive to them and cannot be purchased from another provider. The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission is currently assessing options to replace this software.

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: 2023/S 000-024076


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

1

Title

Contract for the Maintenance and Support of Legislative Work Bench Software (BR-075-2023)

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

1 September 2023

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 1

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1

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

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

PROPYLON LIMITED

36 Blackbourne Square Rathfarnham Gate, Dublin 14

DUBLIN

D14 DW30

Email

jason.byrne@propylon.com

Telephone

+33 14927444

Country

Ireland

NUTS code
  • IE - Ireland
Internet address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

The contractor is an SME

Yes

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £204,000

Total value of the contract/lot: £204,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

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.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

As above

As above

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

The PCR 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission incorporated a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) before this contract was awarded.