Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Crown Commercial Service
The Capital Building, Old Hall Street
Liverpool
L3 9PP
supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 3150103503
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Crown Hosting II
Reference number
RM6262
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 70220000 - Non-residential property renting or leasing services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This single supplier framework relates to the rental of managed premises (data centre colocation facilities) and provision of associated products and services. Specifically, rental of highly secure premises across at least three locations separated by no less than 15km, suitable for HMG data at all security classifications and critical to the continued running of the nation. Associated products and services will include; data network connectivity on-site, between and from Crown Hosting Data Centres, on-site assistance to remote IT service personnel, ICT relocation services and procurement assistance.
Section six. Complementary information
six.6) Original notice reference
Notice number: 2022/S 000-003201
Section seven. Changes
seven.1.2) Text to be corrected in the original notice
Section number
I.1
Place of text to be modified
Email Address
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supplier@crowncommercial.gov.uk
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Text
crownhosting2veat@crowncommercial.gov.uk
Section number
Annex D3
Place of text to be modified
3. Explanation
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The actual proposed contract start date will be on or around 15 March 2023.
The purpose of this VEAT notice is to provide sufficient notice of the intention to award a seven (7) year framework in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the PCR 2015, which permits the contract to be awarded without prior publication where competition is absent for technical reasons.
Having reviewed its requirements for this framework, CCS has concluded that an award to the supplier is permissible under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) because this supplier is the only supplier in the market that can provide the collocation premises product types suitable to meet (i) the high security classification requirements and/or (ii) support services critical to the national interest, of customers that will require rental data space/premises services.
By way of additional information, the digital transformation aspects of the UK HMG Cloud First Policy formed part of CCS's decision making process. This policy directs customers to migrate their data centre workloads away in favour of those provided from public cloud services. The net effect of this policy is an
overall diminishing of potential data centre business, especially that with a security classification of OFFICIAL, and so a greater proportion of continued data centre requirements are those that are critical to the national interest and or have higher security classifications.
Consequently requirements include:
• Very high physical, operational and electronic security requirements associated with critical HMG ICT
operating at all security classifications and across all threat levels;
• The mandated provision of facilities within the maximum lead times ranging from 1 month for multiple rack spaces immediately able to accept customer ICT, to 6 (six) months for multiple large data halls including whole data centre buildings; and
• The ability of customers to terminate for convenience without penalty some or all of their license to occupy premises with as little as 30 (thirty) days notice, providing the supplier no benefit of assured occupancy.
CCS has determined that a seven (7) year framework is justifiable. It enables multiple customers to start and complete their four (4) year relocation programmes. This provides for three (3) years where customers can start and complete relocation within the framework agreement period. The alternate of the more common four (4) year framework agreement period would be insufficient for a large data centre relocation programme to start and finish before the framework agreement had expired.
Other Information
Subject to CCS receiving no responses to this VEAT notice, it shall commence negotiations with the supplier with the intention of awarding the contract on or around 15 March 2023.
Crown Hosting Data Centres Limited (CHDCL) is a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Ark Data Centres Ltd (Ark).
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Text
UPDATE to the timetable text in the original VEAT Notice: CCS has revised its timetable and now intends to enter into the contract on 4th October 2022.
The purpose of this VEAT notice is to provide sufficient notice of the intention to award a seven (7) year framework in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the PCR 2015, which permits the contract to be awarded without prior publication where competition is absent for technical reasons.
Having reviewed its requirements for this framework, CCS has concluded that an award to the supplier is permissible under Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) because this supplier is the only supplier in the market that can provide the collocation premises product types suitable to meet (i) the high security classification requirements and/or (ii) support services critical to the national interest, of customers that will require rental data space/premises services.
By way of additional information, the digital transformation aspects of the UK HMG Cloud First Policy formed part of CCS's decision making process. This policy directs customers to migrate their data centre workloads away in favour of those provided from public cloud services. The net effect of this policy is an overall diminishing of potential data centre business, especially that with a security classification of OFFICIAL, and so a greater proportion of continued data centre requirements are those that are critical to the national interest and or have higher security classifications.
Consequently requirements include:
• Very high physical, operational and electronic security requirements associated with critical HMG ICT
operating at all security classifications and across all threat levels;
• The mandated provision of facilities within the maximum lead times ranging from 1 month for multiple rack spaces immediately able to accept customer ICT, to 6 (six) months for multiple large data halls including whole data centre buildings; and
• The ability of customers to terminate for convenience without penalty some or all of their license to occupy premises with as little as 30 (thirty) days notice, providing the supplier no benefit of assured occupancy.
CCS has determined that a seven (7) year framework is justifiable. It enables multiple customers to start and complete their four (4) year relocation programmes. This provides for three (3) years where customers can start and complete relocation within the framework agreement period. The alternate of the more common four (4) year framework agreement period would be insufficient for a large data centre relocation programme to start and finish before the framework agreement had expired.
Other Information
UPDATE to the timetable text in the original VEAT Notice: CCS has revised its timetable and now intends to enter into the contract on 4th October 2022.
Crown Hosting Data Centres Limited (CHDCL) is a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Ark Data Centres Ltd (Ark).
Section number
V.2.1
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Date
3 February 2022
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Date
4 October 2022