Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
GMCA Offices, 1st Floor, Churchgate House, 56 Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 6EU
procurement@manchesterfire.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
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
The Provision of a BT Exchange Space & Power
Reference number
DN598406
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
When Greater Manchester’s Digital Blueprint was launched in February 2020 it included a specific ambition to Extend Our World Class Digital Infrastructure as a cross cutting enabler to underpin the city regions economic and social ambitions.
A key element of this has been the GM Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) “anchor tenancy” programme that is in the final stages of laying up to 2,700km of new fibre infrastructure across Greater Manchester leveraging DCMS funding plus investment from GMCA(FRS), TFGM and seven of the councils. This work will be complete by early 2022/23 and will connect approx. 1,600 public sites drive fibre into new areas of Greater Manchester.
‘Lighting’ the fibre is the next step, each of the public sector organisations that are part of the LFFN anchor tenancy programmes operate their own networks. Recognising that LFFN is providing a shared fibre infrastructure, in 2020 several of the partners considered the option for jointly procuring network services across the fibre infrastructure for their own organisational needs and to take advantage of the economies of scale.
A set of options were considered and it was agreed to collaboratively light the fibre with other LFFN partners giving high speed gigabit access to the GM region and all public sector bodies, by implementing a next generation, software-defined, integrated gigabit network.
Early in 2021 Bury, Oldham and Rochdale and Stockport Councils plus TFGM and GMCA(FRS) went to market to select a partner to design, build and operate the GM One Network via a competitive dialogue process. A preferred supplier was selected in December and GMCA are working with the preferred supplier with a view to signing contracts and commencing the project early in April.
The core network will be a segment routed network transport that that will be delivered on top of the LFFN network covering 33 BT exchanges around the Greater Manchester region.
• Each exchange will have a Cisco NCS-57C3-MOD platform providing the core Segment Routing and P/PE functionality for GM One. The platform is routed optical networking (RON) ready and can be expanded to provide FSN to FSN speeds of 400Gbps.
• The Cisco N540X-6Z18G-D will provide access aggregation for exchanges with a higher density of partner site connections.
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: £1,613,455.99
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Virgin Media Business are in the process of installing Fibre to connect circa 1600 sites across Greater Manchester. GMCA have recently selected a Supplier to “light” the fibre and provide a GM Wide Network Platform connected the GMCA/FRS, TfGM, Bury Council, Oldham Council, Rochdale Council and Stockport Council sites.
GMCA’s Supplier will be providing and installing Cisco Networking equipment in each of the BT Exchange sites to create a Core Network between the BT Exchange site and terminate the fibres connected the GMCA/FRS, TfGM, Bury Council, Oldham Council, Rochdale Council and Stockport Council sites.
GMCA require a Partner to provide space and power in 33 BT Exchange sites to house Cisco Networking equipment as detailed in the table below and provide fibre connectivity from the Virgin fibre to the Cisco Network equipment.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Technical Capacity / Weighting: 45
Price - Weighting: 55
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
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2022/S 000-005625
four.2.9) Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice
The contracting authority will not award any further contracts based on the above prior information notice
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
GMCA 446 BT Exchange Space & Power
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
27 June 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Virgin Media Business
500 Brook Drive
Reading
RG2 6UU
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £1,613,455.99
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom