Award

Track and Delay Reporting Software

  • NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-027875

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-049718

Published 2 September 2024, 10:38am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

George Stephenson House,Toft Green

YORK

YO16JT

Contact

Steven Eccles

Email

steven.eccles@northernrailway.co.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKE21 - York

Companies House

03076444

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.northernrailway.co.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Railway Services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Track and Delay Reporting Software

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 48140000 - Railway traffic control software package

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

Software and licensing that is integral to track and delay reporting throughout the rail network including passenger information.

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: £1,074,706.50

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF1 - Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
  • UKF3 - Lincolnshire
  • UKG23 - Stoke-on-Trent
  • UKH - East of England

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

An alerting service used by multi TOCS for passenger disruption

An alerting service used by TOCs to provide service updates to their customers (i.e. the travelling public and their season ticket holders). This is an optional service and users visiting our client's web sites can register to receive email or in some cases, additionally SMS Alerts.

A rail disruption messaging system

Distribute information nationwide in seconds. Messaging includes free format and structured options whilst giving complete flexibility. Event and situation data can be rapidly entered with templates consisting of compulsory and optional fields, with sentences being built automatically out of the content.

Customer Information Screen solution

Staff disruption app used across operational staff devices

Allows a combination of information and associated messages to downstream systems via a series of micro-services

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

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

Explanation:

Northern Trains Limited (NTL) has an obligation to provide continuous real time travel management disruption data.

There is no option to do nothing nor have a break in service given the importance, scale and complexity of the services delivered.

There are grounds where NTL as public body could award a subsequent contract to a third party using the exemptions in Regulation 50 of the UCR. This exemption is provided for under the UCR Regulation 50(1)(c) which allows Utilities to award a contract where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.

Under 50(1)(c) of the regulations, the nature of the product is unique, and no reasonable alternative or substitute solution exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software and currently no other single software solution can be utilised to supply the crucial interfaces to all of the multiple third-party systems served.

This contract extension will ensure business continuity as there will be no technical or operational disruption of the services.

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

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

27 August 2024

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

Nexus Alpha Limited

Horley

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
Companies House

2941132

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

Yes

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,074,706.50


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Northern Trains Limited

York

YO1 6JT

Country

United Kingdom