Award

Hardship and Cost of Living Data Processing and Provision

  • Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-029106

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-037621

Published 17 October 2022, 9:23am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

King Charles Street

London

SW1A 2AH

Email

cpg.enquiries@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 02070081467

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office

Buyer's address

https://fcdo.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

National or federal Agency/Office

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Hardship and Cost of Living Data Processing and Provision

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 72310000 - Data-processing services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The data gathered in this exercise is used to calculate Cost of Living Allowances (COLA) and forms part of the calculation for the Hardship Allowance that the FCDO provides to its staff serving overseas.

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: £0.1

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72312100 - Data preparation services
  • 72314000 - Data collection and collation services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance

UNITED KINGDOM

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The data gathered in this exercise is used to calculate Cost of Living Allowances (COLA) and forms part of the calculation for the Hardship Allowance that the FCDO provides to its staff serving overseas.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: TECHNICAL / Weighting: 70

Price - Weighting: 30

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

two.2.14) Additional information

The value of the contract extension is below OJEU threshold.


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 procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations

Explanation:

PCR 2015 Regulation 72 allows the contracting authority to modify contracts where the relevant criteria are met, and we meet the following criteria for Regulation 72(1) (b) to apply:

• a change of contractor cannot be made for technical reasons, specifically the requirement of interoperability with existing equipment and services;

This is critical during a time of transition as the contracting authority works to align FCDO staff terms and conditions and merge two, distinct finance and HR systems and payrolls into one, necessitating several phased changes in the format of data required. This transition requires the current supplier to amend their prior work, specifically two existing sets of data, in order to deliver the required interim solution – this currently represents several months of close working by the FCDO and the supplier. Furthermore, the FCDO has an established methodology for calculating allowances which takes account of a myriad of factors, such as the routine provision of accommodation overseas, and makes our requirements unique compared to other organisations using this type of data.

• a change of contractor would cause significant inconvenience;

A change in supplier would negatively impact the alignment timetable and push delivery of a single set of allowances further to the right as any new supplier would need to develop three sets of data from a standing start in order to meet FCDO requirements. Additionally, the supplier is already familiar with FCDO policies and methodologies whilst being accustomed to making changes at pace when circumstances dictate. It is this flexibility and responsiveness which makes the supplier pivotal in our plans to modernise the FCDO’s overseas allowances offer, whilst giving us the option of extending these beyond the organisation as and when required.

• and the increase in price does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract.

The value of the contract extension is below OJEU threshold and does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract.

Separately, the original contract did signal the intention for provision for a time extension, albeit this did not set out the scope and nature of a possible extension.

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

Contract No

CPG/3085/2018

Title

Hardship and Cost of Living Data Processing and Provision

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

31 August 2022

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

ECA INTERNATIONAL

New Brook Buildings, 16 Great Queen Street

London

WC2B 5DG

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £0.1

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The value of the contract extension is below OJEU threshold.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

FOREIGN COMMONWELTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

KING CHARLES STREET

LONDON

SW1A 2AH

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office