Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
South Lanarkshire Council
Council Headquarters, Almada Street
Hamilton
ML3 0AA
Contact
Marie McGowan
marie.mcgowan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 1698454184
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM95 - South Lanarkshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00410
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.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
Supply & Support of Communications Hardware, Software & Licensing
Reference number
SLC/PS/FINCOR/22/082
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72222300 - Information technology services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Contract will primarily cover the Council’s communications hardware (including installation), software & licensing supply and support requirements, and the communications hardware, software & licensing requirements of Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Trust.
Although the contract is likely to involve approximately 787 communications devices bidders should note that this number may vary during the Contract Period. The Council reserves the right to vary the number of communications hardware, software and licensing covered by the contract in the event that changes are made to the Council’s current ICT environment.
The following are not included in this contract:
-the supply of structured cabling or power
-the supply of desktop, laptop, or mobile devices
-the supply of Wide Area Network Telco connections
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £4,365,143
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 44316400 - Hardware
- 50312600 - Maintenance and repair of information technology equipment
- 50312610 - Maintenance of information technology equipment
- 50312620 - Repair of information technology equipment
- 72267100 - Maintenance of information technology software
- 72267200 - Repair of information technology software
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM95 - South Lanarkshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Contract will primarily cover the Council’s communications hardware, software & licensing supply and support requirements, and the communications hardware, software & licensing requirements of Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Trust.
Although the contract is likely to involve approximately 787 communications devices bidders should note that this number may vary during the Contract Period. The Council reserves the right to vary the number of communications hardware, software and licensing covered by the contract in the event that changes are made to the Council’s current ICT environment.
The following are not included in this contract:
-the supply of structured cabling or power
-the supply of desktop, laptop, or mobile devices
-the supply of Wide Area Network Telco connections
Summary of Services Required: -
The Council’s outline requirements are as follows:
SUPPLY
-The ability to source and supply a range of communications hardware, software and licensing directly from a variety of manufacturers. The current range is highlighted in Attachment 23.
-Refresh/replacement of existing communications equipment at the Council’s discretion
-Build and installation of the communications equipment to any location in South Lanarkshire approved by the Council or to shared data hub facilities some of which may be outside the South Lanarkshire Council area.
-Moves, adds and changes
-Consultancy & professional services
SUPPORT OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE
-Asset & configuration management
-Incident & problem management
-Security and functionality patch management
-24-Hour Service monitoring and reporting of selected equipment as noted in Attachment 23.
CHARGING AND BILLING
-Quarterly invoicing in arrears
-Billing integration with the Council’s Financial Management System
SERVICE TRANSITION
-Provide experienced resources dedicated to assisting the Council in the seamless migration of the existing communications hardware, software, and licensing estate from the incumbent provider
SERVICE AND ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
-Service proposals to address the specified requirements
-Service level agreements
-Monthly reporting
-Continuous improvement plans
-Annual performance appraisal
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
-Product, solution, and lifecycle briefings to ensure that the Council is aware and informed of product development
-Benchmarking of prices throughout the duration of the contract
-Identify efficiencies through innovation in the delivery of the required supplies and services
The following Optional Services may be required from time to time and the Council may (at its discretion) request that the successful bidder provides these during the Contract Period subject to agreement being reached in accordance with the Change Control Process outlined in the contract: -
-Provision of contract services to the Council’s educational & library establishments
-Extended operating hours
-Security management
Continuity of service during transition from the current Contract is of the upmost importance. Continuity of service planning will include a requirement for the successful bidder to provide a detailed implementation plan for the transition from the current contract, while maintaining service provision in all areas as far as possible. The use of communications equipment is critical to the running of the Council’s business, and therefore continuity of service will be a high priority when evaluating supplier proposals.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £4,365,143
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2023
End date
31 March 2028
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Council will have the option to extend the contract for a further 1-year from 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2029 subject to the availability of funding, the contractor’s satisfactory performance, the Council having secured all necessary internal Council approvals and the Council being satisfied with the contractor’s financial standing.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
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
If interested in responding to the tender opportunity when it becomes available, please ensure that you are registered with PCS-T.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
SPD Question 4A.1 Trade Registers
It is a requirement of this tender that if the bidder is UK based they must hold a valid registration with Companies House. Where the bidder is UK based but not registered at Companies House they must be able to verify to the Councils satisfaction that they are trading from the address provided in the tender and under the company name given.
If the bidder is based out-with the UK they must be enrolled in the relevant professional or trade register appropriate to their country as described in Schedule 5 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
SPD Question 4A.2 Authorisation/Membership
Where it is required, within a bidder’s country of establishment they must confirm which authorisation or memberships of the relevant organisation(s) are required in order to perform this service.
Bidders must confirm if they hold the particular authorisation or memberships.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
SPD Question 4B.4 Economic and Financial Standing
The Council will use the following ratios to evaluate a bidders financial status:
Profitability – this is taken as profit after tax but before dividends and minority interests. If a company makes a profit then it is a pass for this ratio;
Liquidity – this is calculated as current assets less stock and work in progress, divided by current liabilities. If the answer is greater than or equal to one then it is a pass for this ratio
Gearing – this is calculated as the total external secured borrowing (short term and long term) divided by shareholder funds expressed as a percentage. If the answer is less than or equal to 100% it is considered a pass for this ratio.
Bidders must provide the name and value of each of the 3 ratios within their response to SPD question 4B.4.
The Council requires bidders to pass 2 out of the 3 financial ratios above.
Where 2 out of the 3 ratios cannot be met, the Council may take the undernoted into consideration when assessing financial viability and the risk to the Council, providing that the Bidder can supply evidence to substantiate any of the mitigating criteria when requested to do so. The following list is not exhaustive and other criteria may be considered where proposed by a bidder as mitigating factors:
Would the bidder have passed the checks if prior year accounts had been used?
Were any of the poor appraisal outcomes "marginal"?
Does the bidder operate in a market which, traditionally, requires lower liquidity or higher debt finance?
Does the bidder have sufficient reserves to sustain losses for a number of years?
Does the bidder have a healthy cashflow?
Is the bidder profitable enough to finance the interest on its debt?
Is most of the bidder's debt owed to group companies?
Is the bidder's debt due to be repaid over a number of years, and affordable?
Have the bidder's results been adversely affected by "one off costs" and / or "one off accounting treatments"?
Do the bidder's auditors (where applicable) consider it to be a "going concern"?
Will the bidder provide a Parent Company Guarantee?
Is the bidder the single supplier/source of the Goods/Works/Services in the marketplace?
The Council will request submission of and assess the bidders financial accounts, and may use financial verification systems to validate the information provided.
SPD Question 4B.5 Insurance
The bidder must confirm that they have or will commit to obtain prior to the commencement of the contract, the following levels of Insurance Cover:
Employer’s Liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injuries to employees of the bidder arising out of and in the course of their employment in connection with this contract to the level of 10000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
Public Liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injury to a person (not an employee of the bidder) or loss of or damage to property resulting from an action or failure to take action by the bidder to the level of 5000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
Professional Indemnity Insurance covering the failure of the bidder to use the skill and care normally used by professionals providing the services described in this tender to the level of 5000000 GBP in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
SPD Question 4C.1.2 Technical and Professional Ability
It is a requirement of this tender that the Bidder can demonstrate in their response to questions 4C.1.2 that they have held contracts of a similar nature, size and value to those mentioned in the Specification, within the last three years. A minimum of 3 examples and a maximum of 5 examples should be provided.
The Council reserves the right to verify any information with the relevant Company / Authority.
SPD Question 4C.10 Technical and Professional Ability (Sub-Contracting)
Bidders will be required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract.
SPD Question 4D.1 Quality Assurance Schemes
The Bidder must have the following: -
a. A documented policy regarding quality management. The policy must set out responsibilities for quality management demonstrating that the bidder has and continues to implement a quality management policy that is authorised by their Chief Executive, or equivalent, and is periodically reviewed at a senior management level. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of the work to be undertaken and set out responsibilities for quality management throughout the organisation.
b. Documented procedures for periodically reviewing, correcting and improving quality performance including processes for ensuring that the bidder’s quality management is effective in reducing/preventing incidents of sub-standard delivery, this must include the quality of output and general performance.
c. A documented process for ensuring that quality management is effective in reducing/preventing incidents of sub-standard delivery, this must include the quality of output and general performance. The bidder must be able to provide copies of their organisation’s documentation procedures, that meet current agreed good practice. These must include the arrangements for quality management throughout the bidder’s organisation. They must set out how the bidder’s organisation will carry out its policy, with a clear indication of how the arrangements are communicated to the workforce.
d. Documented arrangements for providing the bidder’s workforce with quality related training and information appropriate to the type of work for which this organisation is likely to bid. This will demonstrate that the organisation has in place and implements training arrangements to ensure that its workforce has sufficient skills and understanding to discharge their various responsibilities. These must include a programme of training that will keep the workforce up to date with required knowledge about quality related issues, including copies of job profiles; training manuals and records.
e. Documented arrangements that your organisation has a system for monitoring quality management procedures on an on-going basis. The bidder’s organisation must be able to provide evidence of systematic, periodic review and improvement of quality in respect of output and general performance
f. Documented arrangements for ensuring that the bidders apply quality management measures that are appropriate to the work for which they are being engaged.
g. A documented process demonstrating how the bidder deals with complaints. The bidder must be able to provide details of how their organisation maintains records of any complaints received and how corrective measures are carried out to prevent reoccurrence.
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: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
1 December 2022
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
1 December 2022
Local time
12:00pm
Place
South Lanarkshire Council
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
Sealed sequential opening
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
SPD Question 2.C.1 Reliance on the capacities of other entities
Bidders are required to complete a full SPD for each of the entities whose capacity they rely upon.
SPD Question 2.D.1 Subcontractors on whose capacity the bidder does not rely.
Bidders are required to complete a shortened version of the SPD for each Subcontractor on whose capacity the bidder does not rely on.
Exclusion Criteria
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
SPD Questions 3A – 3C have been identified as mandatory exclusion grounds and SPD Questions 3D have been identified as discretionary exclusion grounds. All the exclusion grounds will be assessed on a PASS/FAIL basis. For the mandatory exclusion grounds a bid will be excluded where the bidder fails to provide either a positive response or to provide details to the satisfaction of the Council of the self-cleansing measures undertaken. For the discretionary exclusion grounds a bid may be excluded where the bidder fails to provide either a positive response or if the Council is not satisfied as to the self-cleansing measures undertaken.
Declarations and Certificates
In an open tendering procedure prior to any award being made the successful bidder will provide the undernoted certificates, declarations and/or completed questionnaires to evidence their compliance with the relevant questions within the Qualification Envelope.
All certificates, declarations and questionnaires can be found within the Attachment area of PCS-T.
SPD Q2D.1 Prompt Payment Certificate
SPD Q3D.3 Human Rights Act Declaration
Declaration Section *Form of Tender
SPD Q3D.11 Non-Collusion Certificate
SPD Q4B.5.1 Insurance Certificates
SPD Q3A.1 to 3A.8 Serious and Organised Crime Declaration
SPD Q3A.6 Modern Slavery Act 2015 Declaration
Declaration Section Health and Safety Questionnaire
Declaration Section Equalities
*The ‘Form of Offer to Tender’ must be completed and uploaded within the relevant question in the Commercial Envelope.
In the case of an open tender, the other Declarations listed above will not be required to be uploaded and submitted with the bid but will instead be requested by the Council following the conclusion of the evaluation of the Qualification, Technical and Commercial Envelopes and prior to the award of the tender.
Failure to provide this information or in the event that the information provided does not support or evidence the statements made within the SPD will invalidate the bid. In this scenario the Council will seek to obtain the relevant information and evidence from the second highest scoring bidder and so on until a fully compliant bidder is identified.
Contract Notice Review Bodies
Please note, the alternative review body to the local Sheriff Court detailed in VI.4.1 is:
Court of Session
Parliament House
Parliament Square
Edinburgh
EH1 1RQ
+44 1312252595
supreme.courts@scotcourts.gov.uk
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 22738. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
The Council is committed to the promotion of community benefits.
To provide the level of community benefits expected by the Council, a points-based system has been put in place which is based on value and length of the proposed contract.
Using the Council’s community benefit matrix, the Council has calculated that the minimum total of 200 community benefit points which must be delivered under the initial 5 years of the contract.
(SC Ref:711736)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Hamilton Sheriff Court
Sheriff Court House, 4 Beckford Street
Hamilton
ML3 0BT
hamiltoncivl@scotcourts.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 1698282957
Country
United Kingdom