Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Finance
303 Airport Road West
BELFAST
BT3 9ED
Contact
SSDAdmin.CPDfinance-ni.gov.uk
ssdadmin.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ID 4952378 - DoF - EDD - SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE FOR NICS IDENTITY ASSURANCE (NIDA)
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
This Contract is for the provision of Support, Maintenance and Development for the NICS Identity Assurance Application (NIDA). The Contractor is required to provide a fully managed (end to end) Application Support Service. This will include all aspects of support and maintenance as well as changes to and enhancements of all aspects of the NIDA Solution. Therefore, allowing the citizen to create and update their accounts and enabling staff to use the application to deliver the NIDA service. The initial contract period is for 2 years with one option to extend by one year. Please refer to the document entitled “ID 4952378 - Schedule 1 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £456,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72700000 - Computer network services
- 72222300 - Information technology services
- 72212732 - Data security software development services
- 72212731 - File security software development services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This Contract is for the provision of Support, Maintenance and Development for the NICS Identity Assurance Application (NIDA). The Contractor is required to provide a fully managed (end to end) Application Support Service. This will include all aspects of support and maintenance as well as changes to and enhancements of all aspects of the NIDA Solution. Therefore, allowing the citizen to create and update their accounts and enabling staff to use the application to deliver the NIDA service. The initial contract period is for 2 years with one option to extend by one year. Please refer to the document entitled “ID 4952378 - Schedule 1 – Specification Schedule” for full details of the requirement.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion - Name: Price / Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £456,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
This Contract is for an initial period of 2 years with the option to extend by a further 1 year period
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
This Contract is for an initial period of 2 years with the option to extend by a further 1 year period
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: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
7 December 2023
Local time
3:00pm
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
Tender must be valid until: 6 March 2024
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
7 December 2023
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: This contract will potentially be due to be re-procured after the initial contract period and/or following any extensions
six.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring. . Contract monitoring: the successful contractor’s performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in construction and procurement delivery (CPD) for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, this may be considered grounds for termination of the contract at your expense as provided for in the Conditions of Contract. In lieu of termination, CPD may issue a Notice of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance. A supplier in receipt of multiple Notices of Written Warning or a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance may, in accordance with The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended), be excluded from future public procurement competitions for a period of. up to three years.. . . Insert appropriate reservations of rights and disclaimers of liability here consider - e.g.. . "The Authority expressly reserves the rights:. . (I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;. (II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition;. (III). to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the [services] covered by this notice; and. (IV). to award contract(s) in stages.. . and in no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates..
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.