Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
The Guinness Partnership Ltd
30 Brock Street, Regents Place
London
NW1 3FG
Contact
Neil Aitken
Telephone
+44 2038190076
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
http://www.guinnesspartnership.com/
Buyer's address
http://www.guinnesspartnership.com/
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=8e800b4b-4738-ee11-8124-005056b64545
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=8e800b4b-4738-ee11-8124-005056b64545
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Housing and community amenities
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
External Connectivity (WAN & Internet Services)
Reference number
DN684001
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 32430000 - Wide area network
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
The Guinness Partnership (TGP) require a contract for fixed line communications including:
• Data Centre Connectivity
• Wide Area Networking
• Internet Connectivity
TGP are conducting a competitive Procedure with Negotiation process for a contract duration of 5 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years.
The estimated annual value of the contract is £350,000 +VAT.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £2,450,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKC - North East (England)
- UKD - North West (England)
- UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
- UKF - East Midlands (England)
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
- UKH - East of England
- UKI - London
- UKJ - South East (England)
- UKK - South West (England)
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Guinness Partnership (TGP) require a contract for fixed line communications including:
• Data Centre Connectivity
• Wide Area Networking
• Internet Connectivity
TGP are conducting a competitive Procedure with Negotiation process for a contract duration of 5 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years.
The estimated annual value of the contract is £350,000 +VAT.
Background:
The Guinness Wide Area Network serves all of our remote sites and provides internet access and connection to our core cloud services including Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Oracle Fusion Finance and HCM and Microsoft O365 services. The Guinness IT Strategy is to increase the use of cloud services so the criticality of connectivity will only increase.
The WAN is a “hub and spoke” architecture centred around our 2 datacentres, the primary (DCA) is hosted by a third party in Manchester and secondary (DCB) is at the main Guinness IT office in Oldham. The DCs are each served by 10Gb bearers providing WAN and internet connectivity (on separate VRFs) and an additional 10Gb datacentre interconnect.
Remote site connectivity ranges from large sites with 300Mb circuits on 1Gb resilient/diverse ethernet bearers, medium sites with single 200Mb or 100Mb circuits on 1Gb ethernet bearers to small sites ranging from EFM connection to FTTC or ADSL.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,450,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
84
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
The contract is 5 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years. Hence the 84 months detailed above.
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 three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated
four.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
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
5 January 2024
Local time
5:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
5 February 2024
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
This contract is being procured by the Guinness Partnership Ltd., a registered Charitable Community Benefit Society registered number 031693R, whose registered office is at 30 Brock Street, Regent's Place, London, NW1 3FG (“Guinness”).
This contract is being procured by Guinness for and on behalf of the following entities (“Other Users”) who will all be entitled to conclude contracts based on this framework agreement:
• Any and all subsidiaries and entities within Guinness’ group of societies and companies (“the Guinness Group”), including but not limited to:
o The Guinness Partnership Ltd. (Company No: IP031693R)
o City Response Ltd., Trading As Guinness Property (Company No: 04471280)
o Guinness Care and Support Ltd. (Company No: IP30337R)
o Guinness Developments Limited (Company No: 04175094)
o The Guinness Housing Association Limited (Company No: IP17017R)
o Guinness Homes Limited (Company No: 05710006)
o Guinness Platform Limited (Company No: 06411652)
o Hallco 1397 Limited, Registration (Company No: 05998281); and
o Any existing and future entities which are contracting authorities within the Group;
Guinness reserves the right to abandon this procurement at any time. Guinness shall not, under any circumstances, be responsible for bidders tendering costs or any other costs or losses arising from such abandonment.
For further information regarding this tender please review the documents attached to the tender opportunity, or contact Guinness’ Procurement Team via their tender portal. Free and unfettered access is available at https://procontract.due-north.com/.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Public Procurement Review Service, Cabinet Office
London
publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom