Award

Support and Maintenance of Central Booking Engine

  • LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-041439

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04ccb4

Published 23 December 2024, 3:30pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

West Office

YORK

YO16GA

Contact

Anke Tymens

Email

procurement@lner.co.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Companies House

04659712

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.lner.co.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Other activity

Passenger Transport Services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Support and Maintenance of Central Booking Engine

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 72267000 - Software maintenance and repair services
    • TA34 - For tickets
    • TA36 - For transport tickets

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Development, Maintenance and Support Services for the Central Booking Engine

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: £32,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
    • TA34 - For tickets
    • TA36 - For transport tickets

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

LNER is procuring on its own behalf and will enter into the relevant contract documents where such contracts are awarded. However, the contract documents also permit the use or transfer of contracts to Transferee Train Operating Companies, or Parent Owning Group. In the event that such provisions are utilised, this procurement is also to be for the benefit of the Transferee Train Operating Companies and their Parent Owning Group in accordance with regulation 56 of the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016. However, LNER is responsible for the conduct of the procurement throughout and all correspondence and communication from suppliers is to be solely with LNER

The meaning of Transferee Train Operating Companies includes all those train operating companies who, currently or in the future, provide services for the carriage of passengers by railway:

a) under a franchise agreement with the Secretary of State within the meaning of section 23(3) of the Railways Act 1993 or

b) under, or secured under, the Secretary of State's duty in section 30(1) of the Railways Act 1993; or

c) in accordance with legislation which supersedes or amends the powers referred to in a) and b), including where such powers are transferred from the Secretary of State to another body.

The list of current providers of services for the carriage of passengers by railway under these provisions can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-register-of-rail-passenger-contracts.

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

Option to extend the initial term by a further 5 years in increments of 12 months


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:

LNER have been contracting with Vix Technology UK Limited for the provision of the Central Booking Engine ((CBE) since 01/10/2016.

The supplier owns the intellectual property rights (IPR) for the source code of the CBE. therefore, maintenance and support can only be carried out by Vix Technology UK Limited, in line with UCR 2016 (50)(1)(c)(ii) and (iii).

Over the term of the contract LNER has invested in system and functional development to improve the customer proposition, the financial appraisal period for the developments has not matured, nor has the system reached the end of its operational life.

The contract is awarded in order to maintain business continuity whilst the industry considers next generation digital ticketing solutions.

A change in supplier could only be done if LNER were to procure a new/different booking engine, and therefore would oblige the utility to acquire supplies having different technical characteristics which would result in incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance in line with UCR 2016 50 (1) (e).

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


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

20 December 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

VIX

Epsom

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Companies House

03039051

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

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

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £32,000,000

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £32,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The contract is to be awarded with an initial 5-year term, Jan 25 - Jan 30 with options to extend by a further 5 years in increments of 12 months. Value of the initial 5 year period is £16m including all maintenance and development costs, and the total contract value will be a maximum of £32m if all 5 extensions were instructed.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Department for Transport

London

Country

United Kingdom