Data services

Tender description

Kent County Council (the council) is the largest county council in England covering an area of 3 500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over 900 000 000 GBP on goods and services and a population of 1 300 000 GBP. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils and 289 parish/town councils. The Council consists of 4 directorates; this requirement is for the Council's Business Service Centre within the Strategic and Corporate Services Directorate. The Opportunity The Council's Business Services Centre have developed an in-house application and are seeking a service that can host the application and provide restricted, regulated access via a secured web-link for public users as well as direct access for designated Council staff and nominated third parties for reasons of software support. The service is required to transmit data through to the MOJ via a dedicated IP address. It is a requirement of this contract that it will only commence once the necessary steps have been taken to ensure the Council retains its eBroker status. This took the Council up to 2 years to achieve previously. Suppliers must be aware that in order to meet this requirement a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire E-Bulk 3rd Party must be completed by the Council's preferred supplier and signed off by the MOJ. Any decision to award this contract to a new supplier will be conditional to the Council's preferred supplier being successful in their application to become an MOJ approved third-party supplier in relation to handling registered bodies e-bulk application data prior to the commencement of the contract. If the Council's preferred supplier's application is unsuccessful, the Council reserves the right to then approach the supplier that came second in the competition, and so on, as appropriate. The contract is anticipated to commence upon 1.4.2018 and will continue for a period of 36 months, with 2 consecutive options to extend for a further period of up to 24 months each (i.e. 3 years + 2 years + 2 years), unless terminated in accordance with the Conditions of Contract. Expressions of interest will only be accepted via the Kent Business Portal. In order to submit your interest in this opportunity please select the ‘Login and Express an Interest’ button located at the bottom of this page. Note that in order to successfully submit your interest you will first need to register for an account. After registration is complete and you've received your login details you should return to the advert for the opportunity and express your interest. You will then be emailed an invitation to submit a tender. Further guidance regarding how to use this portal can be found attached to the bottom of this advert. Indicative Procurement Timetable: · Publication of ITT Documentation on the Kent Business Portal: Monday, 1.8.2016; · Deadline to submit requests for clarification via the ProContract Discussion facility: 12:00 (noon) on Monday, 22.8.2016; — Deadline for Tender Responses: 12:00 (noon) on 1.9.2016; · Commencement of Tender Evaluation Period (including Post-Tender Clarification): Thursday, 1.9.2016; — Pre-Award Clarification Meeting/s: Monday, 26.9.2016; · Decision to Award: Friday, 30.9.2016; — Standstill Period: 10 Calendar Days; — Contract Award (pending MOJ approval): Thursday 13.10.2016; — Deadline for Preferred Supplier to submit MOJ Application: By 31.10.2016; · Issue of Contracts for Signature: Upon confirmation the new supplier's application has been successful with the MOJ; — Supporting documentation from customer organisations submitted to the MOJ: 3 to 6 Month Period from 1.5.2016 (all supporting documentation to be submitted by 1.11.2017 at the latest); · MOJ process supporting documentation from customer organisations: 6 Week Period from 1.11.2017; · Migration and Testing of the New Service: 3 Month Period from 1.1.2018; and — Contract Commencement Date: 1.4.2016.