Document creation, drawing, imaging, scheduling and productivity software package

Tender description

An ETLA has been implemented between Police ICT Company and Adobe since 2016. Bytes Software Services Limited are the incumbent Delivery partner on the ETLA. The ETLA is due to expire on 31.3.2019, and discussions have taken place with Bytes and Adobe on replacing this current ETLA with a new ETLA. As a result, the Police ICT company has determined that it is necessary to extend the current ETLA by 12 months due to significant operational risk issues that become exigent at the scheduled time of renewal in 2019. For this short interim extension period, competition is absent for technical reasons. However, the Police ICT Company will, during the 12-month extension period, complete a re-procurement for a replacement ETLA arrangement, to come into force on or before 1.4.2020. This VEAT covers an additional 12-month ETLA extension period required to mitigate operational risk arising from a proposed change in Adobe licensing policy and enable a new procurement for a replacement ETLA to be in place by the end of the extension. The reason why competition is absent for technical reasons, and why the operational risks are present, entirely relates to a global change in licensing metric from Adobe which becomes manifest upon the current ETLA expiry. Adobe are working on a Federal solution for large complex organisations, however the date of this solution is April 2019, and the dependency upon this solution and its delivery timescale is considered significant in terms of operational impact for Police ICT Company ETLA members. Extending the current ETLA for 12 months allows the proposed Federal solution from Adobe to mature and for appropriate migration plans to be implemented with Police ICT Company ETLA members. The intent of Police ICT Company was to conduct a full procurement process for the appointment of a new Delivery Partner as part of the ETLA renewal in 2019, and this remains the case, save that it is now intended to run the procurement process and appoint a new Delivery Partner before the expiry of the 12-month extension on 31.3.2020. In summary, Police ICT intend to extend the current ETLA (ID: 636730) with Adobe and Bytes Software Services for 12 months, and tender for a delivery partner to be appointed at the end of that extension. The requirement for this extension is driven by the absence of competition for technical reasons, meaning that the services can only be supplied for this short extension period only by the incumbent supplier.