Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2019-11-25
Buyer: NHS Shared Business Services
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 32332100 | 32342450 | 32344110 | 32582000 | 48180000
Estimated value: 60000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2020-01-08
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: NHS SBS are looking to create a framework agreement to support approved organisations with regard to their digital dictation, speech recognition and outsourced transcription requirements. The framework agreement will be divided into lots specific to digital dictation (Fixed and SaaS), speech recognition (Fixed and SaaS), outsourced transcription services and also a lot employing a combination of these services (combined solutions).
The framework agreement will provide approved organisations with the flexibility to either invest in a capital purchase of hardware and software solutions or alternatively purchase the services on a subscription model where hosting options can be discussed or through a price per line basis (i.e. Software as a Service SaaS).
Lot 1b: digital dictation software as a service (SaaS). No capital outlay, prices on a pay-as-you-go price per line cost or software subscription cost.
Lot 1b: speech recognition software as a service (SaaS). No capital outlay, prices on a pay-as-you-go price per line cost or software subscription cost.
Bidders shall need to be awarded a place on a minimum of 2 separate lots i.e. Lot 1: Digital Dictation, Lot 2: Speech Recognition and Lot 3: Outsourced Transcription, to be eligible to offer a combined solution to approved organisations via Lot 4, ideally to provide an ‘End to end’ process. If awarded only 2 separate lots, the bidder shall not be eligible to provide a solution which involves the lot to which they were not awarded unless a solution is provided in partnership with a bidder awarded that lot on the framework. To be awarded a place on Lot 4, Lots 1a and 1b shall count as 1 lot and Lots 2a and 2b shall count as 1 lot.
The value provided in Section II 1.5) is only an estimate. We cannot guarantee to successful suppliers any business through this framework agreement. Spend and volumes may vary throughout the life of the framework agreement from the anticipated levels given in this notice.
The framework will be for the benefit and on behalf, of public sector bodies, details of such bodies can be accessed at: https://www.sbs.nhs.uk/proc-framework-agreements-support
In addition, if provided for in the contract documents, NHS SBS may extend the scope and benefit of the framework agreement to private sector bodies, subject to the approval of NHS SBS. Whilst NHS SBS is not required by procurement legislation to do so, it has extended the principles of public procurement rules to provide its private sector customers with the best value and open and transparent procurement procedures.
OJEU procedures include a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to bidders. This period allows unsuccessful bidders to seek further debriefing from the contracting authority before the contract is entered into. Such information should be requested from NHSSBS. If an appeal regarding the award of a contract has not been successfully resolved the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly.

Eligibility requirements: Please refer to procurement documents.

Award value: 60000000