Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2023-01-18
Buyer: Health Service Executive
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 72000000 | 72611000: Technical computer support services
Estimated value: 3600000 EUR
Award criteria: Lowest price

Technical requirements: Υπηρεσίες τεχνολογίας των πληροφοριών: παροχή συμβουλών, ανάπτυξη λογισμικού, Διαδίκτυο και υποστήριξη
The HSE procured an Electronic Blood Tracking System (BloodTrack) pursuant to a competitive tender procedure advertised in OJEU and concluded in 2009. The procured solution, BloodTrack, is used extensively throughout the acute hospital setting for the electronic tracking of transfused blood and blood products. The application has been successfully deployed across 51 hospitals and HSE now wishes to procure support services only to BloodTrack, to include (a) Application support (b) Hardware support (c) Option to refresh hardware (c) Application upgrade pathways.
Changing supplier would lead to incompatibility an disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. It is necessary to extend the current contract and extend its scope to allow for continuity of safe delivery of public health services, and to provide a value for money return on the significant capital investment to date. There is a clinical risk around the continuity of tracking of blood and blood products.
The HSE procured an Electronic Blood Tracking System (BloodTrack) pursuant to a competitive tender procedure advertised in OJEU and concluded in 2009. The scope of the electronic blood tracking system procurement by the HSE included the following:
Integration including interaction with third party vendors, delivery of interface requirements with associated costs.
The procured solution BloodTrack is used extensively throughout the acute hospital setting for the electronic tracking of transfused blood and blood products. The application has been successfully deployed across 51 hospitals and HSE now wishes to procure support services only to BloodTrack, to include (a) Application support (b) Hardware support (c) Option to refresh hardware (c) Application upgrade pathways.
The rollout programme covering both implementation, upgrading and support and maintenance was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Cyber-attack on HSE as access to hospitals and key clinical and technical personnel was not possible.
Article 32.3(b) of the Directive provides for direct negotiation with an incumbent supplier to replace or extend supplies where changing supplier would lead to incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. It is necessary to extend the current contract and extend its scope to allow for continuity of safe delivery of public health services, and to provide a value for money return on the significant capital investment to date across 51 hospital sites. There is a clinical risk around the continuity of tracking of blood and blood products. In the current environment of extreme stress on the public health system, the time and effort to procure, test and deploy alternate solutions could interrupt safe blood supply to front line services. As the HSE has effectively bought an enterprise license to use this software there would also be a very substantial duplication of cost involved.
The HSE has effectively bought an enterprise license to use this software throughout the totality of the HSE hospital system and it is entitled to roll this out under the original contract.
HSE believes that due to intellectual property (IP) rights in the contract, there is no third party with the legal entitlement and ability / technical capability to provide the support services required for this critical blood tracking system for the public health service and wishes to extend this contract by a period of 3 years. Additional costs that arise were envisaged in the original contract and the costs have remained fixed or predetermined.  Whilst additional monies will now become due, these relate to both the rates previously agreed and the scope as original envisaged for the rollout covering both implementation, upgrading and support and maintenance.
Article 32.3(b) of the Directive provides for direct negotiation with an incumbent supplier to replace or extend supplies where changing supplier would lead to incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. It is necessary to extend the current contract and extend its scope to allow for continuity of safe delivery of public health services, and to provide a value for money return on the significant capital investment to date across 51 hospital sites. There is a clinical risk around the continuity of tracking of blood and blood products. In the current environment of extreme stress on the public health system, the time and effort to procure, test and deploy alternate solutions could interrupt safe blood supply to front line services. As the HSE has effectively bought an enterprise license to use this software there would also be a very substantial duplication of cost involved.
The HSE has effectively bought an enterprise license to use this software throughout the totality of the HSE hospital system and it is entitled to roll this out under the original contract.
HSE believes that due to intellectual property (IP) rights in the contract, there is no third party with the legal entitlement and ability / technical capability to provide the support services required for this critical blood tracking system for the public health service and wishes to extend this contract by a period of 3 years. Additional costs that arise were envisaged in the original contract and the costs have remained fixed or predetermined.  Whilst additional monies will now become due, these relate to both the rates previously agreed and the scope as original envisaged for the rollout covering both implementation, upgrading and support and maintenance.


Winner: Accuscience Ireland Ltd.
Award value: 3600000