Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2020-07-23
Buyer: DoF - Digital Shared Services
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 72000000 | 72212730 | 72212732 | 72260000: Software-related services | 72261000: Software support services
Estimated value: 9567614 GBP
Submission deadline: 2020-08-21
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: Υπηρεσίες τεχνολογίας των πληροφοριών: παροχή συμβουλών, ανάπτυξη λογισμικού, Διαδίκτυο και υποστήριξη
The client (Northern Ireland Civil Service, NICS) aims to provision a SIEM solution that will improve the client’s ability to identify and respond to threats and facilitate security monitoring and visibility across their estate. In addition the client aims to establish a flexible and scalable contract with an external managed security service provider capable of delivering proficient Security Operations Centre (SOC) functions. The contract will be managed by Digital Shared Services (DSS) within the Department of Finance (DoF) and will provide SIEM and SOC services for all IT Assist customers (Core government departments as well as arm’s length bodies, non-departmental public bodies and non-ministerial departments).
The client (Northern Ireland Civil Service, NICS) aims to provision a SIEM solution that will improve the client’s ability to identify and respond to threats and facilitate security monitoring and visibility across their estate. In addition the client aims to establish a flexible and scalable contract with an external managed security service provider capable of delivering proficient Security Operations Centre (SOC) functions. The contract will be managed by digital shared services (DSS) within the Department of Finance (DoF) and will provide SIEM and SOC services for all IT assist customers (Core government departments as well as arm’s length bodies, non-departmental public bodies and non-ministerial departments).
This contract is expected to have an initial period of 5 years, with the option to extend the duration by up to two periods of up to 2 years (5 + 2 + 2).
Supplies and services division, construction and procurement delivery, first Floor West, Clare House, 303 Airport Road West, Belfast, BT3 9ED.
The successful contractor’s performance on this contract will be managed as per the specification and regularly monitored (see Procurement Guidance Note 01/12 — Contract Management — Procedures and Principles). Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of unsatisfactory performance and this contract may be terminated. A central register of such notices for supplies and services contracts will be maintained and published on the CPD website. Any contractor in receipt of a notice of unsatisfactory performance will be required to declare this in future tender submissions for a period of 3 years from the date of issue of the notice. It may also result in the contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy. The authority expressly reserves the rights:
(i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice;
(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition;
(iii) to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the (services) covered by this notice; and
(iv) to award contract(s) in stages and in no circumstances will the authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates.
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.


Award value: 9567614