Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2022-12-21
Buyer: Business Finland Oy
Country: FI
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 72000000
Estimated value: 1500000 EUR

Technical requirements: Υπηρεσίες τεχνολογίας των πληροφοριών: παροχή συμβουλών, ανάπτυξη λογισμικού, Διαδίκτυο και υποστήριξη
Business Finland wanted to find ways to serve talent-customers in a digital and automated ways through the main Talent Attraction platforms Work in Finland and Jobs in Finland. The specialists working for Business Finland get multiple requests from talents through mail and LinkedIn. However, it is not in not the scope of work of the specialists of Business Finland to conduct customer service for B2C target group. Business Finland needed a way to connect job-related inquires and residence permit inquiries in an integrated way with Migri (Finnish Immigration Service).
Migri is already utilizing Boost AI solution. With the utilization of the same Boost AI license in Business Finland, these two separate virtual assistants can be integrated to function together through Virtual Assistant Network. From March 2022 onward Business Finland has piloted the functionality of Boost AI virtual assistant, creating a chat-bot, Aino, that helps B2C customers on work-related questions while at the same time connecting to, Kamu, Migri's chatbot to answer residence permit related questions in the chat window, and digital platform where the customer is located. This joint Virtual Agent Network allows the customer to get answers from Migri's services while using Business Finland’s services.  Vice versa, when the customer is using Migri's Enter Finland service, the customer can interact with, Aino chatbot, which will help in job-related matters.
Work in Finland unit of Business Finland will use 1 license included in the direct award. Business has now created a minimum viable service for the B2C and from 15.1.2023 onward also for Work in Finland B2B customers. This direct procurement will not include any buildup or implementation phase to use the Boost AI virtual assistant, rather only the license to Work in Finland from 1.2.2023 onward.
There will be an option for Business Finland to acquire three (3) more licenses for use of other units in Business Finland to enable expansion of the unified Virtual Agent Network, if necessary. These options are noted in the maximum value of the direct procurement.
Business Finland wanted to find ways to serve talent-customers in a digital and automated ways through the main Talent Attraction platforms Work in Finland and Jobs in Finland. The specialists working for Business Finland get multiple requests from talents through mail and LinkedIn. However, it is not in not the scope of work of the specialists of Business Finland to conduct customer service for B2C target group. Business Finland needed a way to connect job-related inquires and residence permit inquiries in an integrated way with Migri (Finnish immigration service).
Migri is already utilizing Boost AI solution. With the utilization of Boost AI license in Business Finland as well, these two separate virtual assistants can be integrated to function together through Virtual Assistant Network. From March 2022 onward Business Finland has piloted the functionality of Boost AI virtual assistant, creating a chat-bot, Aino, that helps B2C customers on work-related questions while at the same time connecting to, Kamu, Migri's chatbot to answer residence permit related questions in the chat window, and digital platform where the customer is located. This joint virtual agent network allows the customer to get answers from Migri's services while using Business Finland’s services.  Vice versa, when the customer is using Migri's Enter Finland service, the customer can interact with, Aino chatbot, which will help in job-related matters.
Work in Finland unit of Business Finland will use 1 license included in the direct award. Business has now created a minimum viable service for the B2C and from 15.1.2023 onward also for Work in Finland B2B customers. This direct procurement will not include any buildup or implementation phase to use the Boost AI virtual assistant, rather only the license to Work in Finland from 1.2.2023 onward.
There will be an option for Business Finland to acquire three (3) more licenses for use of other units in Business Finland to enable expansion of the unified Virtual Agent Network, if necessary. These options are noted in the maximum value of the direct procurement.
There will be an option for Business Finland to acquire three more licenses for use of other units in Business Finland. Work in Finland unit will use 1/4 licenses of the contract.
In accordance with the Finnish Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (hereinafter 'Public Procurement Act')  Section 40.2.2, a contracting authority may opt for direct procurement if only a certain supplier can implement the procurement for a technical reason, or for a reason related to protecting an exclusive right; it shall be a further condition that there are no reasonable alternatives or substitute solutions, and that the absence of competition is not due to an artificial narrowing of the terms and conditions of the procurement.
Business Finland has selected Boost AI AS as the supplier due to the fact that collaboration with Business Finland and Migri is key for the full service provided for our customers through Virtual Assistant Network (VAN). There simply is no other means to provide this unified service without Business Finland and Migri using the same Virtual Assistant Network and the license provided by Boost AI AS. Also PRH (Finnish Patent and Registration Office) has the same Boost AI solution in place and this enables compatible collaboration with all relevant authorities moving forward.
Due to these reasons, Boost AI AS, is the only supplier that can implement the procurement as described in Section 40.2.2 of the Public Procurement Act and there are no reasonable alternatives or substitute licensing solutions available in the markets.


Winner: Boost AI AS
Award value: 1500000