Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2024-02-02
Buyer: City of Dublin Education and Training Board
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 72253200: Computer systems support services
Estimated value: 1100000 EUR
Award criteria: Lowest price

Technical requirements: Business Process Technical I.T. and Hosting Services in Support of Student Grants Management System for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
City of Dublin ETB proposes to award a contract for the provision of I.T. technical support and hosting services in respect of the bespoke Student Grant Management System of Student Universal Support Ireland (a business unit of the Contracting Authority).
The Contracting Authority currently operates a bespoke Grants Management and Payment System for the payment of grants to approximately 120,000 students in Ireland.  This system was developed for the Irish Department of Education in 2010 and now falls under the management of City of Dublin ETB.  The Contracting Authority conducted a market consultation in December 2022 (OJEU Ref.  2022/S 206-587860) with a view to replacing the existing grants system with a fully online system more attuned to its current day business needs.  The evaluation of the responses to this RFI and a decision on the way to proceed to competition are still ongoing.  It is anticipated that a decision will be made and tender documents will be issued in Q2 2024.
In order to provide for the continuing essential development, maintenance and hosting of the existing grants payment system, it is intended to award a contract without prior publication of a call for competition under Article 32.2.b "competition is absent for technical reasons"  of Directive 2014/24/EU.  The contract will be for a period of three (3) to four (4) years, in order to ensure that the current Grants Application and Payment System can operate without risk until a new grants processing system can be fully implemented.
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the EuropeanUnion in the cases listed below
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
Competition is absent for technical reasons and IB Software and Solutions Ltd. is the only economic operator who can enter the contract
(a) the existing grants application and payments system was developed as a bespoke application on a specific I.T. platform by this company and that only this company can support
Provision of Business Process I.T. Technical Support and Managed Hosting Services to Support the Student Grant Management System of Student Universal Support Ireland (a business unit of the Contractin
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the EuropeanUnion in the cases listed below
•  The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
Competition is absent for technical reasons as the proposed contractor is the only economic operator who can enter the contract
(a) the Grants Application and Payment System being supported is a bespoke system developed by the contractor
(b) the Contracting Authority is satisfied, based on previous experience and knowledge, that no other economic operator can provide the necessary support services.
In addition, in the event that that an alternative economic operator could be found, through the mechanism of a tendering process, there would be a very high degree of risk in awarding a contract to that operator.


Winner: IB Software and Solutions Ireland
Award value: 1100000