Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-10-25
Buyer: Secretary of State for Health
Country: UK
Region: UNITED KINGDOM
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 32400000 | 48200000 | 50312300 | 51300000 | 51611100
Estimated value: 18000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2016-12-05
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: NHS Digital has been tasked with delivering a Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) programme which will provide a new and significantly different networking arrangements for health and social care as part of its remit to provide successor services to the current NHS N3 network on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. The HSCN will replace the current single-supplier N3 network with disaggregated and competitive multi-supplier marketplace for network services. The HSCN will create the effect of a single network across Heath and Social Care providers and their partners. The HSCN Peering Exchange Services will be a key supply chain component and will facilitate independent network interconnection between the disaggregated HSCN network service providers. The HSCN Peering Exchange Services may subsequently be procured by wider public bodies as described in section VI.3) below.
The procurement seeks to secure a hosted network peering exchange solution and the management of the same. More detail is provided in the ITT and associated contract documentation. Please log in to www.delta-esourcing.com and go to response manager and enter the access code 4ND372T78R for full description. Please note if you are not registered on Delta eSourcing, you must register and log in before you can access the details.
The services will initially be utilised by bodies providing health and social care in England, but may also be used by wider public sector bodies in the future, including any health and social care body in England or any other body named or referred to as a ‘Service Recipient’ under a Call-Off Agreement (as defined in the contract documentation). Further information regarding the bodies entitled to utilise the Framework Agreement is set out at section VI.3) below. The maximum value of the contract reflects the Contracting Authority's best estimate, subject to the potential utilisation by other government departments which cannot be predicted accurately at this time.
In order to facilitate the contracting authority in the organisation of workshops and logistics, potential suppliers are requested to provide expressions of interest in the procurement via the delta e-sourcing tool as soon as is practicable. In order to participate in the entirety of the pre-tender submission engagement potential suppliers are recommended to submit expressions of interest by 12:00 noon (UK time) on 28.10.2016.
The contracting authority will hold the first workshop with potential suppliers on 31.10.2016, from 12:30 to 16:30 (UK time) at DLAP Offices, Prince's Exchange, Leeds, LS1 4HY.
Full details on the evaluation methodology and the evaluation model are provided in the procurement documentation which will be made available at https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/4ND372T78R
The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement. The Framework Agreement will be accessible for use by all Public Sector bodies including their Arm's Length Bodies and agencies; Non-Ministerial Department and Executive Agencies; and the Wider Public Sector (and any future successors to these organisations). As at the publication of this Contract Notice the latest list of these Contracting Authorities can be found in the Office for National Statistics' Public Sector Classification Guide (see the ‘Central Government’ and ‘Local Government’ worksheets in the ‘Public Sector Classification Guide) — September 2016’ spreadsheet found at:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/datasets/publicsectorclassificationguide (updated from time to time)
Entities which are not public sector bodies may also use the Framework Agreements if the Contracting Authority is satisfied that such entity is calling off goods or services directly, solely and exclusively in order to satisfy contractual obligations to 1 or more public sector bodies or such other entities as may be entitled to receive the benefit of goods or services under the terms of the Framework Agreement (‘End Users’), all of which are entitled to use the Framework Agreements on their own account; and all Services to be called-off by it are to be used directly, solely and exclusively by such End Users; and it will pass the benefit of the Call-Off Contract to such End Users directly in full.
This Framework Agreement will also be accessible for use by any corporation established, or a group of individuals appointed to act together, for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest, not having an industrial or commercial character, and
(i) Financed wholly or mainly by another Contracting Authority listed above in section VI.3) of this notice;
(ii) Subject to management supervision by another Contracting Authority listed above in section VI.3) of this notice; or
(iii) An association of or formed by one (1) more of the Contracting Authorities (listed above in section VI.3 of this notice).
The Contracting Authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.
Economic operators wishing to be considered for appointment as the single supplier on the framework must submit a completed Tender in compliance with the instructions and within the prescribed deadline as set out in this contract notice. Potential suppliers should note the contract authority's rights to vary or discontinue the procurement process as set out in the procurement documentation.


Award value: 18000000