Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2024-05-13
Buyer: Met Eireann
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 72000000 | 72200000 | 72210000: Software programming services | 72230000: Custom software development services | 72260000: Software-related services
Submission deadline: 2024-06-07

Technical requirements: Met Éireann is looking to procure a weather warning solution which will allow operational forecast staff to create, update and issue weather and marine warnings, publish them on the Met Éireann digital channels with corresponding communication through SMS, email and push notifications. Warnings are currently issued at a county level in line with emergency response co-ordination. The weather warning solution will be provided by system and services, which must combine to ensure that the system is both operational and functional 24/7/365.

The system will comprise of an application and supporting infrastructure which must have high availability, georesilience and disaster recovery/backup capability. The application will consist of an editor, where warnings can be created, managed and accessed, plus a backend component which will send warning notifications on the appropriate channels once issued, and will have APIs which are used to display and manage the warnings through Met Éireann’s Web Services. The hosting infrastructure for the backend component should have the ability to flex to deal with rapid increases in demand on the APIs. The services will comprise of technical support of the system and its integration with Met Éireann’s Web Services.

There is a pre-existing warning system which has integrated components from different vendors and is maintained and supported by those different vendors. The warning editor capability is provided by an editor component of a visualisation software application, and the backend component is custom developed and integrates with the editor component as well as Met Éireann’s Web Services. Met Éireann is looking to replace this existing system as the functional requirements for issuing warnings have moved beyond the scope of the existing design, and the backend component requires significant modernisation. Met Éireann also requires the ability to issue warnings at sub-county level to provide the most accurate information possible for emergency response co-ordination. Initially, this will be on smaller pre-defined areas within existing counties, but ultimately the methodology will move towards issuing warnings on custom areas, which in turn will involve significant consultation with, and agreement from, the emergency response agencies before moving to an operational process.

Tenderers will have two different options for delivering the system: 1) deploying a pre-existing commercial product; or 2) developing a commercial product for which they will own the IP. It is expected that limited development will be required for option 1 other than to integrate with Met Éireann’s Web Services. For option 2 Tenderers will be expected to build a new application. The Tenderer will retain the IP for the new application, unless they choose to use the existing system code in their solution, in which case the IP will remain with Met Éireann. The term of the contract will be a minimum of 2 years, with option for 1 year extension making the total term 3 years.

The services will comprise technical support of the infrastructure and applications. As Met Éireann provides a critical public service 24/7/365, technical support limited to normal business hours will not meet the qualifying threshold. To meet the qualifying threshold, Tenderers must offer 24/7/365 support at a suitable service level for response to, and resolution of, infrastructure or application issues. Tenderers must meet Met Éireann’s response and resolution times for each priority level incident.

The Tender cost over the total contract term will be used for evaluation, combining infrastructure hosting, product and technical support costs. Tenderers who follow option 1 will be expected to submit an annual product cost for licence and update of the software over the total contract term. This can be proposed on a perpetual or subscription basis. Tenderers who follow option 2 can either submit the annual product cost for perpetual license and update of the software, or development costs, over the term of the contract. If development costs are submitted no further licence cost can be applied. In this way the total cost of ownership over the total contract term can be evaluated for either option.
Met Éireann is targeting September 2025 for the move to issuing operational warnings on a sub-county level for pre-defined areas to coincide with the beginning of the storm season. Hence the new weather warning solution must have this technical capability in a production state prior to this date. Once the new system is running successfully, there will be further consultation with emergency response agencies with a view to adding a custom area approach to the warning methodology. This may involve use of a non-operational system for simulation of warning events and incorporation of new requirements from other stakeholder agencies.

The new weather warning application should be deployed in three milestone stages: the first stage should provide at least like for like capability to the pre-existing warning system, including integration with met.ie and app and notifications; the second should provide any requested enhancements to the user experience not included in the first delivery and the capability to issue warnings on a sub-county level with pre-defined area; the third should provide the ability to issue warnings on a custom area. The first milestone delivery must allow the retirement of the pre-existing warning system from front line operational use.

The current warning output is visible from https://www.met.ie/warnings-today.html and also on the Warnings app page. Subscription for public notification is also controlled from https://www.met.ie/warnings/login and the My Warnings app page.
Met Éireann is looking to procure a weather warning solution which will allow operational forecast staff to create, update and issue weather and marine warnings, publish them on the Met Éireann digital channels with corresponding communication through SMS, email and push notifications. Warnings are currently issued at a county level in line with emergency response co-ordination. The weather warning solution will be provided by system and services, which must combine to ensure that the system is both operational and functional 24/7/365.

The system will comprise of an application and supporting infrastructure which must have high availability, georesilience and disaster recovery/backup capability. The application will consist of an editor, where warnings can be created, managed and accessed, plus a backend component which will send warning notifications on the appropriate channels once issued, and will have APIs which are used to display and manage the warnings through Met Éireann’s Web Services. The hosting infrastructure for the backend component should have the ability to flex to deal with rapid increases in demand on the APIs. The services will comprise of technical support of the system and its integration with Met Éireann’s Web Services.

There is a pre-existing warning system which has integrated components from different vendors and is maintained and supported by those different vendors. The warning editor capability is provided by an editor component of a visualisation software application, and the backend component is custom developed and integrates with the editor component as well as Met Éireann’s Web Services. Met Éireann is looking to replace this existing system as the functional requirements for issuing warnings have moved beyond the scope of the existing design, and the backend component requires significant modernisation. Met Éireann also requires the ability to issue warnings at sub-county level to provide the most accurate information possible for emergency response co-ordination. Initially, this will be on smaller pre-defined areas within existing counties, but ultimately the methodology will move towards issuing warnings on custom areas, which in turn will involve significant consultation with, and agreement from, the emergency response agencies before moving to an operational process.

Tenderers will have two different options for delivering the system: 1) deploying a pre-existing commercial product; or 2) developing a commercial product for which they will own the IP. It is expected that limited development will be required for option 1 other than to integrate with Met Éireann’s Web Services. For option 2 Tenderers will be expected to build a new application. The Tenderer will retain the IP for the new application, unless they choose to use the existing system code in their solution, in which case the IP will remain with Met Éireann. The term of the contract will be a minimum of 2 years, with option for 1 year extension making the total term 3 years.

The services will comprise technical support of the infrastructure and applications. As Met Éireann provides a critical public service 24/7/365, technical support limited to normal business hours will not meet the qualifying threshold. To meet the qualifying threshold, Tenderers must offer 24/7/365 support at a suitable service level for response to, and resolution of, infrastructure or application issues. Tenderers must meet Met Éireann’s response and resolution times for each priority level incident.

The Tender cost over the total contract term will be used for evaluation, combining infrastructure hosting, product and technical support costs. Tenderers who follow option 1 will be expected to submit an annual product cost for licence and update of the software over the total contract term. This can be proposed on a perpetual or subscription basis. Tenderers who follow option 2 can either submit the annual product cost for perpetual license and update of the software, or development costs, over the term of the contract. If development costs are submitted no further licence cost can be applied. In this way the total cost of ownership over the total contract term can be evaluated for either option.

Met Éireann is targeting September 2025 for the move to issuing operational warnings on a sub-county level for pre-defined areas to coincide with the beginning of the storm season. Hence the new weather warning solution must have this technical capability in a production state prior to this date. Once the new system is running successfully, there will be further consultation with emergency response agencies with a view to adding a custom area approach to the warning methodology. This may involve use of a non-operational system for simulation of warning events and incorporation of new requirements from other stakeholder agencies.

The new weather warning application should be deployed in three milestone stages: the first stage should provide at least like for like capability to the pre-existing warning system, including integration with met.ie and app and notifications; the second should provide any requested enhancements to the user experience not included in the first delivery and the capability to issue warnings on a sub-county level with pre-defined area; the third should provide the ability to issue warnings on a custom area. The first milestone delivery must allow the retirement of the pre-existing warning system from front line operational use.

The current warning output is visible from https://www.met.ie/warnings-today.html and also on the Warnings app page. Subscription for public notification is also controlled from https://www.met.ie/warnings/login and the My Warnings app page.