Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2016-08-09
Buyer: University of Southampton
Country: UK
Region: Southampton
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 48000000 | 48100000 | 48160000 | 48190000 | 48311000
Estimated value: 360000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2016-09-05
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The University of Southampton is procuring a bibliometrics tool to enable benchmarking of its research performance and ensure its national and global research competitiveness is maintained. To achieve this, the bibliometrics tool must draw data from a significant global publications citation index, of which the University currently subscribes to 2: Scopus by Elsevier and Web of Science by Thomson Reuters. Using citation data from these and/or other databases, the tool must be able to produce performance-based metrics including citation count, average citation per publication and h-index, and compare these metrics to those of individuals, groups, institutions and regions globally, as specified by the user.
In order to facilitate benchmarking of the University's individual departments and research groups, the tool must be able to integrate with the University's research information system, Pure by Elsevier, through which it can draw in data relating to publications, researchers and affiliated organisational unit(s). This can be achieved through the Pure API or importing by CSV. Additionally, the tool must allow the unique identification of authors on a publication using a global standard identifier, and the standardisation of global research/HE institutions to account for variation of the names of these institutions on publications.
The tool must also include the capability to analyse the diversity of the research at the University of Southampton and within its individual departments/groups. This must include diversity of disciplines, journal coverage and collaboration with other bodies such as institutions, corporations, countries and continents. Additionally, the tool must be able to analyse the title and abstract of a sample of publications in order to create a profile of the disciplines covered.
The tool must be available as a web-based application accessible through all major browsers, with its web interface accessible to WCAG-AA at minimum and BS8878:2010, or equivalent. The tool must be accessible by almost 6 000 users, comprising the University's academic staff, professional services staff and postgraduate students, either through use of the University's Shibboleth authentication system or its IP address range.
The University of Southampton is procuring a bibliometrics tool to enable benchmarking of its research performance and ensure its national and global research competitiveness is maintained. To achieve this, the bibliometrics tool must draw data from a significant global publications citation index, of which the University currently subscribes to 2: Scopus by Elsevier and Web of Science by Thomson Reuters. Using citation data from these and/or other databases, the tool must be able to produce performance-based metrics including citation count, average citation per publication and h-index, and compare these metrics to those of individuals, groups, institutions and regions globally, as specified by the user.
In order to facilitate benchmarking of the University's individual departments and research groups, the tool must be able to integrate with the University's research information system, Pure by Elsevier, through which it can draw in data relating to publications, researchers and affiliated organisational unit(s). This can be achieved through the Pure API or importing by CSV. Additionally, the tool must allow the unique identification of authors on a publication using a global standard identifier, and the standardisation of global research/HE institutions to account for variation of the names of these institutions on publications.
The tool must also include the capability to analyse the diversity of the research at the University of Southampton and within its individual departments/groups. This must include diversity of disciplines, journal coverage and collaboration with other bodies such as institutions, corporations, countries and continents. Additionally, the tool must be able to analyse the title and abstract of a sample of publications in order to create a profile of the disciplines covered.
The tool must be available as a web-based application accessible through all major browsers, with its web interface accessible to WCAG-AA at minimum and BS8878:2010, or equivalent. The tool must be accessible by almost 6 000 users, comprising the University's academic staff, professional services staff and postgraduate students, either through use of the University's Shibboleth authentication system or its IP address range.
This contract is NOT suitable for splitting into Lots. The risk of dividing the requirement into Lots would render execution of the contract excessively technically difficult, not cost effective and would undermine proper execution of the contract.
The University proposes to enter into a Contract for 5 years with the successful tenderer, with options to extend for 2 years or 4 years beyond the initial contract period, subject to satisfactory performance.
The initial estimated contract value for this requirement is in the region of 200 000 GBP over a 5 year period.
The estimated value excluding VAT, provided below, is the overall potential value of the contract taking into account the option to extend up to an additional 4 years.
There will be an option built into the contract to allow an extension of an additional 2 years or 4 years beyond the initial contract period.
The Contracting Authority reserves the right to require deposits, guarantees, bonds warranties and other forms of appropriate security.
No special legal form will be required for bidding purposes but the University will require to contract with a legal entity.

Eligibility requirements: To support the financial assessment the University will obtain a financial appraisal report from Creditsafe. This report provides the University with an overall Risk Score which will be used to assess the applicants financial standing. The University reserves the right to exclude or request provision of further assurances such as a parent company/bank guarantee or performance bonds where Bidders financial scoring is classed as Satisfactory — Below Expectations (49-30) or Poor (29 or below). Further details are provided in the ITT. Organisations are advised that a requirement of this tender is to have in place, or commit to obtain prior the commencement of the contract, the following minimum insurance levels: Employer's (Compulsory) Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Public Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Professional Indemnity — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. It is a legal requirement that all companies hold Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of 5 000 000 GBP as a minimum. Please note that this requirement is not applicable to Sole Traders. Tenderers will be excluded if they fail to confirm satisfactory insurance arrangements. As defined in the ITT documentation. Full information is provided in the ITT documentation, however tenderers attention is drawn to the Mandatory requirements around the following areas outlined in File 7 of the ITT: 1. Publications citation index. 2. Integration with Current Research Information System (Pure). 3. Keyword- and journal-based research profiling. 4. Author- and organisational unit-based research profiling. 5. Research profiling of institutions and standard/custom groups of institutions. 6. Citation analysis. 7. Normalisation. 8. Benchmarking. 9. Diversity analysis. 10. Collaboration analysis. 11. Content analysis. 12. Author identification. 13. Institution identification. 14. Web-based application. 15. Accessibility.
To support the financial assessment the University will obtain a financial appraisal report from Creditsafe. This report provides the University with an overall Risk Score which will be used to assess the applicants financial standing. The University reserves the right to exclude or request provision of further assurances such as a parent company/bank guarantee or performance bonds where Bidders financial scoring is classed as Satisfactory — Below Expectations (49-30) or Poor (29 or below). Further details are provided in the ITT. Organisations are advised that a requirement of this tender is to have in place, or commit to obtain prior the commencement of the contract, the following minimum insurance levels: Employer's (Compulsory) Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Public Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Professional Indemnity — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. It is a legal requirement that all companies hold Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of 5 000 000 GBP as a minimum. Please note that this requirement is not applicable to Sole Traders. Tenderers will be excluded if they fail to confirm satisfactory insurance arrangements.
To support the financial assessment the University will obtain a financial appraisal report from Creditsafe. This report provides the University with an overall Risk Score which will be used to assess the applicants financial standing. The University reserves the right to exclude or request provision of further assurances such as a parent company/bank guarantee or performance bonds where Bidders financial scoring is classed as Satisfactory — Below Expectations (49-30) or Poor (29 or below). Further details are provided in the ITT.
Organisations are advised that a requirement of this tender is to have in place, or commit to obtain prior the commencement of the contract, the following minimum insurance levels: Employer's (Compulsory) Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Public Liability — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. Professional Indemnity — 5 000 000 GBP per occurrence. It is a legal requirement that all companies hold Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of 5 000 000 GBP as a minimum. Please note that this requirement is not applicable to Sole Traders. Tenderers will be excluded if they fail to confirm satisfactory insurance arrangements.
As defined in the ITT documentation. Full information is provided in the ITT documentation, however tenderers attention is drawn to the Mandatory requirements around the following areas outlined in File 7 of the ITT: 1. Publications citation index. 2. Integration with Current Research Information System (Pure). 3. Keyword- and journal-based research profiling. 4. Author- and organisational unit-based research profiling. 5. Research profiling of institutions and standard/custom groups of institutions. 6. Citation analysis. 7. Normalisation. 8. Benchmarking. 9. Diversity analysis. 10. Collaboration analysis. 11. Content analysis. 12. Author identification. 13. Institution identification. 14. Web-based application. 15. Accessibility.
As defined in the ITT documentation.
Full information is provided in the ITT documentation, however tenderers attention is drawn to the Mandatory requirements around the following areas outlined in File 7 of the ITT: 1. Publications citation index. 2. Integration with Current Research Information System (Pure). 3. Keyword- and journal-based research profiling. 4. Author- and organisational unit-based research profiling. 5. Research profiling of institutions and standard/custom groups of institutions. 6. Citation analysis. 7. Normalisation. 8. Benchmarking. 9. Diversity analysis. 10. Collaboration analysis. 11. Content analysis. 12. Author identification. 13. Institution identification. 14. Web-based application. 15. Accessibility.