Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2017-06-14
Buyer: The Police ICT Company
Country: UK
Region: UNITED KINGDOM
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 48800000 | 48810000: Information systems
Estimated value: 5000000 GBP

Technical requirements: The Police ICT Company has undertaken an EU tender exercise to establish a national framework for the purchase of Systems to Manage Specialist Police Competencies and Assets, and Associated Support and Maintenance for a period of 4 years. The systems are required to support:
— Training Records Capture and Management for firearms officers, dog handling, public order, blue light driving and other key operational policing competencies.
— Asset Management of critical policing facilities — including firearms management with secure access; dog management and wellbeing; and other assets that require essential cradle to grave management.
This VEAT notice is intended to provide clarification for the Contract Notice (TED Reference: 2017/S 052-096244) Framework for Systems to Manage Specialist Police Competencies and Assets.
The intention when the Contract Notice was published was for the framework to be used by contracting bodies other than The Police ICT Company and EMSCU;
it has come to the Contracting Authority's attention that although the Contract Notice did refer to the framework being an invitation to tender for a ‘national’ service, it was not as clear as the information in the other procurement documentation (available at the same time as the notice was published) that the other contracting bodies identified in this VEAT Notice could use the framework directly (rather than the Police ICT Company operating the framework and the services called-off under it on their behalf);
— it is the Contracting Authority's contention that all UK police forces are able to use the framework direct award or run their own mini-competitions pursuant to the conditions of the framework;
— the purpose of this VEAT is to confirm, if there was any doubt, that the procurement will result in a framework agreement which can be used by all UK police forces listed below:
— that, notwithstanding the potential lack of clarity, the Contracting Authority will enter into the framework agreement on the basis that it would have been sufficiently clear to any supplier that may have wished to express an interest, which contracting bodies would be able to use the framework.
This VEAT notice is intended to provide clarification in relation to the opportunity advertised in Contract Notice (TED Reference: 2017/S 052-096244) Framework for Systems to Manage Specialist Police Competencies and Assets.
The intention when the Contract Notice was published was for the resulting framework agreements to be used by the Contracting Authority (The Police ICT Company), the East Midlands Strategic Commercial Unit and the UK police forces listed in this web-link: https://www.police.uk/forces/, (hereafter, collectively referred to in this VEAT Notice as the ‘Contracting Bodies’).
It has however come to the Contracting Authority's attention that although the Contract Notice did refer to the framework being an invitation to tender for a ‘national’ service, it was not as clear as the information in the other procurement documentation (which was available at the same time as the Contract Notice was published) that the Contracting Bodies could use the framework directly (rather than the Contracting Authority operating the framework and calling off the services on behalf of the other Contracting Bodies).
It is the Contracting Authority's contention that the other Contracting Bodies are able to use the framework, and that in accordance with the conditions of the framework, may call-off under the framework, either by direct award, or by running their own mini-competitions.
The purpose of this VEAT notice is therefore to confirm, if there was any doubt, that the procurement will result in framework agreements which can be used by all the Contracting Bodies.
Notwithstanding the potential lack of clarity, the Contracting Authority will enter into the framework agreements on the basis that it would have been sufficiently clear to any supplier that may have wished to express an interest in this opportunity, that all Contracting Bodies would be able to use the framework.


Winner: Geoff Smith Associates Limited
Award value: 5000000