Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2017-09-16
Buyer: Newcastle University
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Open procedure
CPV classification: 48000000 | 72200000 | 72250000: System and support services | 72254000: Software testing | 72611000: Technical computer support services
Estimated value: 10000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2017-10-20
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: (NU/1330) Provision of Support and Maintenance for the University's SAP System including maintenance and Development of Mandatory Student Reporting.
a) Provision via the VAR of SAP Standard support for the full scope of the current SAP products and licences purchased by Newcastle University.
b) The on-going maintenance of the mandatory student reporting requirements, including HESA/HESES functionality to ensure the University meets its obligations. This includes the implementation of annual mandatory updates and logic revisions in line with changes in UK HE.
c) The supply of new and additional SAP licenses as and when required by the University. It is envisaged that this may include Success Factors over the lifetime of this contract.
The University implemented SAP as its main corporate management information system in 1999 and has expanded the SAP landscape over the past 18 years. The University's SAP environment is extremely wide-ranging and complex and regularly upgraded. The underlying database was migrated from Oracle to HANA in 2016. The core systems include:
As with any SAP customer, the majority of functional updates and corrections are delivered as part of SAP annual support packs (e.g. mandatory reporting / HESA for HR / Payroll and Finance; Tax Year end changes etc.). However, there are 2 key areas of UK-specific functionality for the SAP Student Lifecycle Management module that are delivered and maintained outside this standard process: Student Mandatory Reporting (HESA and HESES) and UCAS UG Admissions.
Additionally the University wishes to utilise the contract to purchase SAP licenses for existing and new SAP products on an as and when required basis.
The University will renew the requirement for this contract at a point over the lifetime of the agreement. The timing of the renewal will be dependant on any migrations the University makes to its use of SAP which may include Success Factors.
2. Suppliers must be Certified as a SAP PartnerEdge Channel Partner VAR specifically for the Student Lifecycle Management component. It is not sufficient to hold this certification for other SAP components, as this requirement specifically requires deep knowledge of the SLcM application.
The University will renew the requirement for this contract at a point over the lifetime of the agreement. The timing of the renewal will be dependant on any migrations the University makes to its use of SAP which may include Success Factors.
The estimated contract value in II.1.5 and II.2.6 includes an estimate for the provision of the services and the optional purchase of additional and new SAP licenses. This total includes the optional purchase of Success Factors licenses.
The University will incorporate a standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. The standstill period, which will be for a minimum of 10 calendar days, provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) within 30 days of knowledge or constructive knowledge of breach.

Eligibility requirements: 1. Suppliers must be SAP PCOE Partner Centre of Expertise certified. 2. Suppliers must be Certified as a SAP PartnerEdge Channel Partner VAR specifically for the Student Lifecycle Management component. It is not sufficient to hold this certification for other SAP components, as this requirement specifically requires deep knowledge of the SLcM application.

Award value: 10000000