Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2020-03-04
Buyer: Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 48000000 | 72000000 | 72200000 | 72400000 | 72500000

Technical requirements: The Housing Executive (NIHE) manages over 85 000 properties and collects over GBP 300 m p.a. in rent/rates income. We receive payments from customers and on behalf of customers for a variety of items i.e. rent, service charges, Housing Benefit repayments and invoiced debts. As well as managing monies paid directly to us via standing order, direct debits for rents, cash receipts and bank transfers, NIHE currently have contracts in place with a number of 3rd party providers for payment services such as web, automated telephone payments, payment app, direct debits, cash payment network (Paypoint). A sizeable element of our income is from benefit payments to our tenants consisting of Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, rates rebate and relief, welfare reform mitigation payments, deductions from benefits? etc. Due to contact expiry, we are seeking to replace the current Civica Icon IMS with a cloud based system and want to consider use of additional customer payment functionality available.
NIHE are interested in engaging with suppliers who currently provide an Income Management System (IMS) and customer payment services to organisations who collect income for a range of services, for onward processing to several business systems. Below is an outline of our current core functionality, essential functionality and possible other requirements the NIHE may require as part of any future procurement process.
Cash receipting facilities – to provide counter receipting facilities at circa 20 office locations. Current provision requires software to be installed locally which creates additional support requirements for IT/ITAssist. It is anticipated that the new software will be browser based removing this requirement. There is no chip and pin facilities currently but it is intended to provide this.
File distribution — current functionality cannot cope with the level of mismatches between imported customer reference numbers and the correct customer account references required for interfacing to the business systems. Bespoke in-house functionality has been added to address the deficiency. It is hoped that this will be part of the core functionality for the replacement system.
Bank reconciliation – It is hoped that there will be a more intuitive, user-friendly interface in relation to system/ bank transaction matching and suspense account clearance in the replacement system.
— a PCIDSS (purchasing card payment data security standard) compliant facility to accept and process debit/credit card payments and removing NIHE from the requirement for full PCIDSS accreditation,
— web payments: there is a requirement for a link to be developed allowing our tenants to access the web seamlessly from Orchard Housing tenant portal without having to login again,
— recurring card authority: ability to set up a recurring payment collect against a debit/credit card.
If your product meets the above criteria and you would like to register your interest, please e-mail kathryn.mcgonagle@nihe.gov.uk by 3 p.m. on Tuesday 10 March 2020.
NIHE may wish to follow up with a questionnaire and subsequently hold interviews on submitted questionnaires and/or hold demonstrations of products to seek further information i.e. other functionality that may assist with collection, distribution and reconciliation of income.
This notice is for information only and the publication of this notice does not oblige NIHE to commence any competitive tender process. The information contained in this notice, including (but not limited to) the description and classification of the requirements, CPV codes, and the estimated date of publication of contract notice, is indicative only and NIHE reserves the right to amend it at any time without notice. NIHE shall not be liable for any costs, expenses or liabilities incurred by those participating in this notice in any way.