CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE - UTILITIES

Section I: Contracting Entity

I.1)

Name, Address and Contact Point(s)

I.2)

Main activity or activities of the contracting entity

	Production, transport and distribution of gas and heat
	Electricity
	Exploration and extraction of gas and oil
	Exploration and extraction of coal and other solid fuels
	Water
	Postal services
	Railway services
	Urban railway, tramway, trolleybus or bus services
	Port-related activities
	Airport-related activities

Section II: Object of the Contract

II.1)

Description

II.1.1)

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting entity

Upgrading, Operation and Maintenance of a Data Network for Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd.

II.1.2(a))

Type of works contract

II.1.2(b))

Type of supplies contract

II.1.2(c))

Type of service contract

II.1.2)

Site or location of works, place of delivery or performance

II.1.3)

This notice involves

II.1.4)

Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd ‘Merseyrail’ has appointed a supplier to upgrade and then operate and maintain their Wide Area Network (WAN) in order to enhance the performance of existing services and to support the ambitious technology based projects that the company intends rolling out in the coming years. Bidders had to be able to demonstrate a track record of delivering relevant goods/installation services within rail/light rail industry.

The current WAN has been in operation for approaching 10 (ten) years. Originally introduced to support the connectivity requirements of a new ticket retailing system at all the Merseyrail manned stations, it has since had additional services connected to it including CCTV, Customer Information Screens (CIS), PA announcements and the roll out of Microsoft Office and email to all staff. Few, if any of these projects provided for enhancements or upgrades to the existing WAN.

The new network will meet the business' immediate and future requirements, be reliable, future proof, expandable, flexible, secure and resilient. The successful bidder will also operate and maintain Merseyrail's data network providing access to supplier support 24 x 7.

Subcontracting was permitted for this contract at the approval of Merseyrail.

The contract will be for an initial period of 5 (five) years covering the design, supply and renewal/replacement and maintenance of the WAN as described. The contract may be extended by a further 5 (five) year term at the discretion of the Customer and with agreement from both parties.

II.1.5)

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

II.I.6)

Contract covered by the government procurement agreement (GPA)

II.2)

Total final value of the contract(s) awarded

II.2.1)

Total final value of the contract(s) awarded

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)

Type of procedure

IV.1.1)

Type of procedure

IV.2)

Award criteria

IV.2.1)

Award criteria

IV.2.2)

An electronic auction has been used

IV.3)

Administrative information

IV.3.1)

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting entity

IV.3.2)

Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

Other previous publications

Section V: Award of contract

V.1)

Award and Contract Value

Contract No:

 Title: 

Lot No:

V.1.1)

Date of contract award

V.1.2)

Numbers of offers received

V.1.3)

Name and address of economic operator to whom the contract has been awarded

V.1.4)

Information on value of contract

V.1.5)

The contract likely to be subcontracted

Short description of the value/proportion of the contract to be subcontracted

V.1.6)

Price paid for bargain purchases

Section VI: Complementary Information

VI.1)

Contract related to a project and/or programme financed by community funds?

VI.2)

Additional Information

Merseyrail is an urban commuter train operating network of vital importance to the transport infrastructure of Liverpool and Merseyside. In view of the ongoing regeneration of the city, rail will play a major role in the economic life of the region and be a vital part in the urban transport network which, thanks to the efforts of Merseytravel, is already ‘multi-modal’ with combined tickets valid on trains, buses and ferries.

At a glance:

— 75 route miles, outer termini at Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross on the Northern Line, and New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port on the Wirral Line.

— Core city centre underground network, including 6.5 miles in tunnels and 5 underground stations.

— Underground section includes the original Mersey railway tunnel opened in 1886.

— Approximately 100 000 passenger journeys per weekday or 36 million passenger journeys per annum.

— Nearly 50 % of passengers are daily users.

— 67 stations of which 66 are managed by Merseyrail.

— One of the most intensively used networks in the UK with over 800 train services daily (Monday to Friday).

— Clock face, regular interval timetable (15 minute frequencies, increasing to 5 minute on city centre sections).

— Approximately 1 200 staff.

— A fleet of 59 fully refurbished electric multiple units.

Merseyrail is a unique concession in the UK as the Department for Transport has been delegated by Parliament to the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (Merseytravel) and the concession agreement is between Merseyrail and Merseytravel. This gives much better local control by local people of local services. Another unique feature is the length of the concession which is 25 years from 20.7.2003 with review dates along the way.

The concession is operated by Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd, a 50/50 Joint Venture company between Serco and Abellio. Merseyrail operates the Wirral Line and the Northern Line.

Merseyrail have appointed a supplier to upgrade, operate and maintain their current Data Network to enhance the performance of existing services and to support the ambitious technology based projects that the company intends rolling out in the coming years.

VI.3)

Procedures for appeal

VI.3.1)

Body responsible for appeal procedures

Body responsible for mediation procedures

VI.3.2)

Lodging of appeals

Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd incorporated a standstill period, following award of the contract. The period commenced on the day following award notification, and was in accordance with The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006, and all subsequent amendments and directives. At present, this standstill period shall be no less than 10 calendar days. This period allowed unsuccessful tenders to seek further debriefing from Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd before the contract was entered into.

The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006 as amended provides for aggrieved parties who have been harmed, or at risk of harm by a breach of the rules, to take action. Any such action must be brought within 30 days of the date when the aggrieved party knew or ought reasonably have known about the alleged breach. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision, or order the authority to amend any document and may award damages. If the contract has been entered into, the Court may only award damages.

VI.3.3)

Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.4)

Dispatch date of this Notice