COV - Finance Software System

Concepts

• system and support
• coventry
• software package
• information systems
• new hosted software
• finance software
• unit 4s business world enterprise resource planning system
• cov - finance software system
• system
• software

Location

Services to be delivered remotely

Description

The Council of the City of Coventry has entered into a new contract with Unit4, in respect of the provision of finance software to the Council that includes implementation services, hosting and ongoing support and maintenance. The contract will expire on the 31st December 2027. The Council currently contracts and has a licence for the on -premise use of Unit 4's Business World Enterprise Resource Planning system.

Total Quantity or Scope

The Council of the City of Coventry has awarded a new contract with Unit4, in respect of the provision of finance software to the Council that includes implementation services, hosting and ongoing support and maintenance. The contract will expire on the 27th December 2027. … The Council has entered into the awarded contract with Unit 4 to enable the continuation of Unit 4 support and maintenance for its on-premise software and to cover Unit 4's implementation services, hosting and support for new hosted software for the contract term.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 72250000 - System and support services
• 48000000 - Software package and information systems

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

This award is lawful in accordance with the regulation 32(2)(c) as due to reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the Council, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation could not be complied with. Unit 4 announced on the 17th October 2023 that from the 31st December 2024, they will stop providing support for on-premise installations of Business World (which is currently in place at the Council). The Council had no prior knowledge or warning of this decision. The Council has a licence to use on-premise Business World software following the 1st January 2025, without support in place. Despite this, the Council could not accept the risk of operating on an unsupported finance system, with the potential of a support issue preventing the day to day delivery of services/operations. Unit 4's decision left the Council with a requirement to re-procure and implement a new finance software contract, prior to Unit 4's deadline for the end of support for the current solution. It was established by the Council that there was insufficient time to (i) perform a full scoping and specification exercise for what is one of the Council's most fundamental and strategic software systems, (ii) run a PCR2015 compliant Competitive with Negotiation Procedure (required due to the complexity of the procurement) and (iii) allow sufficient time for implementation of the hosted software following a successful outcome to the procurement process. For this reason, the Council did not have the necessary time to award and implement a new contract prior to support being withdrawn for the Council's current on-premise system. The Council has entered into the new contract with Unit 4 for the minimum necessary period to enable the continuation of support and maintenance for its on-premise software and to cover Unit 4's implementation services, hosting and support for new hosted software for the contract term. The awarded contract allows the Council the time necessary to conclude a procurement to award/implement a new contract for its finance software, with the new contract to commence prior to the end of this awarded contract (expiry 27th December 2027).