Vodafone GCF Extension Contract — Further Extension of the Email Relay and Email Filtering Services

Concepts

• vodafone
• vodafone gcf extension contract
• liverpool
• post and telecoms
• further extension of the email relay
• email filtering services
• public services network
• gcf
• email relay service
• service continuity

Location

Liverpool

Description

The existing contract is for Vodafone provided Government Convergence Framework (GCF) services to be supplied from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2021. The GCF is the ‘intelligent core’ of the Public Services Network (PSN) which is used for secure communication by numerous bodies across the public sector.

Total Quantity or Scope

The email relay service enables users of the PSN to communicate securely with each other and third parties via email. Users comprise multiple public sector bodies across central government and the wider public sector (e.g. local government). The email filtering services are used by the same user group and scan PSN email communications for dangerous content such as suspicious website links and spam email. The extension will be awarded to Vodafone. This is legacy technology and a previous further competition to replace the technology provided in this lot attracted no bidders. Service continuity is required to enable transition of remaining users to open market replacement solutions.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 64000000 - Postal and telecommunications services
• 48000000 - Software package and information systems

Indicators

• Award on a basis other than price and quality.

Legal Justification

The extension is made in compliance with Article 72(1)(b) Directive 2014/24 and Regulation 72(1)(b) Public Contracts Regulations 2015. There are no alternative supplier as this lot attracted no bidders; there is no market interest. Multiple public sector bodies will not be able to transition from the existing email relay and filtering services provided under the Vodafone GCF contract by its expiry on 31 March 2021. The loss of email capability on the PSN will undermine delivery of several UK citizen services. Although the exact number of users is to be finalised at the time of publication, the number is expected to be no more than 100 out of an original user base of over 500. The remaining users will use the contract extension period to transition to open market email solutions, a process already completed for the overwhelming majority of original users. There is no long term future for the email relay and filtering services as provided. Therefore, for economic and technical reasons and due to the significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for the contracting authorities, as already demonstrated in a procurement which for this lot attracted no bidders, the only supplier available and willing to continue to provide these services is Vodafone. Other suppliers who are interested in providing replacement services will have opportunities to bid for these during 2021 and 2022. In the meantime, this contract extension is required in order to provide service continuity to remaining email relay and filtering users.

Other Information

This extension will extend the email relay and filtering services (one of four lots) for use by those public sector bodies that still have a limited requirement for this legacy technology. The new one year extension covers a period during which these bodies will transition away to new email services sourced from the open telecommunications and software markets.