Support Contract for EFG Portal

Concepts

• efg portal
• sheffield
• information technology
• support contract
• portal software
• support guarantees
• technical support
• financial support
• software support
• efg scheme

Location

Sheffield

Description

Provision of the development resources to build and support Guarantees Portal software which is used to register loans that BBB have provided guarantees for including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans. The current scope for these requirements covers CBILS 2.0 and the Claims and Arrears process

Total Quantity or Scope

At short notice in March 2020, BBB was designated by HM Treasury as the body responsible for administering the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme, and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme ("Coronavirus Loan Schemes"). BBB required certain software support and development services at extremely short notice to handle the requirements of the Coronavirus Loan Schemes. There was not enough time to carry out a competitive procurement in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015"), but BBB concluded that regulation 32(2)(c) permitted it to contract directly with Thoughtbot. Thoughtbot was already providing similar services to BBB in connection with the Enterprise Finance Guarantee ("EFG") Scheme. BBB therefore contracted with Thoughtbot so that the software solution being used for the EFG Scheme could be adapted to support the Coronavirus Loan Schemes. The Coronavirus Loan Schemes were each intended to be open for applications for a period of six months. The Coronavirus Loan Schemes have since been extended due to further unforeseen developments in the context of the pandemic forcing further suppression of social and commercial freedoms. In particular, on 17 December 2020 the Chancellor announced that the Coronavirus Loan Schemes had been extended to 31 March 2021. Accordingly, BBB will require technical support (i) for applications for financial support up to at least 31 March 2021 and (ii) in connection with the management of the portfolio of loans for at least five years. As a result, BBB has concluded that it needs to continue contracting with Thoughtbot to avoid any interruption to the Coronavirus Loan Schemes.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 72222300 - Information technology services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

Regulation 32(2)(c) of the PCR 2015 applies for the following reasons: BBB needs to ensure that it can provide uninterrupted financial support to businesses whose operations have been impacted by restrictions resulting from the introduction of lockdown measures in response to further waves of COVID-19 infections. It cannot provide that financial support without the necessary software, which is supported by services provided by Thoughtbot. BBB is therefore reacting to a current situation that is a genuine emergency. The need for extreme urgency has been caused by unforeseeable events. The COVID-19 situation is so novel that the impact of further waves of infections could not have been predicted. Thoughtbot's current contract expired on 31 January 2021. Having regard to the time it would take to prepare for and carry out a procurement in compliance with the PCR 2015, and to transition to a new supplier, it was impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR 2015 and to transition to a new supplier before 31 January 2021. BBB has acted promptly in responding to the current situation of extreme urgency and has proceeded to make this direct award without delay. The duration of the contract has been limited to the minimum necessary period required to implement and to transition to a longer term solution in compliance with the PCR 2015. In particular, the contract has been set up to enable that transition from 31 January 2022 and to require it to take place before 31 January 2023.

Other Information

To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=574920461 GO Reference: GO-202131-PRO-17861558