Strategic Microsoft Partner

Concepts

• microsoft
• information technology
• strategic microsoft partner
• new microsoft solutions partner designations
• microsoft skills
• microsoft applications
• strategic microsoft partners
• partners
• guinness partnership
• housing sector customers

Location

United Kingdom: UNITED KINGDOM

Description

The Guinness Partnership (TGP) is running this procurement to put a Framework Agreement with a panel of IT skills and knowledge specialists as may be required to support the business. TGP are looking for Partners with core Microsoft skills and competencies, primarily D365, but also to cover other Microsoft applications and infrastructure including SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, DevOps, and the Azure platform. The Strategic Microsoft Partners will be required to bring experience within the sector, with the expectation that they are certified via the new Microsoft Solutions Partner designations (or can evidence the legacy capabilities that translate towards these), which provides Guinness with assurance that the Partner brings the appropriate level of performance, skilling, and customer success to the relationship. The proposed Framework will consist of 2 Lots, these Lots are: Lot 1 – Dynamics 365 The scope of this lot will include: • To deliver solutions with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform; ongoing management services for Dynamics 365, Business Central, Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, Lot 2 - Azure Capabilities The scope of this Lot will include: • Data & AI - to demonstrate capability helping Housing Sector customers manage data across multiple systems and potentially to build out analytics and AI solutions. • Digital & App Innovation - to demonstrate helping Housing Sector customers build, run, and manage applications across multiple clouds, on premises or in a hybrid framework, you can evidence support within the Housing Sector migrating and deploying DevOps while using Azure, managing app services in Azure. • Infrastructure - to demonstrate helping Housing Sector customers with migration of key infrastructure workloads to Microsoft Azure

Lot Division

CPV Codes

• 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Indicators

• Restrictions apply to the lot award allocation.
• This is a one-off contract (no recurrence)
• Renewals are not available.

Other Information

The opportunity will be conducted using the Restricted Procedure and advertised as two (2) separate Lots, however potential suppliers will be able to bid for all Lots. The framework will be accessible to all housing associations across England. Each Lot will have 3 suppliers on it. The maximum duration of the Framework Agreement shall be for 48 months (4 years). The total value of this Framework shall be £16,000,000, Guinness's estimated spend under this Framework shall be £4,000,000, with £12,000,000 available to all other housing associations across England. ** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** Each Lot will be treated as a separate contract award procedure. Details of the process and the rationale for it is set out in the procurement documents. Guinness will use their e-sourcing portal for this competition on which the procurement documents will be available once the opportunity is advertised and ready. Suppliers should ensure they are registered in advance which can be done using the following link: https://www.procontract.due-north.com. Guinness reserves the right to discontinue this procurement at any time. Each Organisation must bear its own costs in relation to this procurement including the costs of responding to the SQ. Under no circumstances shall Guinness be required to reimburse any Organisation for any costs incurred in completing the SQ or participating in this procurement. This framework is being procured by the Guinness Partnership Ltd., a registered Charitable Community Benefit Society registered number 031693R, whose registered office is at 30 Brock Street, Regent's Place, London, NW1 3FG (“Guinness”). This framework is being procured by Guinness for and on behalf of the following entities (“Other Users”) who will all be entitled to conclude contracts based on this framework agreement: • Any and all subsidiaries and entities within Guinness’ group of societies and companies (“the Guinness Group”), including but not limited to: o The Guinness Partnership Ltd. (Company No: IP031693R) o City Response Ltd., Trading As Guinness Property (Company No: 04471280) o Guinness Care and Support Ltd. (Company No: IP30337R) o Guinness Developments Limited (Company No: 04175094) o The Guinness Housing Association Limited (Company No: IP17017R) o Guinness Homes Limited (Company No: 05710006) o Guinness Platform Limited (Company No: 06411652) o Hallco 1397 Limited, Registration (Company No: 05998281); and o Any existing and future entities which are contracting authorities within the Group; • Social housing providers in the UK (both those that are in existence now and those that may be in existence in the future) – ‘Social Housing Provider’ for this purpose means any provider of social housing and includes, without limitation, registered providers which are listed on the regulator of social housing website and ALMOs and local authorities with retained social housing; and • Any Public Authority (as defined in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for Public Authorities in England, or any Local Authority (as defined in the Local Government Act 1972 for Public Authorities in England); and • Any Public Authority which is included in the UK public sector classification guide at https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/datasets/public... and • Any wholly owned subsidiaries of any of the above organisations which are contracting authorities. Other Users (save for those within The Guinness Group) must enter into a Joining Agreement with Guinness before they conclude contracts under the framework agreement. Potential tenderers should note that Guinness does not guarantee any specific volume of work under this framework arrangement either from itself or Other Users. Guinness reserves the right to abandon this procurement at any time. Guinness shall not, under any circumstances, be responsible for bidders tendering costs or any other costs or losses arising from such abandonment. For further information regarding this tender please review the competition documents attached to the competition, or contact Guinness’ Procurement Team via their tender portal. Free and unfettered access is available at https://procontract.due-north.com/.