Supply of software plus associated hardware and maintenance services for a digital customer information system (CIS) at WMT's railway stations

Concepts

• communication software
• software package
• it software
• wmt
• software
• cis
• wmts digital customer information system
• cis) contract
• a digital customer information system
• a compliant cis system

Location

At WMT's railway stations

Description

WMT's digital customer information system (CIS) contract with Blackbox Company (UK) Ltd (WMT 2462) runs till the 31 March 2025. Phase 1 software (VO4) and Phase 2 software (VO5) - both of which are covered under the original contract, and are co-dependent (important) to run a compliant CIS system - do not currently co-terminate. This extension to the Phase 1 software (VO4) brings its end date in line with that of the Phase 2 software (VO5), so WMT can continue to provide a full CIS service across its stations. The Phase 1 software (VO4) was to end on the 19 February 2024; both it and the Phase 2 software (VO5) will now end on the 31 March 2025. The extension of the Phase 1 software (VO4) will also strengthen WMT's position ahead of any retender of the contract in advance of its end date.

Total Quantity or Scope

Extension of the existing Phase 1 software licence (VO4) to make it co-terminus with the existing Phase 2 software licence (VO5). The two software licences are co-dependant. This F15 notice is being used only because the F20 Contract Modification notice is not available, because it requires the insertion of a contract notice reference, and there is not one for this matter. This is because the original contract was signed before the obligation to procure in a manner that is consistent with all requirements of, and follow the principles of, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 applied to WMT (in its National Rail Contract). A strong justification for the contract modification exists and this information is published in this notice. The UCR 2016 Regulations do not state the particular template to be used (ie F15 or F20).

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 48510000 - Communication software package
• 48517000 - IT software package

Indicators

Legal Justification

If the Phase 1 software (VO4) were not extended, WMT would either not be able to provide its customer information system (CIS) at its railway stations at all or it would require another CIS provider to be brought in. The former option would deprive WMT's customers and staff of vital travel information and the latter option would be time consuming (estimated to take about six months) and would cause widespread disruption across the WMT estate. It would also mean that WMT would incur substantial duplicated and abortive costs. The costs that would be incurred without this extension are estimated to be significantly more than double its value, when adding together the estimated annual cost for alternative software plus the cost of the final year of the Phase 2 software (VO5), even though that software would then give WMT no benefit.

Other Information

A requirement to procure in a manner that is "...consistent with all requirements of, and follows the principles of, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016" has applied to West Midlands Trains Ltd (WMT) since only September 2021. The original framework agreement was awarded by Abellio Transport Holdings Ltd in 2019 after a competitive tender process performed in 2018. WMT signed the SoW for the digital customer information system (CIS) in 2019 and its VO4 in 2020 - both of which were before the above UCR 2016 requirement applied to WMT, in September 2021.