Design, Development, Supply & Installation of Equipment for Studio Ulster

Concepts

• communications equipment
• coleraine
• radio and television equipment
• broadcasting equipment
• data transmission equipment
• television and audio-visual equipment
• sound and video equipment
• network equipment
• telecommunications equipment
• telecommunications cable and equipment

Location

North Foreshore Film Studios, Giant’s Park, Belfast

Description

Design, Development, Supply & Installation of Equipment for Studio Ulster

Total Quantity or Scope

The Vision for Studio Ulster (SU) is to be a leading Commercial Centre of Excellence in Virtual Production (“VP”) in the UK and Ireland and to establish a ‘Tier 1’ Centre of Excellence in Research and Development and Innovation (R&D&I), in Real-time and Virtual Production, a rapidly developing suite of technologies and methodologies for screen content production. Located on the North Foreshore in Belfast, the development of SU in conjunction with the Belfast Harbour Film Studio complex creates a unique blend of facilities, that will drive commercial activity and collaboration in R&D on an unprecedented scale involving all strands of production and technology professionals involved in the virtual production, film, broadcast, animation, games, VFX and immersive sectors. The successful appointed tenderer will develop technical proposals for the equipment allowing SUL to deliver on the final Business Plan objectives. The design solutions presented shall be based on the successful tenderer's IP and best practices from experience to date in the VP sector. SU is a fully funded project, with Contracts for Funding executed and all associated legal agreements with Belfast Harbour in place. The project benefits from £25.2m (£21m excluding VAT) through BRCD, both contributions to support the initial development of the SU VP studio and to part-fund life cycle replacement costs for the specialist VP equipment, within the first 10 years of operation. Ulster University has committed £3.6million from its own funds and has secured a further £2.9m from the UK Levelling Up Fund. These sums represent the total scale of the SUL investment, inclusive of miscellaneous costs for items outside of this Competition (loose furniture, fees, marketing, branding etc.). The successful tenderer will develop the design, procure, deliver, install, test and commission the specialist equipment and provide all necessary training to SUL in the operation of the equipment.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The final contract includes the requirement for all planned maintenance of the Equipment for a minimum 3-year period from the date of handover to the Client. This will include the provision of all necessary spares / replacement parts and consumables as required.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 32000000 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
• 32200000 - Transmission apparatus for radiotelephony, radiotelegraphy, radio broadcasting and television
• 32210000 - Broadcasting equipment
• 32220000 - Television transmission apparatus without reception apparatus
• 32230000 - Radio transmission apparatus with reception apparatus
• 32240000 - Television cameras
• 32260000 - Data-transmission equipment
• 32270000 - Digital transmission apparatus
• 32300000 - Television and radio receivers, and sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus
• 32310000 - Radio broadcast receivers
• 32320000 - Television and audio-visual equipment
• 32330000 - Apparatus for sound, video-recording and reproduction
• 32340000 - Microphones and loudspeakers
• 32350000 - Parts of sound and video equipment
• 32400000 - Networks
• 32410000 - Local area network
• 32420000 - Network equipment
• 32430000 - Wide area network
• 32500000 - Telecommunications equipment and supplies
• 32510000 - Wireless telecommunications system
• 32520000 - Telecommunications cable and equipment
• 32530000 - Satellite-related communications equipment
• 32550000 - Telephone equipment
• 32560000 - Fibre-optic materials
• 32570000 - Communications equipment
• 32580000 - Data equipment
• 38651100 - Camera lenses
• 38651200 - Camera bodies
• 38651400 - Instant print cameras
• 38651500 - Cinematographic cameras
• 38651600 - Digital cameras
• 38653400 - Projection screens
• 38810000 - Industrial process control equipment
• 39113000 - Miscellaneous seats and chairs
• 39121000 - Desks and tables
• 39122000 - Cupboards and bookcases
• 39134100 - Computer tables
• 39156000 - Lounge and reception-area furniture
• 39294100 - Information and promotion products
• 48210000 - Networking software package
• 48220000 - Internet and intranet software package
• 48311100 - Document management system
• 48318000 - Scanner software package
• 48331000 - Project management software package
• 48332000 - Scheduling software package
• 48333000 - Contact management software package
• 48520000 - Multimedia software package
• 48710000 - Backup or recovery software package
• 48720000 - Bar coding software package
• 48730000 - Security software package
• 48750000 - Storage media loading software package
• 48760000 - Virus protection software package
• 48770000 - General, compression and print utility software package
• 48780000 - System, storage and content management software package
• 48790000 - Version checker software package
• 48810000 - Information systems
• 48820000 - Servers
• 48910000 - Computer game software package, family titles and screen savers
• 48920000 - Office automation software package
• 50340000 - Repair and maintenance services of audio-visual and optical equipment
• 51610000 - Installation services of computers and information-processing equipment
• 51620000 - Installation services of office equipment
• 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
• 72100000 - Hardware consultancy services
• 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services
• 72500000 - Computer-related services
• 72600000 - Computer support and consultancy services
• 72800000 - Computer audit and testing services
• 80300000 - Higher education services
• 80500000 - Training services
• 92224000 - Digital television
• 92225100 - Film-on-demand television
• 92226000 - Teleprogrammation
• 92370000 - Sound technician

Indicators

• Options are available.

Other Information

Please note that a Corrigendum Notice was published (FTS ref: 2023/S 000-028557) which amended the estimated total value in Section II.1.5 of the contract notice from £2,000,000 to £20,000,000. The quantities, which it is anticipated will be required under this Contract, was set out in the final tender stage of the competition within the Commercial Submission. This information was given for the guidance of the tenderers and was not deemed to be a condition of the Contract or a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to the successful tenderer should the actual demand be less than that stated. Further, the delivery of service as to be provided by the successful tenderer is demand-led. Changes which may affect the demand may include but are not limited to, technological upgrades/changes within the virtual production marketplace. Such changes may result in unanticipated workload growth which is higher than the levels accounted for within the tender competition. To be able to offer continuing service delivery as provided for by this tender competition the University reserves the right to commission additional product volumes over the life of the contract period, including any extension period(s) if utilised. Any steps taken by the University in this regard will be done in compliance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended).