Highland Council invites tenders for ICT Core Services
The Highland Council has published its notice to
tender for ICT Core Services on Public Contracts Scotland website.
The scope of the ICT
Core Services to be sourced under this procurement are broadly defined as
‘providing managed technology infrastructure, application systems and desktop
services required for the delivery of the Authority’s business including
educational ICT and online Public Access Services’.
Members of The
Highland Council’s Resources Committee on 27 May agreed to a procurement approach
to replace the Current Fujitsu contract. The current contract comes to an end
in Sep 2016 at which point the Council will be putting new contractual
arrangements in place. The council had previously agreed that it would not
continue with a single large out-sourced contract and is looking to work with a
number of suppliers to provide ICT Services to the Council.
The council’s annual
budget for this contract has been published at no more than £8.65million. The
contract duration of 5 years has the potential to extend for up to two years.
Chair of Resources
Committee, Councillor Bill Fernie said: “The council has looked long and hard
at how it provides its ICT services and an outline business case was agreed in
April 2013 which agreed that in future the council wanted to work with a number
of suppliers to provide a range of ICT Services. We are particularly keen to
make some of these contracts more accessible to small and medium sized
enterprises.
“We were encouraged
by the response we had to our industry day. Having access to modern technology
is vital to the delivery of public services across the Highlands and our
intention through this procurement is to find the very best companies to work
with us into the future.”
In addition to the Core Services Contract the Council will be undertaking other
smaller procurements for:
- computers, laptops, tablets,
- Managed Printing services; and
- locally managed ICT devices for schools.
The Council currently provides ICT services delivered as part of its current
contract to a number of other public bodies such as third party customers
including High Life Highland and the Assessor’s Office.
The Council recently
held an industry day in Inverness intended to promote the forthcoming contract
to which potential bidders from across Scotland and the UK were invited to
attend.
Bidders have until 3
August 2015 to submit their Pre-Qualification questionnaire for the Core
Services contract.