Host, manage, maintain and running of The National Security Vetting System

Official notice

Authority: Cabinet Office (Central government)

ServicesNegotiated without publication of a contract notice

Sectors: IT Services & Software (72) Delivery: London (UKI)

Awarded value£0published contract · exc. VAT

Awarded 1 Aug 2023

Awarded to CGI IT UK Limited

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency (VEAT) notice relates to the provisions of services to host, manage, maintain and run Cabinet Office's UK Security Vetting (UKSV) Agency's National Security Vetting System (NSVS). This is a direct award for the services provided by the incumbent in the running of the existing NSVS system, which is a critical security system used by HMG and a significant component of this legacy system's IP is owned by the incumbent. The NSVS system sits in a highly secured accredited environment.

This legacy system is about 10 years old and is in need of transformation. The transformation programme to develop a new vetting system is separately being looked at by UKSV.

CPV: Compliance software development services · Industry specific software development services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1

Delivery: London

72212170 Compliance software development services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Legal basis: CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 1 Aug 2023, 17:46 BST
Last source update: 1 Aug 2023, 17:46 BST
FTS notice number: 2023/S 000-022387
Classification (CPV): Compliance software development servicesIndustry specific software development services
Delivery area: London (UKI)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03ec35 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

NSVS is the only IT platform available to process requests for national security vetting that meets the requirements of both UKSV and its customers. UKSV is an important apparatus protecting the UK from attack by ensuring that suitably qualified people are appropriately vetted during the appointment process. A surge in demand caused by the war in Ukraine and a backlog due to Covid-19 placed increased pressure on the system which has delayed any meaningful transformation work. Cabinet Office has resumed work on transformation but it is not practically possible for a replacement system for NSVS, supplied by an economic operator other than the incumbent, to be procured and operational in time for the expiry of the current contract in February 2024 because:

there are no suitable commercial off the shelf products available that would support a quick re-procurement exercise;
replacing the incumbent with another supplier would mean replicating a very specific set of security controls and building a new environment to manage that complexity, which cannot be done before February 2024; and
The incumbent owns essential intellectual property that interfaces with another supplier's software and systems. Any new supplier would need to build a similar interface solution to connect to multiple sources and translate data into suitable formats for the rest of the system to process which would require a considerable length of time.

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £01 contract exc. VAT

Contracts signed 1latest 1 Aug 2023

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
CGI IT UK Limited	£0 †	—	Awarded

Contracts

Contract 022387-2023-1 · CGI IT UK Limited
Signed
1 Aug 2023
Value
£0
Status
active

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Cabinet Office

Contracting authorityCentral GovernmentMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsPublic order and safety 70 Whitehall, LONDON, London, SW1A2ASContact name, email

Dispute resolution & review bodies

Public Procurement Review ServiceReview body London

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

CGI IT UK LimitedAwarded supplier London, London

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.