Pay As You Go (PAYG) Tap Converter Service (TCS)

This PIN has been issued by Rail Settlement Plan (RSP) Limited, trading as Rail Delivery Group (RDG) under the auspices of its members Train Operating Companies who operate main line passenger train services in the United Kingdom (TOCs). RDG brings together the companies that run Britain's railway - Train Operating Companies (TOCs) - into a single team with one goal, to deliver a better railway. Modernising ticketing and improving the customer journey are top priorities for passengers and the industry.

All the passenger and freight rail companies are members of the RDG, as well as Network Rail and HS2. RDG provides services and support to enable our members to succeed in transforming and delivering a successful railway, benefiting passengers, taxpayers and the economy.

RDG manages a large number of data services and systems that are fundamental to the retail of train tickets across the UK. Some examples:

• Timetable data of all UK Rail passenger services;
• Product Management Service that contains all UK Rail fares;
• National Reservation Service;
• National Rail Enquiries;
• Central Back Office for Smart Ticketing;
• LENNON that captures all UK Rail ticket sales;
• ORCATS that apportions ticket sales back to the TOCs.

RDG may procure a TCS, and associated services, with a view of delivering a 'best of class' service that would align to the strategic vision for future digital ticketing for GB Rail going forward. RDG expects that a new service would be:

A tried and tested, cost effective, market leading, back-office system, that will:

• Consistently and accurately calculate the correct fare for customers who make National Rail journeys based on a series of supplied taps and industry data in any future account-based ticketing area;
• Support multiple PAYG Operators with varying customer propositions;
• Support token-agnostic tap data (including but not limited to smartcard, cEMV, Barcode, etc);
• Integrate with other PAYG engines to support multi-modal fare calculations by PAYG Operators;
• Integrate with wider industry ecosystems and schemes;
• Ensure transparency and predictability on a national basis, including but not limited to fare calculations, incomplete journeys, maximum fares, customer-supplied taps;
• Remain market leading, with ongoing investment and roadmap, to offer a best-in-class solution;
• Be accredited to integrate into existing RDG systems;
• Be an enterprise-grade solution, meeting relevant security, accuracy, performance and availability targets. In particular, but not limited to, accreditation to ISO 27001;
• Provide service management and integration to ISO 20000;
• Assure the quality of the service by guaranteeing the fares calculations;
• Be appropriate for RDG investment appetite and team size; and
• Support and apply entitlements, concessions, discounts and fare-capping.

Suppliers intending to take part in the Market Engagement should notify RDG of their intention by email to:

TCSprocurement@raildeliverygroup.com

And copying the Principal Contact, Sam Stevens at

Sam.stevens@raildeliverygroup.com

Suppliers will then be asked to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, and a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). For suppliers to access the Bidders' Open Day, all suppliers must complete the (NDA) in advance of the session. The EOI and NDA will be issued upon request to the above email addresses.

Suppliers will be issued with a Memorandum of Information (MOI) detailing a high-level summary of the proposed scope and a summary of the potential procurement process. In addition, RDG will issue separately a Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) which will look to pose a series of questions which aim to provide RDG with greater market awareness of existing capabilities prior to commencing the procurement exercise.

Information enclosed in the questionnaire form will be treated in the strictest confidence, suppliers should note that RDG may use the information provided to help inform the procurement exercise, the requirements, and any other associated approach.

The deadline for return of the MEQ is 23:59 (GMT) on the Sunday 12th December 2023, those who miss the deadline can still forward the information, but RDG reserve the right to either ex/include the details for consideration.

RDG will hold a Bidders' Open Day and a series of one-to-one sessions (which will be conducted virtually) with those suppliers who are interested in taking part.

The Bidders' Open Day will take place on the Tuesday 28th November 2023 with one-to-one sessions starting from the Wednesday 29th November 2023, details of how to request a slot can be found in the Memorandum of Information. There will be ten slots which will be issued on a first come first served basis.

This PIN notice does not commit RDG to conduct the procurement exercise, tenderers who incur costs as a result of this notice do so under at their own risk.

In line with the expectations of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, RDG expects to novate the contracts associated with this solution to an appropriate company within Great British Railways.