Provision of Out of hours support for the computing and distribution Helpdesk

CPV: Call centre · Telephone-answering services

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

15 Feb 2023, 12:05 GMT

Last source update

16 Dec 2024, 11:43 GMT

Authority reference

OUPA10981

FTS notice number

2024/S 000-040416

Classification (CPV)

Call centreTelephone-answering services

Delivery area

North East (UKC2)South East (UKJ12)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-03a5da 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

Following a tender in 2022, which resulted in two non-compliant bids, the OU entered into an interim agreement with Norman. The OU now wishes to contract with Norman for a longer period of 3 years, on the grounds of absence of competition due to technical reasons.

Norman Managed Services have successfully supported the OU over the past 12 months with an out-of-hours Helpdesk. They have become an integral part of how the OU supports students. The OU Helpdesk receives contact from students providing both technical and nontechnical support when using any module software or University programmes, as well as monitoring for any welfare or safeguarding concerns. The support provided in this area is

extremely sensitive and Norman supports a range of other Universities and other Higher Education organisations, giving them experience in dealing directly with the complexity that

this service can bring. The services provided by Norman has also given the OU the ability to benefit from the widespread expertise gained by Norman over the past 17 years that they

have been operating.

The OU has now extended support of students to 24/7 via different channels through a combined service of in-house OU Helpdesk and Norman. This increase in service for OU students has been achieved at lower cost.

• Norman Managed ServicesAwarded supplier Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, NE1 8ST

No document links were published on the notice.