Official UK procurement notice
Supply of software plus associated hardware and maintenance services for a digital customer information system (CIS) at WMT's railway stations
Authority: WEST MIDLANDS TRAINS LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionWMT's digital customer information system (CIS) contract with Blackbox Company (UK) Ltd (WMT 2462) runs till the 31 March 2025. Phase 1 software (VO4) and Phase 2 software (VO5) - both of which are covered under the original contract, and are co-dependent (important) to run a compliant CIS system - do not currently co-terminate. This extension to the Phase 1 software (VO4) brings its end date in line with that of the Phase 2 software (VO5), so WMT can continue to provide a full CIS service across its stations. The Phase 1 software (VO4) was to end on the 19 February 2024; both it and the Phase 2 software (VO5) will now end on the 31 March 2025. The extension of the Phase 1 software (VO4) will also strengthen WMT's position ahead of any retender of the contract in advance of its end date.
CPV: Communication software package · IT software package
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Extension of the existing Phase 1 software licence (VO4) to make it co-terminus with…Awarded
Extension of the existing Phase 1 software licence (VO4) to make it co-terminus with the existing Phase 2 software licence (VO5). The two software licences are co-dependant.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0025 Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (Directive 2014/25/EU)
- Procurement category
- Goods
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 23 Feb 2024, 09:42 GMT
- Last source update
- 23 Feb 2024, 09:42 GMT
- Authority reference
WMT 2462 VO13- FTS notice number
2024/S 000-005908- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-043c5fFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional deliveries by the original supplier ordered under the strict conditions stated in the directive
- Published justification
If the Phase 1 software (VO4) were not extended, WMT would either not be able to provide its customer information system (CIS) at its railway stations at all or it would require another CIS provider to be brought in. The former option would deprive WMT's customers and staff of vital travel information and the latter option would be time consuming (estimated to take about six months) and would cause widespread disruption across the WMT estate. It would also mean that WMT would incur substantial duplicated and abortive costs. The costs that would be incurred without this extension are estimated to be significantly more than double its value, when adding together the estimated annual cost for alternative software plus the cost of the final year of the Phase 2 software (VO5), even though that software would then give WMT no benefit.
Publisher note: A requirement to procure in a manner that is "...consistent with all requirements of, and follows the principles of, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016" has applied to West Midlands Trains Ltd (WMT) since only September 2021. The original framework agreement was awarded by Abellio Transport Holdings Ltd in 2019 after a competitive tender process performed in 2018. WMT signed the SoW for the digital customer information system (CIS) in 2019 and its VO4 in 2020 - both of which were before the above UCR 2016 requirement applied to WMT, in September 2021.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLACKBOX COMPANY (UK) LIMITEDExtension of contract for Phase 1 software (VO4) | £271,409 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Extension of contract for Phase 1 software (VO4) · BLACKBOX COMPANY (UK) LIMITED
- Signed
- 12 Feb 2024
- Value
- £271,409
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | 1 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- West Midlands Trains LtdReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Blackbox Company (UK) LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.