Services - 411144-2019
02/09/2019    S168

United Kingdom-London: Highway toll services

2019/S 168-411144

Contract notice

Services

Legal Basis:
Directive 2014/24/EU

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name and addresses
Official name: Department for Transport
Postal address: Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Rd
Town: London
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
Postal code: SW1P 4DR
Country: United Kingdom
Contact person: Neil Widdop
E-mail: TechnologyProcurement@highwaysengland.co.uk
Telephone: +44 3001235000
Internet address(es):
Main address: https://highwaysengland.co.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://highways.bravosolution.co.uk
I.3)Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://highways.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://highways.bravosolution.co.uk
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the abovementioned address
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
National or federal agency/office
I.5)Main activity
General public services

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement
II.1.1)Title:

Free-Flow Charging Package A: Road User Charging Services

Reference number: FFC.A
II.1.2)Main CPV code
63712210 Highway toll services
II.1.3)Type of contract
Services
II.1.4)Short description:

Highways England is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major (trunk) roads in England.

Highways England is procuring (as a procurement agent on behalf of the secretary of state for transport, as described in the Highways England framework document Annex C paragraph 2) a second generation free-flow charging service solution for the existing Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing road user charging scheme. A road user charge has been collected at this crossing since 2003 to manage the high demand for its use. Any solution is expected to offer proportionate scalability where systems and operations can deal with alternative charging schemes.

This contract notice is for road user charging services (Package A) as part of the overall free-flow charging service solution, and comprises of vehicle identification, account management, payment processing, and customer services.

II.1.5)Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: 150 000 000.00 GBP
II.1.6)Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: no
II.2)Description
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
32234000 Closed-circuit television cameras
32500000 Telecommunications equipment and supplies
34927000 Toll equipment
34970000 Traffic-monitoring equipment
34980000 Transport tickets
45316210 Installation of traffic monitoring equipment
48000000 Software package and information systems
63712210 Highway toll services
63712311 Bridge toll services
63712321 Tunnel toll services
63712400 Parking services
63712700 Traffic control services
72000000 IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
72322000 Data management services
79342300 Customer services
79940000 Collection agency services
79941000 Toll-collection services
98351110 Parking enforcement services
II.2.3)Place of performance
NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

Highways England is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major (trunk) roads in England. Highways England’s road network totals around 4 300 miles and is commonly known as the strategic road network.

The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing is a critical part of the strategic road network in the South East of England. It spans the River Thames between Dartford and Thurrock, approximately 16 miles east of central London, and forms a trunk road link (the A282 Trunk Road) that connects the M25 London Orbital motorway either side of the Thames to create a complete strategic road network around London.

Highways England is procuring (as a procurement agent on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, as described in the Highways England framework document Annex C paragraph 2) a second generation free-flow charging service solution for the existing Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing road user charging scheme. A road user charge has been collected at this crossing since 2003 to manage the high demand for its use. Any solution is expected to offer proportionate scalability where systems and operations can deal with alternative charging schemes.

Highways England’s second generation free-flow charging service solution will be contracted through 3 main packages, each under a separate contract notice, and each delivered as a complete end-to-end managed service, including people operations, systems and maintenance. This contract notice is for road user charging services (Package A) as part of the overall free-flow charging service solution, and comprises of vehicle identification, account management, payment processing, and customer services. The other proposed elements of the free-flow charging solution are UK Enforcement Services (Package B) and Non-UK Enforcement Services (Package C). Package B and C are subject to separate contract notices and separate procurement exercises.

The road user charging services contract consists of the following services:

(a) implementation of a new solution and transition of existing data within 18 months of the contract commencement date;

(b) provision and operation of roadside equipment (e.g. ANPR, DSRC) to enable detection and identification of vehicles, including enabling utilities and interfaces to third party systems (e.g. DVLA);

(c) matching of validated vehicle passage records to payments or exemption lists, and (where applicable) identification of contravention candidates;

(d) processing of payments;

(e) provision of account (e.g. standard, business, local resident, exempt) and non-account functionality to enable customers to pay the road user charge;

(f) provision of a suite of contact channels;

(g) provision of a customer support offering for managing communications (e.g. enquiries, complaints, Freedom of Information requests, subject access requests);

(h) provision of financial reconciliation, banking, a payment gateway, and accounting services related to the road user charging scheme;

(i) provision of management information;

(j) provision of lifecycle IT service management;

(k) provision of optional services which are capable of being enacted at a future date, including:

— implementation of the road user charging services solution at Lower Thames Crossing;

— integration of the road user charging services solution with other road user charging schemes (e.g. EETS);

— identification of persistent contravention candidates;

— capability to implement new road user charging models (e.g. dynamic charging, time of day charging, surcharge period);

— integration of the road user charging services solution with connected and autonomous vehicles, and mobility-as-a-service technologies.

II.2.5)Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6)Estimated value
II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 102
This contract is subject to renewal: yes
Description of renewals:

The initial contract duration will include an implementation period of up to 18 months and then a further 7 years post the final ‘ATP Milestone Date’ (as defined in Schedule 1 of the draft contract), with Highways England having the option to extend the contract by an aggregate duration of up to an additional 2 years.

II.2.9)Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Maximum number: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:

Highways England will assess the requests to participate in accordance with the invitation to submit requests to participate in order to conclude a shortlist of selected candidates to invite to submit initial tenders.

II.2.10)Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: no
II.2.11)Information about options
Options: yes
Description of options:

Economic operators are required to have the capability to enact the optional services as described in II.2.4 and the contract. Highways England makes no commitment as to the extent to which the optional services will be enacted (if at all) or that any other bodies will utilise such arrangements and reserves the right to procure these services through a route other than the contract which is the subject of this contract notice.

This contract shall allow for provision of licences of the software used in the delivery of this contract for use on alternative road user charging schemes by any other central government or local government body in the UK or any other organisation which is a highway authority under the Highways Act 1980 (‘Other Contracting Authorities’). Services associated with use of the software would be separately procured by the other contracting authorities.

II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
II.2.14)Additional information

The contract value is expected to be approximately between 90 000 000 GBP and 150 000 000 GBP. These figures are an estimate only and will be dependent upon transactional volumes (e.g. volume of vehicles that are detected), whether an extension (in part or in whole) is enacted, and whether the optional services (in part or in whole) are enacted.

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions for participation
III.1.1)Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:

As stated in the procurement documents.

III.1.2)Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3)Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2)Conditions related to the contract
III.2.3)Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
IV.1.5)Information about negotiation
IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes
IV.2)Administrative information
IV.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S: 2019/S 097-234644
IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date: 15/10/2019
Local time: 10:00
IV.2.3)Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date: 18/11/2019
IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:
English
IV.2.6)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: no
VI.2)Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3)Additional information:

Economic operators may attend a road user charging Services briefing event in central London on 6.9.2019 by following the registration instructions in paragraph 5.2 in the invitation for requests to participate.

To access the procurement documents, economic operators should register for a free eSourcing account at https://highways.bravosolution.co.uk. Once economic operators have received their log in details, economic operators should log in and click the 'PQQs Open To All Suppliers' link and select the listing under reference number 772. Economic operators should review the introductory page to the PQQ and click ‘Express Interest‘ to continue (this will move the PQQ to your 'My PQQs' page, which is a secure area reserved for your projects only). Economic operators can access any attachments by clicking 'Buyer Attachments' in the 'PQQ Details' box. Economic operators can use the 'Messages' function to communicate with Highways England and seek any clarification. To respond to this call for competition, click 'My Response' under 'PQQ Details', and select 'Create Response' or to 'Decline to Respond'. If you require any further assistance, economic operators should contact the eSourcing helpdesk on +44 8000698630 or help@bravosolution.co.uk

This contract notice (and the associated procurement documents) are published in good faith. No warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in it. Any liability for inaccuracy or incompleteness is expressly disclaimed by Highways England and its advisors. Economic operators are advised to satisfy themselves that they understand all the requirements of the contract and procurement exercise before submitting their request to participate. Nothing in this contract notice (and the associated procurement documents) will be taken as constituting an offer (whether implied or otherwise), or any agreement, whether express or implied between Highways England and any other party. Highways England reserves the right to cancel, amend or vary the procurement exercise at any point prior to the award of the contract (whole or in part) and with no liability on its part. Highways England and/or its advisors are not liable for any costs resulting from any amendment or cancellation of this procurement exercise nor any other costs, charges, fees, expenses, claims or disbursements (howsoever arising and including third party costs) incurred by those economic operators submitting a request to participate for this contract. Economic operators submit a request to participate at their own risk and expense.

Highways England reserves the right to proceed to the next phases of this procurement exercise in the event that the number of compliant requests to participate received is less than 5, provided Highways England is satisfied that there is sufficient number to ensure genuine competition.

VI.4)Procedures for review
VI.4.1)Review body
Official name: See details at VI.4.3
Town: See details at VI.4.3
Country: United Kingdom
VI.4.3)Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

Highways England will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. Appeals must be lodged in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No 102) as amended.

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:
29/08/2019