United Kingdom-Belfast: ICT-21-021 Apple Equipment and Accessories

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: (2023/S 000-006095/EN)
Nature of contract: Supply contract
Procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication
Type of bid required: Not applicable

Voluntary ex ante transparency notice
Supplies

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Education Authority NI
Postal address: 40 Academy Street
Town: Belfast
Postal code: BT1 2NQ
Country: United Kingdom
Email: ict.procure@eani.org.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address:
Address of the buyer profile:

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: ICT-21-021 Apple Equipment and Accessories
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 30200000
II.1.3) Type of contract Supplies
II.1.4) Short Description:
Apple Equipment and Accessories
II.1.6) Information about lots
The contract is divided into lots: no
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement(excluding VAT)
Value:5000000.00
Currency:GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Apple Equipment and Accessories. EA plan to increase the overall contract value by 50% (£2.5m), This will provide sufficient value to avail of the 12 month extension already provided for in the contract.

II.2.5) Award criteria
II.2.11) Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below
(please complete point 2 of the Annex D)
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes
IV.2) Administrative information

Section V: Award of contract/concession
V.2) Award of contract/concession
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:2021-09-21
V.2.2) Information about tenders
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Official name: Academia Ltd
Town: ENFEILD
Country: United Kingdom
Email: bids@academia.co.uk
Nuts code:
Internet address:
The contractor is an SME: no

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession(excluding VAT)
for framework agreements – total maximum value for this lot
for contracts based on framework agreements, if required – value of contract(s) for this lot not included in
previous contract award notices

Section VI: Complementary informationVI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: The UK does not currently have any such bodies with responsibilities for appeal/mediation procedures
Town: Belfast
Country: United Kingdom

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:
2023-03-02

Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a call for competition
in the Official Journal of the European Union
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

3.Explanation
Please explain in a clear and comprehensive manner why the award of the contract without prior publication in the Official Journal of the European Union
is lawful, by stating the relevant facts and, as appropriate, the conclusions of law in accordance with the directive:
This contract was awarded via a mini-competition from the Crown Commercial Services Education Technology framework RM6103 Lot 4. No contract award notice was published as this was not mandated under the terms of the CCS framework. The overall value of the contract awarded was £5m.
EA plan to increase the contract award value by 50% (£2.5m) to ensure continuity of supply throughout 2023 and for the remaining contract period up to August 2024.
EA proposes to modify the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (c): (i)the need for modification has been brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority could not have foreseen; (ii)the modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract; (iii)any increase in price does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract or framework agreement.
EA considers each of the parts of Reg 72 (1) (c) met as follows. (i) When EA established the contract it envisaged that Apple products would be in demand but with the drastic and sustained change to a more mobile and virtual teaching delivery method, as well as the need for ease of accessibility to what schools deliver for teachers and pupils alike, the demand has exceeded the initial estimates. The Covid pandemic and post pandemic environment has considerably changed what devices teachers and pupils now require to function adequately in the school setting. (ii) This modification does not alter the scope of the contract as the same catalogue of items will remain. (iii) The requested increase of 50% (i.e. £2.5m) should be sufficient to allow continued sourcing from the contract at the same levels as currently experienced until the contract ends in August 2024..