Purpose

To appoint a supplier to
provide Firewall hardware, licenses, and maintenance and support
services.

Decision

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION

 

Date of Decision:

10th August
2023
 

Title:

Internet Firewalls
Platform
 

Decision Maker:
(Including Job
Title)

Judith Badger, Strategic
Director, Finance and Customer Services
 

Details of Specific Cabinet
Delegation
or Delegation contained in the
relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.
 

Executive functions –
Procurement (c) To make decisions in relation to commissioning and
procurement activity. Such activity should be carried out in
accordance with the Finance and Procurement Procedure
Rules.

Decision:

To appoint Insight Direct UK
Ltd to provide the Council’s Internet Firewalls platform and
associated services.
 

Reasons for the
Decision:

Following evaluation of tender
returns submitted as part of a further competition exercise
utilising the Health Trust Europe
(HtE) Information Communication
Technology (ICT) Solutions (ComIT 2
– Complete IT) framework, Insight
Direct UK Ltd achieved the highest score against the evaluation
criteria.
 

Details of alternative
options considered and rejected:

·   
Above Threshold - Open Tender Process - There is a
need to act quickly to enable delivery on the ground as soon as
possible. As the potential value of the contract is above the
threshold set out in the Procurement Contract Regulations
(£189,330), the timescales associated with undertaking this
type of procedure are too long and as such this option was
discounted.

·   
Above Threshold - Restricted Tender Process - There
is a need to act quickly to enable delivery on the ground as soon
as possible. As the potential value of the contract is above the
threshold set out in the Procurement Contract Regulations
(£189,330), the timescales associated with undertaking this
type of procedure are too long and as such this option was
discounted.

·   
Direct Award - Crown Commercial Services (CCS)
G-Cloud 13 Framework (RM1557.13) - The Council are not able to make
a clear direct award on this framework due to there being hardware
requirements.

·   
Direct Award - Crown Commercial Services (CCS)
Network Services 2 Framework (RM3808) - The Council cannot make a
clear direct award on this framework to one (1)
Supplier.  This option has been
discounted.

·   
Further Competition - Crown Commercial Services
(CCS) Network Services 2 Framework (RM3808) - The Council can
utilise another framework namely Health Trust Europe (HtE) ICT Solutions which offers more flexible
timescales. Therefore, this option has been discounted.

·   
Further Competition (Price & Quality) - Crown
Commercial Services (CCS) Technology Products & Associated
Services Framework (RM6068) - The Council can utilise another
framework namely Health Trust Europe (HtE) ICT Solutions which offers more flexible
timescales. Therefore, this option has been discounted.

·   
Simplified Further Competition (Price Only) - Crown
Commercial Services (CCS) Technology Products & Associated
Services Framework (RM6068) - The Council cannot seek social value
offers via this procurement route which is a mandatory requirement.
This option has been discounted.

·   
Direct Award - Kent Commercial Services (KCS)
Software Products & Associated Services 2 Framework (Y20011) -
The Council are not able to make a clear direct award on this
framework due to it not being able to meet the requirements set out
by Kent Commercial Services (KCS).

·   
Further Competition - Kent Commercial Services (KCS)
Software Products & Associated Services 2 Framework (Y20011) -
The Council can utilise another framework namely Health Trust
Europe (HtE) ICT Solutions which offers
more flexible timescales. Therefore this
option has been discounted.

·   
Further Competition - Yorkshire Purchasing
Organisation (YPO) Network Connectivity and Telecommunication
Solutions (976) - The Council can utilise another framework namely
Health Trust Europe (HtE) ICT Solutions
which offers more flexible timescales. Therefore this option has been
discounted.

·   
Direct Award - Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation
(YPO) Network Connectivity and Telecommunication Solutions (976) -
The Council cannot make a clear direct award on this framework to
one (1) Supplier. This option has been discounted.

·   
Further Competition - Yorkshire Purchasing
Organisation (YPO) Technology Hardware, Software and Services
Framework (979) - The Council can utilise another framework namely
Health Trust Europe (HtE) ICT Solutions
which offers more flexible timescales. Therefore this option has been
discounted.

·   
Price on Demand - Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation
(YPO) Technology Hardware, Software and Services Framework (979) -
The Council cannot seek social value offers via this procurement
route which is a mandatory requirement. 
This option has been discounted.

·   
Direct Award - Health Trust Europe (HtE) Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Solutions (ComIT 2 - Complete IT) - The
Council cannot make a clear direct award on this framework to one
(1) Supplier.  This option has been
discounted.
 

Conflicts of interest
declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker
which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of interest
raised

Dispensations
Granted:
(If any)

 

Reports or parts of
reports considered

The procurement
business case was used to determine and agree the most appropriate
procurement route.
The tender evaluation report
was used to share the outcome of the tender evaluation process and
recommend the appointment of the preferred supplier.
 

 
We
certify that this is a true record of the executive decision to
appoint Insight Direct UK Ltd to provide the Council’s
Internet Firewalls platform.
 
Signed by the Decision Maker
 

 
Dated:  14th
August, 2023 
Name:  Judith Badger
Job
Title:  Strategic Director, Finance and Customer Services
 
 
If you require any assistance
in the completion of the decision record
please contact the Governance Team governance@rotherham.gov.uk