Udskiftning af Alarmmodtagelsescenter Platform til understøttelse af Herts Careline Service

This is a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) notice for the replacement of an Alarm Receiving Centre platform. While it outlines key areas for discussion and uses an e-tendering system, it lacks specific details on evaluation criteria and financial information, and the deadline for the PME response is relatively short.

The notice adheres to general procurement principles by indicating a future procurement process under the Procurement Act 2023 and using a standard CPV code. However, the absence of a reveal date for the PME responses and the lack of specified evaluation criteria for the PME itself are minor shortcomings. The deadlines for the PME are not explicitly stated beyond the submission deadline, which is a point of concern for a PME. The procedure type is not specified, which is unusual for a tender notice.

The description of the project's purpose and scope is clear, detailing the need for a new ARC platform and the areas to be explored during the market engagement. The technical capability requirements are well-defined, providing suppliers with a good understanding of the council's needs. The use of an e-tendering portal is also clearly communicated.

Basic information such as title, reference, organization, and CPV code is present. The contract duration and start date are specified. However, the estimated value is not disclosed, and no documents with content are available for review, which limits the completeness of the information provided for this PME stage.

The PME aims to gather market insight to develop a 'proportionate, transparent and competition-friendly procurement strategy' and explicitly states it will ensure 'equal treatment of suppliers and avoidance of any unfair competitive advantage'. The use of a public e-tendering portal promotes fairness. The requirements are generally broad and focused on capabilities rather than specific company features, indicating a good level of fairness for a PME.

The tender utilizes an e-submission system (In-Tend) via the Supply Hertfordshire Portal, which is a practical approach. The contract start date is provided. However, financing information is not disclosed, and the duration of the contract is only 12 months, which might be short for a platform replacement project, although this is a PME and the final contract details are TBD.

Key fields such as title, reference, organization, CPV, and submission deadline are populated. The dates provided (submission deadline and contract start) are logical in sequence. There are no indications of suspension or disputes. The status 'planning' is consistent with a PME.

The PME explicitly mentions exploring 'Sustainability and social value considerations within platform delivery and hosting models' as an area of engagement. This indicates a positive step towards incorporating these aspects, although specific green procurement or social criteria are not yet defined.