SS16019 - DBS System Hosting Services

Background Kent County Council (the council) is the largest county council in England covering an area of 3,500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over £900m on goods and services and a population of 1.3m.

The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils and 289 parish/town councils. The Council consists of four directorates; this requirement is for the Council's Business Service Centre within the Strategic and Corporate Services Directorate.

The Opportunity The Council's Business Services Centre have developed an in-house application and are seeking a service that can host the application and provide restricted, regulated access via a secured web-link for public users as well as direct access for designated Council staff and nominated third parties for reasons of software support. The service is required to transmit data through to the MOJ via a dedicated IP address.

It is a requirement of this contract that it will only commence once the necessary steps have been taken to ensure the Council retains its eBroker status. This took the Council up to two years to achieve previously.

Any decision to award this contract to a new supplier will be conditional to the Council's preferred supplier being successful in their application to become an MOJ approved third-party supplier in relation to handling registered bodies e-bulk application data prior to the commencement of the contract. If the Council's preferred supplier's application is unsuccessful, the Council reserves the right to then approach the supplier that came second in the competition, and so on, as appropriate.

The contract is anticipated to commence upon 01 April 2018 and will continue for a period of 36 months, with two consecutive options to extend for a further period of up to 24 months each (i.e. 3 years + 2 years + 2 years), unless terminated in accordance with the Conditions of Contract. Additional information: Instructions to Suppliers: Visit www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk and register an interest in the opportunity online to access the Invitation To Tender documentation.