Communication & Instrumentation Panel Service Provider("CIPSP") Contract

Contracts

• Contract 028158-2024-1-1 · Cetix Limited

  Signed

  20 Jul 2017

  Value

  £3,565,000

  Status

  active

  • Change The meter system upgrade project which has become necessary will involve Cetix (as CIPSP provider) leading the design and change control elements of the project. This is a material piece of work that will involve the replacement of site flow computers, metering elements and associated instruments such as to allow the sites to attain the required level of metering uncertainty across the operational envelope. The work requires a variation to the original contract in terms of the scope, as well as a variation in relation to the initial contract term to ensure that the metering upgrade works are complete in advance of any new CIPSP contract commencing. The extension to the duration will be until September 2027 . ISL considers that the variation to the current contract benefits from the exemption outlined in Regulation 88(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts Regulations. This exemption allows for the non-competitive procurement of additional services that have become necessary, where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and where such a change would cause significant inconvenience or duplication of costs. ISL believes the exemption applies here because the incumbent CIPSP has developed intimate knowledge of the logic within the flow computers, chromatograph and PLC's. The Flow computers and chromatograph are being changed as part of this project, and for the new equipment to interface to the existing PLC's, the PLC's will need substantial modifications also. To introduce a third party to replace and work on equipment that is expressly within the responsibility of the CIPSP, would create interface management risks. The incumbent CIPSP is therefore considered the most efficient and lowest risk party to deliver and warrant the design and interface modifications. It should also be noted that a significant part (£1.7m of the £2.3m) of the additional value of the variation will be competitively tendered, allowing potential relevant providers to bid in for this element of the work., Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: ISL considers that the variation to the current contract benefits from the exemption outlined in Regulation 88(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts Regulations. This exemption allows for the non-competitive procurement of additional services that have become necessary, where a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and where such a change would cause significant inconvenience or duplication of costs. ISL believes the exemption applies here because the incumbent CIPSP has developed intimate knowledge of the logic within the flow computers, chromatograph and PLC's. The Flow computers and chromatograph are being changed as part of this project, and for the new equipment to interface to the existing PLC's, the PLC's will need substantial modifications also. To introduce a third party to replace and work on equipment that is expressly within the responsibility of the CIPSP, would create interface management risks. The incumbent CIPSP is therefore considered the most efficient and lowest risk party to deliver and warrant the design and interface modifications. It should also be noted that a significant part (£1.7m of the £2.3m) of the additional value of the variation will be competitively tendered, allowing potential relevant providers to bid in for this element of the work.

Dispute resolution & review bodies

• High Court of Northern IrelandReview body Belfast