Group messaging framework · UK public procurement notice

See documents for full scope.

UK Higher Education institutions

UK Further Education institutions

UK Consortiums and any other organisation or body whose core purpose is the support or advancement of further or higher education or of research

Any other UK education institute

Multi Academy Trusts and other such organisations

Specialist colleges in the UK

UK based Research councils and other such organisations

UK Charities and Third sector organisations

UK Local Authorities

UK Housing Associations

NHS bodies and bodies acting on behalf of the NHS

UK emergency services and bodies acting on behalf of those emergency services

UK Regional Broadband Consortia and any other organisations connected to or eligible to connect to the Janet network

JSL, Jisc, any Jisc subsidiaries and its members.

Any other UK based wider public sector organisation.

Asiera (formerly HEAnet), its subsidiaries, member institutions and customers

Any other NREN and the community it serves

Jisc Services Limited, a subsidiary of Jisc is the Contracting Authority.

Users of the framework will either be able to carry out Direct award to the top ranked supplier, or undertake a Mini competition to which all suppliers must be invited. Each Call-Off Contract will have a contract term that is reasonable and proportionate, having regard to the nature of the Services; but no more than seven (7) years.

Direct award - Direct award status will be granted to the highest scoring bidder (Rank #1). This option allows the buyer to enter into a contract without conducting any further competitive exercise.

Mini competition - This option allows the buyer to carry out a competitive process to ensure that they are securing the best solution which offers the most value for money. The evaluation criteria used to establish the Framework shall be used to evaluate tenders submitted in response to a Mini-Competition, However, the buyer has flexibility on the weightings and may deviate from the tender weightings.

A mini competition is the term used to describe the process whereby all framework suppliers are invited to submit a response against the buyer's requirement. An 'invitation to quote' (ITQ) document will be used to lay out the buyer's requirement.

Once the suppliers have been provided with all the relevant information in the ITQ, they will be requested to provide a response, which will be evaluated in line with the original framework evaluation criteria, or an evaluation criterion as specified by the buyer. Suppliers are under no obligation to respond to every ITQ received, however where a supplier declines to respond, an explanation of why is requested.