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Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Request for Tenders for a system enabling Remote Access to the Office LAN consisting of
Closing Date: Monday 1 November 1999 12.00 noon CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Technical Outline 3. Requirements
4. Query Handling 5. Specification of Requirements
6. Evaluation of Tenders & Award Criteria 7. General Conditions of Tender Appendix A: Format of Tender Appendix B: Extract from Article 20, Paragraph 1 of EU Council Directive 93/36/EEC Appendix C: Freedom of Information 1 Introduction Context The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas (National Parliament) (hereinafter referred to as the Office) is responsible for the administration of both Houses of the Oireachtas (Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann), and committees of either or both Houses, and for providing information technology facilities to Members. Matters such as legislation, the Official Reports of the Dáil, Seanad and Committees, parliamentary questions, adjournment matters, etc. are processed on a daily basis by the Office's computer systems. There are approximately 600 users of the Office's network. The Office will require a Remote Access System to its Local Area Network, in five lots, as described at section 3 below. Technical Outline The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas has a local area network using 10Base2, 10BaseT, 100BaseT Ethernet IEEE 802.3 industry standard local area network. Network protocols in use in the Office are IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, and NetBIOS. In the context of remote access, however, the Office will consider using TCP/IP only. The Office has:-
Internet The Office uses a Cisco 2503 router to connect to the Department of Finance's Internet access system has follows:
Applications in use include:
Operating systems in use on PCs include:
3 Requirements 3.1 Initial Requirement The Office is planning to install a system for router based remote access system (RAS) to the local area network, using ISDN based dialup and make provision for access via the Internet. The Office is planning to run a pilot system for approximately 10 users, and has arranged for ISDN lines to be installed in their homes. At a later stage, it may be necessary to extend this system to a much larger number (100 or more) users. The requirements include:
Additional routers, for location in home offices, may be drawn down over the period of the contract. Five Lots Tenderers are requested to quote for the system in five separate lots, as below. The specifications are contained in section 5.2. Lot 1: ISDN PRI Router(s) Lot 2: ISDN BRI Routers Lot 3: Security Access System Lot 4: Internet VPN Access System Lot 5: Network Management System 3.2 Prices during the Currency of the Contract Prices quoted in the tender cannot be increased during the currency of the contract. Similarly, terms and conditions cannot be altered. However for any call-off of equipment after the initial purchase the contractor will be required to:
In either event the price must be equal to or lower than the price originally contracted for. Should the underlying terms of trade alter fundamentally during the currency of the contract but after the initial purchase it is envisaged that the parties would jointly review the above terms. Companies should provide details of future product development plans for the contract period involved where available. 3.3 Single Contract for each lot Without prejudice it is intended to award a single contract covering the outright purchase of all the required items with respect to each lot. 3.4 Request for Tender Relates to: This Request for Tender Relates (RFT) relates to the outright purchase, delivery, installation, one year (minimum) on-site warranty with a minimum response time of four hours in Dublin, eight hours nation-wide and telephone support in respect of the routers and security package. Where any problem cannot be resolved within four hours of arrival on-site, a replacement router to the same specification should be supplied. These units are required to operate in the network environment and with the software as outlined above. This is a Condition of Tender. 3.5 Market Sampling Market sampling may be used during the currency of the contract, to ensure that the spirit of the said contract is being fully adhered to. 3.6 Format of Tender Tenders must strictly adhere to the format stipulated in Appendix A and must be completed in the English language. Similarly, all tendered software and documentation must be in the English language. 3.7 Financial Arrangements Payment for all equipment covered by this invitation to tender will be on foot of appropriate invoices. Invoicing arrangements will be agreed with the successful supplier, following the award of contract. 4 Query Handling 4.1 Queries concerning this document may be addressed to: Leo Bollins Tel. + 353 1 618 3568 Fax. + 353 1 618 4124 E-mail leo.bollins@oireachtas.irlgov.ie 4.2 Written queries should be sent to: IT Manager 5 Specification of Requirements 5.1 Principles The Office's hardware acquisition strategy is based on two main principles:-
We are willing to consider both industry and non-industry standard hardware platforms with the above capabilities. The router specification in this document, which is provided as a baseline, includes details of the minimum configuration required from an industry standard router. Proposals based on non-standard platforms will be expected to achieve performance levels equivalent to the industry standard offerings. 5.2 Specifications 5.2.1 ISDN PRI Router - Central Site (Leinster House) - with the following minimum specification:- Ports
A dial-back facility should be available, together with a system to monitor call duration, and indicate possible errors due to abnormal duration or frequency of calls. Facility to route through TCP/IP. The router should be able to receive data through the following telecommunications methods:
Security
Please supply full details, and options. 5.2.2 ISDN BRI Router - Remote Sites - with the following minimum specification:- Ports
Ability to route through TCP/IP. All equipment must have European (CE) safety mark. Our existing systems operate in a Windows 95 / Windows NT environment and equipment recommended must operate effectively within the same environment. Please supply full details, and options. 5.2.3 Security System Specification The security system proposed should have as a minimum:
Full details of the authentication method should be provided, e.g. the protocols used, the type of token proposed (software or token card) if any, etc. Please supply full details, and options. 5.2.4 Internet VPN Access System A system whereby users can access the Houses LAN via the Internet, in Ireland or abroad, without compromising network security. Please supply full details of your offering. The following would be the proposed configuration: A leased line connection to an Internet Service Provider would be an alternative to the existing connection. A router located at the central site. A router located at each local site. A facility to allow Internet roaming should also be provided. Adequate security measures should also be provided. 5.2.5 Network Management System This system should enable the remote management of all systems on the network, including: Installation and upgrading of application software on PCs Remote control of PCs Hardware inventory Software inventory Support for local and remote users Support for Novell NetWare and Windows NT Support for Windows 95 and Windows NT Full details should be provided. 5.3 Year 2000 Compliance The proposed software (security package and any built in operating software for the routers) shall correctly accommodate and process information containing the year 2000 A.D. and beyond as well as dates in the current and previous centuries. This capability shall include, but not be limited to, date data century recognition, calculations and logic that accommodate same century and multi-century formulae and date values, sorting routines, date-based validation routines, autogenerated date-based information (e.g., timestamping), and date data interface values that reflect the century. In addition, leap year calculations shall be accommodated (i.e. the year 1900 is not a leap year, 2000 is a leap year). Where the software proposed requires patches to achieve year 2000 compliance, a list of the required patches should be included in your tender, and those patches must be applied on all equipment supplied. 6 Evaluation of Tenders and Award Criteria Only tenders and software submitted in English will be accepted. Tenderers to whom any of the circumstances listed in paragraph 1 of Article 20 of EU Council Directive 93/36/EEC (co-ordinating procedures for the award of public supply contracts) apply will be excluded from this competition. The said circumstances are outlined at Appendix B. Tenders not so excluded will be initially evaluated by reference to the following qualification criteria: Completeness of tender documentation as specified in Appendix A of this document and Stated ability of the tenderer to meet all the minimum requirements specified in this document Note: it is intended that only those tenders which meet both of the above qualifying criteria will be eligible for inclusion in the award process. The contract will be awarded from the qualifying tenders on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender applying the following award criteria listed in order of priority:
Cost is defined to include installation and maintenance etc. for one year (minimum) following the warranty period based on the total potential requirement of 100 or more. Installation requirements are fully detailed in Appendix A, section 8.1 7 General Conditions of Tender Tenders are subject to the following: (Draw down/call-off) It is intended that the Invitation to Tender will give rise to an ongoing contract for the supply of routers to the various offices of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas in Ireland up to 31 December 2001. There is an initial requirement to purchase 10 routers and without prejudice or commitment to purchase, a further quantity of up to 90 additional routers may also be acquired over the duration of the contract. After the initial purchase of 10 units, orders may be placed in varying numbers, but typically between 10 and 20 units may be purchased at a time. Termination of Contract The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time following the initial purchase of 10 units. All information provided by suppliers will be treated in strict confidence. Similarly, the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas requires that all information provided pursuant to this invitation to tender will be treated in strict confidence by suppliers. However, your attention is drawn to the Provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1997. (See Appendix C below) Information supplied by tenderers will be treated as contractually binding. However the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas reserves the right to seek clarification or verification of any such information. Detailed contractual arrangements are not within the scope of this RFT. However, the following conditions should be noted:- Any conflicts of interest involving a contractor (or contractors in the event of a consortium bid) must be fully disclosed to the Office, particularly where there is a conflict of interest in relation to any recommendations or proposals put forward by the tenderer. Any registerable interest involving the contractor and the Ceann Comhairle, members of the Government, members of the Houses of the Oireachtas or employees of the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas or their relatives, must be fully disclosed in the response to this RFT, or should be communicated to the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas immediately upon such information becoming known to the contractor, in the event of this information only coming to their notice after the submission of a bid and prior to the award of the contract. The terms 'registerable interest' and 'relative' shall be interpreted as per section 2 of the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1994. Before a contract is awarded the successful contractor (and agent, where appropriate) will be required to promptly produce a Tax Clearance Certificate. In addition, contractors must retain records of tax reference numbers for any sub-contractors where payments exceed £500 (incl. VAT). A successful non-resident contractor or sub-contractor will be required to produce a statement from the Irish Revenue Commissioners. Application may be made in a standard form which will be provided to the successful tenderer in due course. Where a Tax Clearance Certificate expires within the course of the contract the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas reserves the right to seek a renewed certificate. All payments under the contract will be conditional on the contractors being in possession of a valid certificate at all times. The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas will not be liable in respect of any costs incurred by suppliers in the preparation of tenders or any associated work effort, including the supply of systems for evaluation and the return of such systems to suppliers, following such evaluation. Tenders which are delivered late will not be considered. Tenders must be completed in accordance with the format specified in Appendix A. Tenders which are incomplete will be rejected. Two (2) copies of the tender in a sealed envelope, marked "Tender for Remote Access System" and addressed to:
and should be delivered to the above address not later than 12 noon (local time) on Monday 1 November 1999. Companies may submit more that one proposal, if they wish. Companies may tender for one or more lots. Appendix A: Format of Tender To assist the evaluation process potential suppliers should structure their tenders in such a way that they match the overall structure of this document. Further the tenders should address, on a point by point basis, all the issues and requirements in the sequence in which they appear in this document. Format of Tender 1. General information 2. Technical details 3. Certification Details 4. Performance Details 5. Reference sites 6. Supplier's details 7. Warranties, maintenance and support services 8. Delivery. installation, insurance 9. Schedule of costs 10. Purchase contract 11. Any other information 1. General Information for all RFTs 1.1 Name, address, telephone, email and fax number of tenderer. Name of person within tendering business dealing with the matter. 1.2 Name, address, telephone, e-mail and fax number of any third-parties involved in the tender. Name of person within third-party business dealing with the matter. 1.3 Description of role or element of contract to be fulfilled by any third-party. 1.4 Identification of party who will carry overall responsibility for the contract. 1.5 Confirmation of acceptance by the tenderer and any third parties of the conditions of tender described in this invitation to tender document. 1.6 A statement from the tenderer that none of the excluding circumstances (a), (b), (c), (e) and (f) listed in Paragraph 1 of Article 20 of EU Council Directive 93/36/EEC (co-ordinating procedures for the award of public supply contracts) applies to him/her. 2. Technical Details 2.1 A General Technical Summary is required. This must be itemised by reference to and presented in the same order as the minimum technical specification described in this document. The summary must clearly demonstrate that the tender meets these requirements. Where desirable features are identified in the specification, these must also be addressed in the Technical Summary, including an indication as to whether the said features are offered as standard or as options. Where options beyond the minimum requirements are being proposed, these must be specifically highlighted in the Technical Summary and separately costed in the Schedule of Costs. The Technical Summary must identify the manufacturer, model number and country of origin of all equipment. Technical documentation/brochures with full specifications on all proposed products should be included. The Summary must confirm that the machines are constructed using the same components. 2.2 A detailed specification of the major components is required, 2.3 The manufacturer, model number and country of origin of all components is required. Where parts of the system are manufactured by the supplier, please state the length in time in production and the number produced. 2.4 Details of the physical environment etc should be stated specifying: Physical Characteristics: - height, width, depth, weight. Electrical Characteristics i.e. voltage frequency and wattage of power supply. Heating/cooling Characteristics i.e. in-built heat dissipation features. Environmental Characteristics i.e. Operating Temperature, relative humidity. 2.5 Tenderers must supply full details of the scalability of the proposed system. 2.6 Details of any in-built diagnostic features. 2.7 Details of any technical enhancements which are planned for the proposed router during the lifetime of the contract 2.8 Specific details of power consumption levels for the unit should be provided. This must include reference to any energy conservation features designed to reduce running costs. 2.9 The estimated length of the future product life should be stated. 3. Certification Details for Routers 3.1 Confirmation that the proposed routers have received the European Safety Mark, 'CE' must be supplied. 3.2 It is a requirement that the proposed routers are guaranteed Year2000 compliant in all respects. 4 Performance Details. Tenderers should, where possible, supply the following: 4.1 Reviews of the proposed model in reputable trade magazines may be included in support of your tender. 4.2 Independent benchmark figures which would demonstrate the overall relative performance of the system. 5 Reference Sites etc 5.1 Tenderers must provide a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of existing customers who may be contacted for references in connection with the proposed routers. 5.2 Tenderers must confirm that they are agreeable to providing a unit with an identical configuration to that tendered, for evaluation purposes, if requested. 6. Supplier Details The following information must be supplied in respect of the tenderer: 6.1 Sales volume details for the routers for the calendar years 1998 and 1999 respectively. 6.2 A brief Financial Statement covering last two financial years. 7. Warranties, Maintenance and Support Services Tenderers must provide the following information: 7.1 Confirm that the level, extent and nature of the warranties, maintenance and support requirements described in this document will be fully met. Where this support would be provided by a third party, the name, address and telephone number of such party must be disclosed. 7.2 Provide a brief description of the technical facilities at the disposal of the party providing the said services, including the measures in operation for ensuring that a quality service will be delivered. 7.3 Supply the names and addresses of customers who in the last two years have been provided with warranty, maintenance and support services similar to that described in this document. 7.4 Provide details of the number of engineering and technical staff engaged in full-time support at the base from which the services in question would be provided. 8. Delivery, Installation and Insurance Services Tenderers must provide the following information: 8.1 Confirmation that the specified equipment would be delivered within 10 working days of the order to our Dublin Office and installed within 30 calendar days of receiving a purchase order. Installation will include transportation to the nominated Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas site in Dublin and to sites throughout the country, unpacking of the supplied systems and the removal of all packaging from the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas premises. Please note that suppliers will be expected to deliver a fully installed and working system which will include:
8.2 Confirmation that ordered goods would be fully insured until safely delivered to the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas premises or other nominated location. 9. Schedule of Costs All costs must be quoted in Irish Pounds (IR£) or Euros. The figure quoted at 9.1 must be the best and final offer for the award of the contract. The schedule must take the following format: 9.1 The total cost of the tender (best and final offer). The total cost of the tender (best and final offer) based on the overall potential requirement for 100 or more units, as appropriate. 9.2 A full breakdown of the price of each unit and service. This must itemise the unit cost of each item as specified in this document:
9.3 An itemised breakdown of the cost of any options being proposed beyond the minimum specification. 9.4 Confirmation that the tender holds good for 90 days after the closing date for receipt of tenders. 9.5 The applicable rate of VAT in respect of each product and service being proposed. 9.6 Details of any other costs, taxes or duties which may be incurred. 9.7 The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas reserves the right to choose a different supplier for each piece of equipment and accordingly all quotes should take account of this. 10. Purchase Contract Tenderers should, where possible, supply a copy of the proposed purchase contract, with the tender. 11. Any other information. Suppliers should provide any other information which may be relevant to this proposal. Appendix B Extract from Article 20, Paragraph 1 of EU Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14 th June 1993 co-ordinating procedures for the award of public supply contracts: Article 20 1. Any supplier may be excluded from participation in the contract who: (a) is bankrupt or is being wound up, whose affairs are being administered by the court, who has entered into an arrangement with creditors, who has suspended business activities or who is any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure under national laws and regulations; (b) is the subject of proceedings for a declaration of bankruptcy, for an order for compulsory winding up or administration by the court or for an arrangement with creditors or of any other similar proceedings under national laws and regulations; (c) has been convicted of an offence concerning his professional conduct by a judgement which has the force of res judicata; (d) has been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authorities can justify; (e) has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which he is established or with those of the country of the contracting authority; (f) has not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which he is established or those of the country of the contracting authority; (g) is guilty of serious misrepresentation in supplying the information required under this Chapter. Appendix C: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 1. The Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas proposes that the following information relating to this tender competition will be made available on request:
2. The Office undertakes to hold confidential, any information provided by you in this tender subject to:
You are asked to consider if any of the information supplied by you in this (tender) should not be disclosed because of its sensitivity, other than that referred to at 1 above. If this is the case, you should, when providing the information, identify the sensitive information and specify the reasons for its sensitivity. The Office will consult with you about sensitive information before making a decision on any Freedom of Information request received. If you consider that none of the information supplied by you is sensitive, please make a statement to that effect. Such information may be released in response to an FOI request. Last Updated: 05/04/02 17:25:11 -0000 |
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