Professional Services Dynamic Purchasing System (PROSERV DPS)

The European Commission, specifically DG DIGIT Digital Services, has announced a procurement opportunity for a Professional Services Dynamic Purchasing System (PROSERV DPS). This procurement aims to source professional IT services, including consulting, development, and operations, with an estimated total value of €1.2 billion over a maximum contract duration of 48 months. This opportunity serves as a purchasing framework rather than a traditional grant or funding program.

Eligible participants include established service providers in the IT sector, such as large enterprises and IT consulting firms, while it is explicitly noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not suitable for participation. Applicants can be individuals or form consortia and must meet specified eligibility criteria, including economic stability and technical capability.

The procurement operates on a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), allowing ongoing submissions until April 8, 2028. Bids will be evaluated based on interplay of quality and price. The submission process is mandatory through electronic means via the Mercell Source-to-Contract platform.

The opportunity covers a wide range of IT services under specific classification codes and is primarily aimed at EU Member States and potentially other EEA countries. The procedural framework allows multiple companies to participate simultaneously, with both direct contract awards and competitive bidding processes foreseen.

The overall objective is to streamline the European Commission's procurement of IT services, allowing it to better meet its digital infrastructure and operational needs. Interested firms are encouraged to consult the detailed procurement documents available through the Mercell platform for further information on specifications and terms.

The European Commission, DG DIGIT Digital Services, has published a call for tenders EC-DIGIT/2024/DPS/0001 for a Professional Services Dynamic Purchasing System (PROSERV DPS). The TED reference is 71/2024 210206-2024. The submission method is electronic and the call is currently open for submission.

The description of the call is for sourcing of professional services for IT, including consulting, development, and operations. The procedure type is a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The estimated total value of the DPS is 1,200,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date was 10/04/2024.

The main classification (CPV) code is 72000000, which covers IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support. The nature of the contract is for services. The maximum contract duration is 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The framework agreement is partly without reopening and partly with reopening of competition.

The selection criteria include: Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, and Technical and professional ability. Detailed information on these criteria can be found in the procurement documents.

Key milestones include the TED publication date of 10/04/2024 and the deadline for receipt of requests to participate, which is 08/04/2028 00:00 Europe/Brussels.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission provided. The submission method is electronic, and access to the submission portal is available through a provided link.

A question and answer section is available, including a public Q&A, FAQs, and a My Q&A section. It is also possible to download the Q&As in XLS format.

One Q&A item is listed: A request for the DPS documentation for the PROSERV DPS. The response indicates that the procurement documents are available on the Mercell Source-to-Contract platform hosting the DPS, as detailed in the Contract Notice published on 10/04/2024. This Q&A was published on 18/04/2024 at 15:41.

In summary, this is a call for tenders to establish a Dynamic Purchasing System for IT professional services. The European Commission is looking for companies that can provide IT consulting, software development, IT operations and related support services. The DPS will be used to source these services over a period of four years, with an estimated total value of 1.2 billion EUR. Companies interested in providing these services can apply to join the DPS by submitting an electronic application before April 8, 2028. The selection of companies will be based on their suitability, financial standing, and technical capabilities. Once the DPS is established, specific contracts will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio, sometimes through a reopening of competition among the DPS members. The procurement documents, containing all the necessary details and instructions, are available on the Mercell Source-to-Contract platform.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for professional IT services, it can be inferred that eligible applicants would likely include companies, firms, or other organizations capable of providing IT consulting, development, and operations services. This could encompass SMEs, large enterprises, and potentially research institutes or other organizations with relevant expertise. The selection criteria mention "Suitability to pursue the professional activity," "Economic and financial standing," and "Technical and professional ability," which suggests that applicants will be assessed based on their capacity to deliver the required services.

Funding Type: The funding type is procurement. This is indicated by the description of the opportunity as "Sourcing of professional services for IT (consulting, development, operations)" and the use of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), which is a procurement mechanism. The "Nature of the contract" is also explicitly stated as "services."

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the use of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) suggests that both single applicants and consortia could potentially apply, as long as they meet the eligibility and selection criteria. The framework agreement is "partly without reopening and partly with reopening of competition," which could imply different possibilities for single or multiple applicants.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. However, given that the lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG DIGIT, it can be inferred that the beneficiary scope is likely within the EU or potentially includes countries that have agreements with the EU regarding procurement.

Target Sector: The target sector is Information Technology (IT). This is evident from the description: "Sourcing of professional services for IT (consulting, development, operations)." The main classification (CPV) code 72000000 further confirms this, as it refers to "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support."

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned in the opportunity details. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG DIGIT, which implies a European Union context.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly defined. However, given that this is a DPS for professional services, the expected maturity is likely at the stage where the services are ready for implementation and operational deployment. This suggests a focus on development, operations, and potentially some consulting related to these activities.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the Dynamic Purchasing System is 1,200,000,000 EUR (1.2 billion EUR). This is the overall budget for the DPS, not the funding amount for individual projects or contracts awarded through the DPS. The actual funding amount for each contract will vary depending on the specific services required.

Application Type: The application type is a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). This is explicitly stated as the "Procedure type." The submission method is electronic and open for submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing IT services. The "Nature of the contract" is "services," indicating that the support is in the form of payment for services rendered.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are at least two stages. The first stage involves applying to join the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and meeting the selection criteria. The second stage involves bidding for specific contracts that are offered within the DPS. The framework agreement being "partly without reopening and partly with reopening of competition" suggests that some contracts may be directly awarded to qualified DPS members, while others will require a further bidding process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text. Success rates would depend on the number of applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for the DPS and the competitiveness of the bids for individual contracts.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. Given that this is a procurement opportunity, co-funding is unlikely. The selected providers will be paid for their services based on the terms of the contracts awarded through the DPS.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders to establish a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for sourcing professional IT services for the European Commission, DG DIGIT. The DPS aims to procure a range of IT services, including consulting, software development, and operations. The estimated total value of the DPS is 1.2 billion EUR. The procedure type is a Dynamic Purchasing System, and the submission method is electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is April 8, 2028. The contract duration is a maximum of 48 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The selection criteria include suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability. Interested parties must submit their applications electronically through the designated platform. This DPS provides a framework for the European Commission to efficiently procure IT services from qualified providers over an extended period.