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Summary

OCID:: ocds-h6vhtk-0454c1
Published by:: Oxfordshire County Council
Authority ID:: AA21285
Publication date:: 25 April 2024
Deadline date:: -
Notice type:: Prior Information Notice
Has documents:: No
Has SPD:: No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:: N/A

Abstract

On behalf of England’s Connected Heartland 5G Innovation Region (ECH 5GIR), Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) intends to procure a contract for a single Supplier to install and operate a 5G NR Standalone mobile private network managed service along approximately 30km of the East West Rail line between Bicester and Bletchley.

The project aims to deliver high speed mobile connectivity to railway users of all kinds. It aims to improve the commercial sustainability of rail mobile connectivity by providing services from the same infrastructure to trackside neighbours, and to develop the technical and commercial blueprint to extend the model more widely.

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is intended to alert potential bidders to the forthcoming procurement procedure and to outline the current view of the requirements. OCC wishes to engage with potential bidders with the expertise, experience, and innovative solutions to design, build and operate a scalable 5G Standalone mobile private network in a railway setting.

We invite interested parties to review this notice and consider the opportunity to contribute to a project that promises to enhance rural railway connectivity and set a model for similar networks elsewhere in the UK and beyond.

Full notice text

Prior information notice

This notice is for prior information only

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1) Name and addresses

Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council, 3rd Floor County Hall

Oxford

OX1 1ND

Contact person: Mr Martin Hall

Telephone: +44 7889164706

E-mail: martin.hall@oxfordshire.gov.uk

NUTS: UKJ1

Internet address(es)

Main address: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Address of the buyer profile: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

I.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:

https://sebp.due-north.com/

Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address

I.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

I.5) Main activity

General public services

Section II: Object

II.1) Scope of the procurement

II.1.1) Title

England’s Connected Heartland Framework - PIN Notice for 5G private network managed service along the East West Railway

Reference number: DN720480

II.1.2) Main CPV code

72000000

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.2) Description

II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

32410000

32420000

32430000

32510000

32520000

32560000

32570000

32580000

44212200

45231600

50330000

51300000

79400000

II.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UKH11

UKH12

UKH21

UKH24

UKH25

UKJ1

II.2.4) Description of the procurement

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) concerns the pre-market engagement for Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC) forthcoming procurement of a supplier to provide 5G standalone mobile private network managed services along the East West Rail Line between Bicester and Bletchley for England’s Connected Heartland 5G Innovation Region (ECH 5GIR).

Co-ordinated by OCC, ECH 5GIR was formed in 2023 to become one of ten regions to successfully bid for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 5GIR funds.

ECH 5GIR is a partnership between councils in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, with a long-term vision for driving the use of advanced wireless across the councils’ region.

The DSIT 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) programme is a UK Government initiative designed to foster the development and deployment of 5G and advanced wireless technologies across the country. With a funding pool of approximately £36million, the programme has identified ten regions, including ECH, to become hubs of digital innovation. The DSIT 5G Innovation Regions funding must be spent by 31st March 2025.

ECH 5GIR has ambitious plans for its 5G Innovation Region projects. These plans are highlighted in recent press releases regarding the successful award of the funding to Oxfordshire County Council as the representative of England’s Connected Heartland.

The Supplier will design, build and operate the network over the term of the contract. The Supplier will:

• Design and manage the implementation of the 5G Railway project’s network, including:

o Detailed survey and design of the network to meet the coverage and capacity requirements.

o Delivery of the 5G private network infrastructure

o Obtain all wayleaves, permissions and licences necessary for the Solution

• Maintain and manage the network over the term, including:

o Provide a Service Management function to proactively manage the availability of the Solution to agreed service levels, and to provide prompt remedial action in the event of failure.

o Maintain and manage the network.

o Ensure that the services continue to meet the security, information management and regulatory requirements.

• Work with the ECH partners to drive commercial sustainability of the network, including:

o Engage service users and drive adoption

o Document the delivery model and support its wider replication

II.2.14) Additional information

Further information can be obtained from the Council’s procurement portal at sebp.due-north.com

The Council has some questions for potential bidders which are shown in the ECH 5G Railway PIN Supplier Response template. Potential Bidders are invited to return a completed template to allow the Council to take account of their feedback.

An online market information webinar will be held on 29th April 2024. All potential bidders are invited to attend to hear and discuss ECH 5GIR’s current procurement plans, to ask questions, and to suggest improvements that could be made to the plans.

The Council will provide an opportunity for short 1:1 discussions, so that commercially sensitive topics may be addressed privately. These private sessions will be conducted to the same agenda, with each organisation given equal access time to the Council.

Potential bidders wishing to attend the webinar can do so by registering through the following link:

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7b3497ff-950e-422d-a77b-5a858845a66e@f05d39da-26ec-4eea-b8eb-9ff1a682d5e5 (Please paste URL into a browser for access OR press the link included in the accompanying documents found on the portal

II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:

24/05/2024

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice

24/04/2024

Coding

Commodity categories

ID	Title	Parent category
79400000	Business and management consultancy and related services	Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
32570000	Communications equipment	Telecommunications equipment and supplies
45231600	Construction work for communication lines	Construction work for pipelines, communication and power lines
32580000	Data equipment	Telecommunications equipment and supplies
32560000	Fibre-optic materials	Telecommunications equipment and supplies
51300000	Installation services of communications equipment	Installation services (except software)
72000000	IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support	Computer and Related Services
32410000	Local area network	Networks
50330000	Maintenance services of telecommunications equipment	Repair, maintenance and associated services related to personal computers, office equipment, telecommunications and audio-visual equipment
32420000	Network equipment	Networks
32520000	Telecommunications cable and equipment	Telecommunications equipment and supplies
44212200	Towers, lattice masts, derricks and pylons	Structural products and parts except prefabricated buildings
32430000	Wide area network	Networks
32510000	Wireless telecommunications system	Telecommunications equipment and supplies

Delivery locations

ID	Description
100	UK - All

Alert region restrictions

The buyer has restricted the alert for this notice to suppliers based in the following regions.

ID	Description
There are no alert restrictions for this notice.

About the buyer

Main contact:: martin.hall@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Admin contact:: N/a
Technical contact:: N/a
Other contact:: N/a

Further information

Date	Details
No further information has been uploaded.