Telecommunications, Digital Inclusion and Internet of Things

Description

Established in 2004, Procurement for Housing (PfH) is a national procurement consortium dedicated to the social housing sector and supported by the National Housing Federation (NHF), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and HouseMark. Collectively our Members manage more than 75% of UK’ social housing stock, with PfH helping them to achieve efficiency savings using a wide range of services including framework agreements, spend analyses, strategy reviews, consolidated billing and comprehensive reporting. PfH is a contracting authority under Regulation 2 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) and a central purchasing body under regulation 37 PCR 2015 PfH has sought to establish a national Framework Agreement for Telecommunications, Digital Inclusion, Internet of Things and associated services. The Framework will be awarded for an initial period of three years and may be extended for a further year (4 years in total) The framework is intended to provide services and associated products relating to networking and security including cloud based solutions, voice solutions, unified communications, mobile communications and total communications, in addition to providing solution to support digital inclusion and solutions utilising the Internet of Things technologies. For further information please refer to the procurement documentation Lot 1: Networking and Security The successful suppliers will be required to provide a full range of inclusive goods and service provisions either directly or via third parties, which will include installation, maintenance, disposal and any associated services and solution including but not limited to; Data connectivity and internet services incorporating FTTx, Ethernet Circuits, ISDN, PSTN, SD-WAN, Security solutions, Disaster Recovery solutions including but not limited to back up solutions, replication and recovery software and/or services. Cloud Hosting, Private Clouds, Local Area Networking (LAN), Wi-Fi, Power Systems, Associated Hardware – including but not limited to laptops, tablets, routers, servers, including associated accessories and connectivity requirements. Associated Services – including the provision of technical specialists, training, helpdesk support, managed equipment rooms, survey, installation, maintenance and decommissioning. Lot 2: Unified Communications and Voice Solutions Lot 2 requires the successful suppliers to provide a full range of inclusive goods and service provisions either directly or via third parties, which will include installation, maintenance, disposal and any associated services and solution including but not limited to associated software relating to; Digital voice solutions, including but not limited to Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP, SIP Trunking), Call Centre solutions, Contact Centre solutions, Unified Communications Application(s), Associated Hardware – including but not limited to handsets, headsets, laptops, tablets, routers, servers, including associated accessories and connectivity requirements, Associated Services – including the provision of technical specialists, training, helpdesk support, surveys, installation, maintenance and decommissioning, Teleconference and Videoconferencing solutions. Lot 3: Total Communications Solutions Lot 3 offers members the opportunity to call off requirements for services spanning both Lot 1 and 2, enabling both the member and supplier to develop and implement a total Communications solution under the remit of a single supplier. Lot 4: Mobile Communications Lot 4 requires the successful supplier to offer members a full range of mobile solutions inclusive of hardware, accessories, associated software, data and associated service including delivery, maintenance and repair services, disposal and any associated services and solution including but not limited to; 3G, 4G & 5G Connectivity, voice & data bundles including sim cards, mobile device hardware, including but not limited to phones and tablet computers, accessories and other associated hardware. Mobile Broadband. The provision of associated mobile communications systems and software including but not limited to; Mobile Device Management (MDM), mobile call recording, mobile conference calling, anti-virus software, hardware, repair services. Mobile cloud storage and sharing services, mobile device deployment Services including receipt, configuration and re-deployment to the end user, in addition to associated advisory and consultancy services. Lot 5: Community Wifi & Digital Inclusion Solutions Lot 5 provides members with solutions focused upon the provision of goods and services with the intention of enhancing digital inclusion within PfH Member’s Customer environment. Within this lot, the tenant is at the heart of the intended solutions, with the intention of improving accessibility to the internet with the purpose of enhancing tenant skills and capabilities in moving towards a digital operating environment. PfH members may choose to do this to support members with internet connectivity with the purpose of enabling tenants to search for jobs, apply for benefits, pay rent or other utilities in addition to enabling them to search for better value goods and services to them as an individual in addition to a host of other benefits, which may include staying in touch with family and friends via email or social media, reducing isolation and loneliness. Whilst this lot is fundamentally about connectivity for the above benefits, other associated services are for the provision of training and upskilling of PfH Member customers, and therefore the applicable providers must be able to facilitate appropriate training solutions with the same overall aim, to improve digital inclusion. The Successful Suppliers will be required to provide a full range of inclusive goods and service provisions either directly or via third parties, which will include installation, maintenance, disposal and any associated services and solutions including but not limited to associated software relating to; Community Connectivity, Site based, Community Wifi, Neighbourhood Wifi, Local Authority or other Wifi/WAN, The supply of hardware and connectivity, the provision of mobile connectivity on a BYOD basis. Additional elements include but are not limited to; The provision of associated training and education services, to provide development and learning interventions. The provision of software of online solutions which will support in education solutions within the intention of increasing digital inclusion. Advisory services regarding appropriate grants and funding mechanisms. Lot 6: Internet of Things Lot 6 will provide members a full range of connectivity solutions all focused around IOT connectivity and data, which will enable members to identify, monitor and measure sensors within any environment. It is thought that the application of IOT is highly likely that members will be focused on solutions which support them in improving the services provided to PfH Member Customers thorough many different applications, for example, monitoring boiler performance, smoke alarms, fire alarms, heat alarms, legionella, humidity, energy consumption, water consumption, although this is not an exhaustive list and is likely to develop over the course of the framework. Members call off requirements will vary in respect of volume and requirements, members will require a range of services from ad-hoc small volume trials, to a fully tailored and owned gateways with application integration, therefore the Supplier will need to provide a fully inclusive solution as detailed within the scope of this framework agreement, in order to fulfil the specified member requirements. This lot is split into two sub lots; Lot 6a – Shared Solutions – This lot is directly relevant to solutions where connectivity is provided on a shared gateway basis. Lot 6b – Private solutions– This lot is directly relevant to solutions where connectivity is provided on a private gateway basis and is highly likely that the Customer will purchase and house the gateway within location which the Customer owns and/or leases, but ultimately has access and control of access to.