HCC - 05/25 - The Provision of an Applicant Tracking System

Description

Hertfordshire County Council is currently out to procurement for the Provision of an Applicant Tracking System
The current contract for the provision of an Applicant Tracking System will expire in March 2026.  The primary goal of this procurement is to secure a new contract that aligns with Hertfordshire County Council’s price and quality specifications. 
In November 2024, PPME was conducted under the PCR2015 ref: 2024/S 000-037432 and by consulting with the following groups: 
Suppliers registered with the Council’s e-tendering system completed a questionnaire. 
Other Local Authorities that utilise an Applicant Tracking System  and
Engagement with internal stakeholders who will be using the system 
The objectives of this engagement were to: 
Shape our requirements specification, 
Understand how the market has evolved and what new functionalities are available since the Council last tendered for this contract. 
Determine contract length and budgets that are suitable for both the Council and Suppliers, ensuring they align with our requirements. 
Assist with establishing timelines for the procurement process, including implementation and mobilisation period. 
Explore future innovations in the sector that could be incorporated into the contract during this term. 
Provide evidence to support our key requirement of making the system user-friendly and enabling the automation of processes to reduce manual administration. 
The findings from the PPME have been factored into the agreed tender process and supporting documentation. 
Since the Council published its PPME, the English Devolution white paper, was published in December 2024.  It outlines the Central Government’s plan to reform local government.  These changes are expected to occur during the tenure of this Contract, potentially altering the structure, shape and size of the organisation, though the specifics are currently unknown.  Therefore, the services of this Contract may be expanded, contracted, or otherwise adjusted by mutual agreement with the successful Tenderer to reflect changes in local or regional priorities arising from devolution.  Any changes shall be subject to a Variation procedure and priced accordingly and must be in accordance with public procurement legislation and Council contracting regulations. 
The Contract has not been split into lots as the Council is purchasing one solution to be managed by one central team, the Applicant Tracking System purchased will fulfil all our requirements and it is not reasonably practicable for it to be supplied by more than one Supplier.  
The Council will procure this contract using the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined in the Procurement Act 2023, which will allow us to run a multistage procurement process as explained above.
Organisations wishing to take part in this project are invited to ‘express an interest’ and also ‘opt in’ which will give access to the full procurement documents in the e-tendering system.
To be considered as a Tenderer you must complete and submit a Tender by the deadline of 12 noon on the 20th June 2025
Please allow sufficient time to make your return, as Tender submissions cannot be uploaded and submitted after this return deadline. 
Please ensure that where possible documents are uploaded as a PDF and that file names are succinct.  
Any questions relating to this procurement must be made via correspondence on the website, in accordance with the procurement documents, and can be addressed to the main contact as shown in the details above.
Tenderers should be aware that due to the nature of the Services provided, any Contract formed as a result of this procurement process shall be executed as a deed. Tenderers should seek independent legal advice on the implications of this prior to submitting their Tender, where appropriate.
Please note that the contract requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands.
To access this opportunity please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home
If you are experiencing problems In-Tend offer a help section which includes a dedicated UK support desk which can be contacted via email: [email protected] or Telephone: +44 1144070065 for any website/technical questions, Monday to Friday, 8:30-17:00.
The Council reserves the right at any time to cease the procurement process and not award a Contract or to award only part of the opportunity described in this notice. If the Council takes up this right, then they will not be responsible for or pay the expenses or losses, which may be incurred by any organisation or tenderer as a result. 
As per the Procurement Act 2023, the Council reserves the right during the Award phase of this procurement exercise to: - 
Amend the stages of the Competitive Flexible Procedure where further stages are required to come to a fuller understanding between parties of the scope or requirement or other such necessary elements.  
Amend the specification  
Define or refine sub-weightings, particularly for price if it is not possible to fix costs for significant element(s) of the Statement of Requirement.  
Any amendments will be communicated in full to all Tenderers.