Ireland – IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support – Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency notice for Direct award of Contract for the Support and maintenance of the AIMs the Home Grants Management System

Dublin City Council gives notice to invoke 32.2(b) (ii) of Directive 2014/24/EU which allows for use of negotiated procedure without prior call for competition where the works , supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reasons. AIMs is an essential component of Dublin City Council's Home Grants process with bespoke development for the local government sector. The technology on which the system is built is proprietary and owned exclusively by the vendor. Due to the highly specialised and complex nature of this system, it is unfeasible to replicate or procure an equivalent system from an alternative provider in the short term without incurring significant costs and operational disruptions. Given this unique and proprietary foundation, derogation from standard procurement procedures is necessary. A five-year contract extension is therefore recommended to ensure business continuity and stability during the system replacement, and to avoid the substantial risks associated with a change in providers. This will maintain the integrity of a business-critical system while a long-term strategy is developed. The value of this contract will be €150,000