Award

Soscare Support and maintenance contract

BUSINESS SERVICES ORGANISATION

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

24 Apr 2025 at 08:38

Award

21 Mar 2025 at 13:35

Award

21 Mar 2025 at 10:29

Summary of the contracting process

The Business Services Organisation, a central government public authority based in Belfast, has completed a procurement process titled "Soscare Support and Maintenance Contract" under the direct award method. This involves supporting the SOSCARE application, crucial for managing social work resources, until 2029. The contract, valued at £1,500,000, was awarded to BRM SYSTEMS LTD on 2nd April 2025. The main industry category is IT services, encompassing consulting, software development, and support, and operates under the Northern Irish devolved regulations. Key dates include contract signing in early April 2025 and a maximum contract extension possibility running until the end of 2029.

Businesses specialising in IT services, particularly those focusing on software development and maintenance, could greatly benefit from similar procurement opportunities. Companies that have a robust understanding of the public sector and bespoke IT solutions may find success in such tender processes. This direct award recognises the niche expertise and intellectual property rights held by BRM SYSTEMS LTD, implying that companies with specialised knowledge and proprietary solutions could hold a significant competitive advantage in future government contracts.

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Notice Title

Soscare Support and maintenance contract

Notice Description

We require the Social Services Client Administration and Retrieval Environment (SOSCARE) application to continue to be supported until 2029. The SOSCARE system provides the ability to record clients and related referrals and assessments, and deploy and manage Social Work resources to provide appropriate services to these clients. These clients come from areas including Children's Services, Vulnerable Adults, Residential Care, Home Care, and Meals on Wheels, and the services provided include Fostering/Home Care (including payments), and Occupational Therapy (OT) and Hospital Social Work (SW) Referrals. The Children's Services include areas such as Child Protection, Looked After Children [LAC], Childminders/Playgroups, Adoption and Foster Carer's. Departmental Statutory Reporting for key areas is also provided. PS1,125,599.11 has been previously directed awarded to BRM for SOSCARE support and maintenance from April 2021 . It is our intention to complete a further Direct Award to the value of PS1,500,000.

Procurement Information

Crucially, over the 20 years, BRM have built up extensive business knowledge across all programmes of social care. They have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the intricate rules and associated inter-dependencies that apply to the planning and delivery of the social work service. They are acutely aware of the reliance trust staff place on the system and have grown the capability to accurately and quickly design and deliver system enhancements as well as quickly and accurately resolve incidents as and when they arise. (This has been particularly valuable during the COVID-19 period when enhancements were requested for delivery in a very short timeframe) Given the technology and the bespoke nature of the application, it would not be possible to find a replacement supplier capable of providing the required services. Further, to build the required level of expertise and knowledge into a replacement supplier would be an extremely long process and would require substantial input from BRM, as the main source, over a long period of time. We wish to rely on schedule 5 section 5 (a) due to BRM having the intellectual property rights. They are the only supplier able to provide the services.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04f722
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016666-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Apr 202510 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
21 Mar 202511 months ago
Contract Period
2 Apr 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
BUSINESS SERVICES ORGANISATION
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
itspmo@hscni.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT2 8DQ
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BRM SYSTEMS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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